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Experts from South Africa and Brazil speak: media and information literacy against racial discrimination 2020-07-10 Following UNESCO’s launch of the interview series, Media and Information Literacy (MIL) Experts Speak, two other MIL experts from South Africa and Brazil share their personal narratives about how, by becoming media and information literate, people can resist all forms of stereotypes that lead to discrimination and hate. The UNESCO’s work in Communication and Information promotes a diversity of voices in all types of information, whether in books, digital platforms, or in the media. One way through which we do this is to promote MIL as an integrated set of information, digital, and media critical thinking competences. The UNESCO Media and Information Literacy for Teachers provides modules that can help people to understand the power of media representation and how to analyse messages in online or offline spaces. How we are seen determines in part how we are treated: how we treat others is based on how we see them; such seeing comes from representation.-- Richard Dyer, "The Matter of Images" Journey with us into the minds of the two MIL experts/practitioners below. If you are inspired, then share your experiences and positive insights for human solidarity and peace in your preferred space online. As you share your insights about change through unity and mutual respect, put a note referencing this MIL Experts Speak series. Interview 1: Rachel Fischer, Information Ethicist, Co-Chair of the International Centre for Information Ethics UNESCO: Ms Fischer, you are a MIL expert/practitioner. How do you think MIL is relevant to tackle racial discrimination? Rachel Fischer: I view my experience co-rooted in philosophy, MIL and Information Ethics. If we consider ethics, they seek to guide our decision-making towards doing good. Much of our actions and decisions depend on being well-informed: if we have manipulated, inaccurate or insufficient information, this will impact our understanding and by extension our behaviour. Towards your question, MIL is one of the central elements in tackling racial discrimination. It equips one with the skills to seek, evaluate and impart accurate information. One is less likely to be discriminatory if she/he is completely informed about the equality of all human beings and our responsibility to treat people with fairness. UNESCO: Have you had a personal experience of racial discrimination? Rachel Fischer: Being a South African means your psyche is steeped in racial awareness. Whether you deem yourself racist or not, you cannot avoid racial awareness. I firmly believe we as a nation are extremely sensitive towards racial discrimination, and yes, I have unfortunately seen and experienced racial discrimination in many communities. UNESCO: How did you respond to the experience? Rachel Fischer: There are several ways in which this, and all other forms of discrimination manifests: you see it in comments on Facebook posts, during insensitive conversations, in job selection policies as well as in public discourse, such as what is portrayed in media. What this shows is that there tends to be a mix of experiences of which some are anonymous, some private or some supported by official policy. It is a subversive type of discrimination which is not particularly easy to pinpoint, but instead systematically erodes the social fabric and human dignity. When able, I voice my disagreement and remove myself from such conversations. The worst one can do is to stand by and do/say nothing. It is our moral imperative to act against racial discrimination. UNESCO: How would you characterize incidents of racial discrimination? Rachel Fischer: In many South African communities, racial awareness is etched in peoples' identity. Political, economic and social discourses are frequently influenced by racial awareness: whether to be more inclusive or used as a tool for dissent. The jobs people have (or don’t have when reflecting on our high unemployment figures), the suburbs they live in, the schools they go to, the food they eat and the places they shop, are all influenced by race historically and presently. Racial discrimination is considered by many a constant, either in the way it was practiced or reacted to, due to our history. UNESCO: Do you know about how MIL is being applied in your country to address these challenges? Rachel Fischer: There are many initiatives that seek to promote media, digital and information literacies. Poverty and unemployment are two of our biggest challenges in South Africa. When our citizens become better equipped with MIL skills they are better positioned to learn, work and contribute to society in an informed manner. Education and ICT skills are central considerations for these challenges to be addressed. Service providers, government departments and civil society organisations should be better equipped to deliver sustainable and high impact interventions over the longer term. Interview 2: Felipe Chibás Ortiz, Associate Professor and Researcher, School of Communications and Arts, University of São Paulo UNESCO: Mr Ortiz, you are a MIL expert/practitioner. How do you think MIL is relevant to tackle racial discrimination? Felipe Chibás Ortiz: The MIL approach teaches how to develop critical thinking fundamentally in young people and adults. MIL methodology teaches them to carefully analyze messages and reality in a more objective way, without prejudices or cultural barriers such as those related to ethnicity, race, religion, different cultural identities, gender, and migration. MIL framework also helps, through education, to recognize and unmask fake news, deep fakes and post-truths that can be conveyed in face-to-face communication, in traditional media or on the Internet, about black and indigenous people, women and other less favored groups. UNESCO: Have you had a personal experience of racial discrimination? Felipe Chibás Ortiz: Yes, I have had many. Racism is institutional and not something that involves only the person who practices it. Sometimes it is subtle and sometimes it is open. Because of my work as a university professor, I don't deal directly with racist policemen. However, even in the academic and business world, I deal with bullying and racism. Black people know that we have to work double to be minimally recognized. Awards, recognition and positions that I deserved for my work were denied or passed over in some of the institutions I worked for. UNESCO: How did you respond to the experience? Felipe Chibás Ortiz: I often repulse bullying on the spot. I also teach the subject to my students and write texts, short stories and poems that I have already published in books or posted on the Internet, to educate those who do not know about the phenomenon or to advocate against racial discrimination. Here is a poem I wrote: Cities without Lungs(from Racism to Love) The light of doubtlight a boiling soup of words.We are lost on a clown night.A Mandela poemwritten in blood for 28 yearscan answer you point blankin hands without nailsthat hold the minutes, hours, years or decades parallelof the body that imprisons the black cougar.We are trying to breathein a city without lungs.They imploded crystalsin a neighborhood of never.A scream can inspire a filmand a video change the story.My favorite religion is your song,but that mirage was bornwhen you said "I have a dream"Is it still an impossible dream?We are trying to breathein a city without lungs.The mirror of that pandemic is terrible.But change can come,In and through us all,With love!Let’s LOVE! UNESCO: How would you characterize incidents of racial discrimination? Felipe Chibás Ortiz: Unfortunately, it is something daily because it is very ingrained in my society. Thus, black people suffer from more police violence, lower wages, worse jobs, greater difficulties to be accepted into a job and to be promoted or recognized, less access to education and the internet, bullying and disrespect in the streets, etc., and are the largest imprisoned population. Life expectancy is up to eight years less in the poorest neighborhoods, where a large part of the black population lives. UNESCO: Do you know about how MIL is being applied in your country to address these challenges? Felipe Chibás Ortiz: In Brazil we have courses offered by NGOs that teach about this. At the University of São Paulo, for example, there is the Black Consciousness nucleus. In my study group, Toth-CRIARCOM, we approach the topic with the MIL framework emphasizing the focus of the 20 Cultural Barriers to Communication and teach professors, students, the corporate world and startups to build more inclusive ecosystems. --------------------------1. This was recently declared by Mr Bruno Covas, on 3 June this year, in a press conference offered because of COVID-19 and is quoted on the website R7. DisclaimerThe ideas and opinions expressed in these interviews are those of the interviewee and do not necessarily reflect the views of UNESCO. The designations used in this publication and the presentation of the data contained therein do not imply the expression of any opinion on the part of UNESCO concerning the legal status of countries, territories, cities or areas or their authorities, or concerning the layout of their borders or boundaries. The interviews were conducted by Alton Grizzle, UNESCO Programme Specialist in Media and Information Literacy. URL:https://en.unesco.org/news/experts-south-africa-and-brazil-speak-media-and-information-literacy-against-racial 
UNESCO urged to take measures to address Climate Change disinformation 2020-07-07 "School Lost and Confused Signpost" by Wonder woman0731 is licensed under CC BY 2.0 Long-term actions to reduce gaps in trust and transparency in climate change discourse can alleviate confusion. These were the points made when UNESCO in partnership with IPS Academy organized a four-part webinar on 15th, 17th, 19th and 22nd of June 2020. Convened with a multi-stakeholder spirit, the series brought together experts from around the world, including academics, policy makers, scientists, storytellers and activists, providing a space to discuss climate change disinformation. The webinar series was inaugurated by UNESCO’s Assistant Director Generals Mr Moez Chakchouk and Ms Shamila Nair-Bedouelle, who highlighted the need to rally multi-stakeholder support to fight falsehoods in climate change. Both Assistant Director Generals highlighted the importance of scientific communication and advocated for the need to initiate inclusive dialogue particularly with the youth. Underscoring this importance, Ms. Nair-Bedouelle noted “young people are the guardians of misinformation and advocates for sound science and must be equipped to take over and transmit this knowledge”. The webinars were structured to set the context, discuss the receiver/demand- and producer/supply-side dynamics of disinformation and converge discussions to agree on a way forward: Webinar 1 laid the groundwork to question the context of false content and climate change. Webinar 2 explored strategies to communicate science to the public. This discussion revealed how governments, scientists and media outlets can generate quality information and ensure that it reaches the public in a form that is easily understandable and that inspires action. Webinar 3 investigated the origins of false information. A dynamic discussion amongst journalists, activists and academics explored the roles of journalism, including investigative journalism, and media and information literacy, as well the ethics needed to generate accurate information. Webinar 4 converged discussions of the previous webinars and reflected on ways to take false content beyond confusion and instead inspire actions that can drive change. The discussion concluded that measures at both the audience/demand- and producer/supply-side are needed to combat disinformation. The webinars noted that following the COVID-19 pandemic, renewed attention has been drawn on how scientific information is generated and communicated amongst different stakeholders and the challenge to avoid both intentional and inadvertent falsehoods. These problems and their detrimental impacts on health provided parallels to the issues faced in the field of climate change, where false information is being used to divert attention away from rational judgement based on scientific information, and instead is pegged on subjective interpretation of short-term weather events. The discussions reiterated the important role of the education system and life-long learning to combat false content on climate change. The webinars also highlighted the role of peer-reviewed science as the basis of climate change policy making. Panellist Dr Astrid Caldas from the Union of Concerned Scientists noted that “Scientific information should not be suppressed but rather be central to government policymaking”, as informed choices by governments are key to tackling climate change disinformation and maintaining accurate data in in the information sphere. The webinars further called for bridging a perceived gap in trust and transparency between the government, climate scientists, media outlets and the public. Speaking at the final webinar, Italian Minister for Environment, Mr Sergio Costa urged stakeholders to develop a formal “pact of environmental communication, where science, politics, ... journalism can be integrated … to build a new green normality”. The discussions also urged UNESCO to: Lead a process so that scientific information would not be suppressed but rather be central to government policymaking. Encourage and build capacities for storytelling amongst information providers and packaging of accurate information for the general public. Develop tools and mechanism for sharing knowledge and leverage the power of new technologies such as AI where feasible. Inspire actions for secondary and tertiary education that would help the youth navigate the information sphere and analyse information so that they can act as their own gatekeepers of disinformation and as advocates for sound science. The spirit of the series was concluded by Mr Shahidul Alam who stated that we need a "synchronized movement that has the power of the people on its side... for our message to succeed we don't merely need to get data... we must rely on trust, reliability of the source and the veracity of the evidence". Amplifying the voices of those left behind and creating a sphere of trust is vital to ensuring viable and accurate information, he added. The webinar also provided an opportunity for the IPS Academy to launch a dedicated Citizens Platform on Climate Change and a Sustainable World with a core intention to fight disinformation. Recordings of the webinars are available here. For more information contact: Bhanu Neupane URL:https://en.unesco.org/news/unesco-urged-take-measures-address-climate-change-disinformation 
Countries failing to prevent violence against children, agencies warn 2020-06-30 Global status report on preventing violence against children calls for more government action and warns of ‘dramatic impact’ of COVID-19 Half of the world’s children, or approximately 1 billion children each year are affected by physical, sexual or psychological violence, suffering injuries, disabilities and death, because countries have failed to follow established strategies to protect them. This is according to a new report published today by the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, UNESCO, the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General on Violence against Children and the End Violence Partnership. “There is never any excuse for violence against children," said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “We have evidence-based tools to prevent it, which we urge all countries to implement. Protecting the health and well-being of children is central to protecting our collective health and well-being, now and for the future.” The report – Global Status Report on Preventing Violence Against Children 2020 – is the first of its kind, charting progress in 155 countries against the “INSPIRE” framework, a set of seven strategies for preventing and responding to violence against children. The report signals a clear need in all countries to scale up efforts to implement them. While nearly all countries (88%) have key laws in place to protect children against violence, less than half of countries (47%) said these were being strongly enforced. The report includes the first ever global homicide estimates specifically for children under 18 years of age – previous estimates were based on data that included 18 to 19-year olds. It finds that, in 2017, around 40,000 children were victims of homicide. “Violence against children has always been pervasive, and now things could be getting much worse,” said UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore. “Lockdowns, school closures and movement restrictions have left far too many children stuck with their abusers, without the safe space that school would normally offer. It is urgent to scale up efforts to protect children during these times and beyond, including by designating social service workers as essential and strengthening child helplines.” Progress is generally uneven Of the INSPIRE strategies, only access to schools through enrollment showed the most progress with 54% of countries reporting that a sufficient number of children in need were being reached in this way. Between 32% to 37% of countries considered that victims of violence could access support services, while 26% of countries provided programmes on parent and caregiver support; 21% of countries had programmes to change harmful norms; and 15% of countries had modifications to provide safe physical environments for children. Although a majority of countries (83%) have national data on violence against children, only 21% used these to set baselines and national targets to prevent and respond to violence against children. About 80% of countries have national plans of action and policies but only one-fifth have plans that are fully funded or have measurable targets. A lack of funding combined with inadequate professional capacity are likely contributing factors and a reason why implementation has been slow. The COVID-19 response and its impact on children “During the COVID-19 pandemic, and the related school closures, we have seen a rise in violence and hate online – and this includes bullying. Now, as schools begin to re-open, children are expressing their fears about going back to school,” said Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO Director-General. “It is our collective responsibility to ensure that schools are safe environments for all children. We need to think and act collectively to stop violence at school and in our societies at large.” Stay-at-home measures including school closures have limited the usual sources of support for families and individuals such as friends, extended family or professionals. This further erodes victims’ ability to successfully cope with crises and the new routines of daily life. Spikes in calls to helplines for child abuse and intimate partner violence have been observed. And while online communities have become central to maintain many children’s learning, support and play, an increase in harmful online behaviours including cyberbullying, risky online behavior and sexual exploitation have been identified. “Whilst this report was being finalized, confinement measures and the disrupted provision of already limited child protection services exacerbated the vulnerability of children to various forms of violence,” said Najat Maalla M’jid, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General on Violence against Children. “To respond to this crisis a unified, child rights and multisectoral framework for action for children is critical requiring a strong mobilization of governments, bilateral/multilateral donors, civil society, private sector and children, whose views must be heard and truly taken into account to ensure duly protection and the possibility for all to thrive and reach their full potential.” Accelerating action to protect children WHO and its partners will continue to work with countries to fully implement the INSPIRE strategies by enhancing coordination, developing and implementing national action plans, prioritizing data collection, and strengthening legislative frameworks. Global action is needed to ensure that the necessary financial and technical support is available to all countries. Monitoring and evaluation are crucial to determine the extent to which these prevention efforts are effectively delivered to all who need them. “Ending violence against children is the right thing to do, a smart investment to make, and it’s possible. It is time to fully fund comprehensive national action plans that will keep children safe at home, at school, online and in their communities,” said Dr Howard Taylor, End Violence Partnership. “We can and must create a world where every child can thrive free from violence and become a new generation of adults to experience healthy and prosperous lives.” Editor’s note: The data for the report was compiled through a survey administered between 2018 and 2019 with responses from over 1000 decision-makers from 155 countries. The INSPIRE strategies launched in 2016 call for the implementation and enforcement of laws; changing norms and values to make violence unacceptable; creating safe physical environments for children; providing support to parent and caregivers; strengthening income and economic security and stability; improving response and support services for victims; and providing children with education and life skills. Related links: To download the report (in English only) and executive summary (in English, French, Russian and Spanish), go to: https://who.canto.global/b/SSHOR and use password: 490759. To watch the launch event taking place on Thursday, 18 June from 15:00 to 16:30 CEST, please register at https://bit.ly/2ApZXKa. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with details on how to access the event. Interpretation will be provided in the 6 UN languages. URL:https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/18-06-2020-countries-failing-to-prevent-violence-against-children-agencies-warn 
New UN report shows countries failing to protect children against violence 2020-06-20 While global attention is focused on containing the COVID-19 pandemic, one out of two of two children across the world continue to be affected by physical, sexual or psychological violence, according to a new report released by WHO, together with UNESCO, UNICEF, the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General on Violence against Children and the End Violence Partnership. The report – Global Status Report on Preventing Violence Against Children 2020 – brings to light the increasing number of children who are suffering injuries, disabilities and death because countries are not following established strategies to protect them from harm. The first of its kind, it charts countries’ progress against the “INSPIRE” framework, a set of seven strategies for preventing and responding to violence against children. The report includes the first ever global homicide estimates for children under 18 years of age. In 2017, an estimated 40150 children were victims of homicide. It also draws on data from UNESCO’s 2019 report, Behind the Numbers: Ending school violence and bullying, highlighting that bullying is a major problem worldwide, with 32% of students aged 11- 15 bullied by their peers at school at least once in the last month. “During the COVID-19 pandemic, and the related school closures, we have seen a rise in violence and hate online – and this includes bullying. Now, as schools begin to re-open, children are expressing their fears about going back to school,” said UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay. “It is our collective responsibility to ensure that schools are safe environments for all children. We need to think and act collectively to stop violence at school and in our societies at large.” Uneven progress in implementing violence prevention strategies Laws that ban corporal punishment of children in all settings, including schools, have the potential to reduce the violence perpetrated by adults on children, and also between children, the report finds. Yet, while 79% of countries which responded for the report ban corporal punishment, only 30% of respondents believe that those who are violent towards children for whatever reason, including teachers, will be sanctioned. “This report is a strong reminder that having good policies is not enough, and that we need to work constantly to make sure that these policies are enforced, said UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education Stefania Giannini. “It will be impossible to achieve inclusive and equitable quality education for all if children cannot learn in schools that are safe and free of violence, including violence perpetrated by students, teachers and other school personnel, and corporal punishment.” COVID-19 response and its impact on children Stay-at-home measures, including school closures, have limited the usual sources of support for families and individuals such as friends, extended family or professionals. This erodes victims’ ability to successfully cope with crises and the new routines of daily life. Spikes in calls to helplines for child abuse and intimate partner violence have been observed. And while online communities have become central to maintain learning, support and play for many children, an increase in harmful online behavior including cyberbullying, risky online behavior and sexual exploitation have also been identified. URL:https://en.unesco.org/news/new-report-shows-countries-failing-protect-children-against-violence 
The socio-cultural implications of COVID-19 2020-06-15 Professor Fethi Mansouri, UNESCO Chairholder for Cultural Diversity and Social Justice at Deakin University, Melbourne (Australia) and UNITWIN Convenor for Inter-religious Dialogue and Intercultural Understanding, shares his views on the socio-cultural implications of COVID-19. Worldwide, the COVID-19 response has been largely premised on physical distancing, though this has, unfortunately, been discursively referred to in formal and informal discourse as social distancing. There is a big difference between the two concepts, with physical distancing not necessarily precluding social connectedness, whereas social distancing unavoidably presumes disconnectedness. But for physical distancing not to also engender social distancing and inter-personal disconnectedness, certain societal conditions need to be met and made available indiscriminately. These include, first and foremost, access to basic infrastructure such as shelter, internet and basic everyday living needs. Sadly, across the world, and even within some developed societies, this has not always been the case. Entrenched social inequalities and economic marginalization have resulted in large proportions of the world’s populations being deprived of the most basic of human needs, let alone the capacity to be physically distant while at the same time socially connected and adequately supported to meet living needs. The problem of social and economic inequalities are amplifying the challenge of managing the rapid spread of COVID-19 globally, but what has also emerged is the systematic racism, particularly against people of Asian background, in Western émigré societies. Indeed, there is plenty of anecdotal evidence of racist attacks in many countries. This is not altogether a new phenomenon; a significant existing body of evidence shows that at times of crises – be they economic, environmental, security or health-related – minority groups are often made scapegoats and are subjected to racist, exclusionary, often violent discourses and practices. COVID-19 is already showing us a variety of patterns of racism aimed at Asian people ranging from cyber bullying to physical attacks, racist trolling, and a variety of xenophobic conspiracy theories that have been articulated not only by ordinary citizens but also some politicians and world leaders. None of this serves the intercultural dialogue agenda, with its emphasis on cross-cultural contact, mutual understanding, respectful engagement and inter-communal solidarity. Yet, perhaps one of the main paradoxes of this pandemic is that the challenges of physical distancing and disruption to the normal service provision systems has meant that solidarity, both local and transnational, has also come to the fore of our collective responses. Indeed, we have seen many creative community-led practices emerge in response to COVID-19 lockdowns that reflect the core principles of intercultural dialogue. These range from the emergence of real-world examples, such as citizens of New York, Paris and many other cities gathering nightly to applaud healthcare workers, to online intra-community solidarity, where local neighborhoods work together to ensure that the most vulnerable, the elderly and the less well-off are also supported and cared for. During a time when fewer social services are being delivered, and often not in the traditional mode that many recipients are accustomed to, acts of altruism and care are being reported on a daily basis – from individuals and communities in local neighborhoods delivering shopping to the needy, to checking in on elderly neighbours and others in need of support. It is true that citizenship has emerged as the main marker of belonging. However, as governments tighten border controls and close airports, many groups within civil society have been working hard to advocate for and demand rights and protections for non-citizens, especially asylum seekers and temporary workers. Internationally, and in terms of relations between nation states, transnational solidarity has become at once a victim of COVID-19 and a key component in the global collective response strategy. Indeed, initially at least, transnational solidarity was sacrificed in the rush to contain, suppress and hopefully eliminate COVID-19. This was the case across many countries that hastily moved to shut their borders to non-citizens, stop international student mobility, shut down airports and all but stop international trade and tourism. These are all measures that represent a significant blow to globalization and its reliance on free movement of services, people and goods. It is equally a blow to the guiding principles of intercultural dialogue, which require deliberative engagement on issues of mutual concerns, including border crossings and exchange of those goods and services that affect the lives and livelihoods of individuals across borders. But the current COVID-19 situation also offers us hope for new ways of forming and sustaining solidarity across cultural backgrounds, faith traditions, political systems and geographic borders. This new, more positive transnational solidarity was showcased in the form of intercultural, transnational ‘medical diplomacy’, where countries have been sending doctors, paramedics, medicines and medical equipment across borders to those countries hit most severely by the pandemic and that lacked certain medical expertise and supplies. The examples of Cuba, China and India are good cases in point, where doctors, medicines and medical equipment have been respectively used to engage in this new form of transnational solidary at a time of acute health crisis. This form of transnational engagement highlights the deeply intersected nature of our globalized world and the extent to which it is not only intimately hyper-connected but, more critically, irreversibly inter-dependent. Our post-COVID-19 world order must heed the lessons of this pandemic as it reconfigures international relations, intercultural engagement and transnational solidarity in ways that will ensure we are better able to deal with future crises when they happen again. The outbreak of the coronavirus in Wuhan, China, and its rapid spread across the world, exemplifies this inter-dependence and highlights the urgent need for more collaboration across medical, technological, economic, environmental and social fields in order to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all global citizens irrespective of geography, ethnicity, religion or level of domestic economic development. What pandemics such as COVID-19 are exposing is that the global community will only be as capable of containing highly infectious viruses as the public health system of its least developed nations will be supported. Eliminating the current health threat, as well as other global threats, requires not less but more transnational solidarity, more intercultural dialogue and more equitable capacity-building around the aspirational Sustainable Development Goals. Transnational solidarity and intercultural dialogue are not only worth pursuing for their utopian, cosmopolitan and ethical tendencies, but also for their practical, critical and transformational roles in ensuring the safety, wellbeing and sustainability of the entire global community. *** Professor Fethi Mansouri, PhD, is Director of the Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalization at the Deakin University in Melbourne, Australia. He is the UNESCO Chairholder for Cultural Diversity and Social Justice, and UNESCO UniTwin Convenor for Inter-religious Dialogue and Intercultural Understanding (IDIU). Email: fethi.mansouri@deakin.edu.auFethi Mansouri | Alfred Deakin Institute | UNESCO Chair Cultural Diversity and Social Justice Recent Books:(2019), ‘Contesting the Theological Foundations of Islamism and Violent Extremism’.(2019, 2nd edition in French): ‘L'interculturalisme à la croisée des chemins: perspectives comparatives sur les concepts, les politiques et les pratiques’. UNESCO Publishing, Paris. * ICD = Intercultural Dialogue *** The ideas and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of UNESCO. The designations used in this publication and the presentation of the data contained therein do not imply the expression of any opinion on the part of UNESCO concerning the legal status of countries, territories, cities or areas or their authorities, or concerning the layout of their borders or boundaries. URL:https://en.unesco.org/news/socio-cultural-implications-covid-19 
UN appeals for restraint, ‘social cohesion’ as protests across the US continue 2020-06-03 Responding to on-going protests that have spawned violence on all sides across dozens of US cities, the UN Spokesperson on Monday reiterated the Secretary-General’s appeal for grievances to be heard in “peaceful ways”, met with restraint by police and security forces. Outrage began after video footage went viral on social media early last week, showing a white officer in the city of Minneapolis kneeling on the neck of 46-year-old African-American George Floyd for more than eight minutes, during which he appeared to become lifeless, dying in police custody. Tens of thousands have taken to the streets during mainly peaceful protests, but violence by some demonstrators aimed at the police has also seen widespread looting, and increasingly violent policing tactics employed across multiple US cities. “The situation we're seeing today we've seen in different parts of the world before”, Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told reporters, adding that UN chief António Guterres’s message has been consistent: “Grievances must be heard, but they must be expressed... in peaceful ways, and authorities must show restraint in responding to demonstrators”. " STOP racism.STOP anti-semitism.STOP xenophobia.STOP intolerance.Join the @UN call to #StandUp4HumanRights and help build a world free of discrimination, hate & violence. pic.twitter.com/rL9PTsp9mE " — UNESCO (@UNESCO) June 1, 2020 As in any country in the world, “diversity is a richness and not a threat, but the success of diverse societies in any country requires a massive investment in social cohesion”, the spokesperson said, responding to questions from correspondents at the regular daily briefing, and pointing to “reducing inequalities, addressing possible areas of discrimination, strengthening social protection, [and] providing opportunities for all”. “These efforts, these investments need to mobilize national governments…local authorities, the private sector, civil society, faith based organizations…society as a whole”, he said. And in cases of instances of police violence, Mr. Dujarric reiterated the UN’s stance, calling for thorough investigations. “We've always said that police forces around the world need to have adequate human rights training, and there also needs to be an investment in social and psychological support for police so they can do their job properly in terms of protecting the community”, the UN Spokesperson said. Violent outbursts The killing of Mr. Floyd has rocked Minneapolis and other cities across the country, with mostly peaceful daytime demonstrations turning violent as night fell, with many curfews being imposed, and largely ignored. Throughout the weekend, reports reverberated of shootings, lootings and vandalism in a host of American cities, including New York, Chicago, Philadelphia and Los Angeles. Meanwhile, riot police fired tear gas and pepper bullets to try to disperse crowds and according to news reports, at least 4,400 people have been arrested. By some accounts, the country is experiencing the most widespread racial turbulence and civil unrest since civil rights icon, Dr. Martin Luther King, was assassinated in 1968. Protest-connected outbreak Although only days ago the COVID-19 pandemic had led to weeks of largely empty streets across the country, march routes in many cities have seen demonstrators ignoring physical-distancing, marching shoulder to shoulder, despite the risk of further transmission. Speaking at a regular World Health Organization (WHO) press conference, infectious disease epidemiologist, Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, said that physical distancing remains a “very important aspect” to control and suppress transmission. “This is not over yet and we need to ensure that any locations that are considering these mass gathering events”, have “systems in place to prevent and detect and respond to any such cases”, she spelled out. URL:https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/06/1065262 
#TheWorldin2030: Help UNESCO set the global agenda on the issues you care about! 2020-06-02 Help UNESCO set the global agenda on the issues you care about! UNESCO is launching an unprecedented public survey to gain insights into global sentiment on the major challenges that threaten peace around the world today and the solutions needed to address them. The results will assist UNESCO in setting the global agenda on these issues over the next decade to ensure #TheWorldin2030 is one we want to live in. Take the survey: Click here The survey is being launched at a time of profound societal upheaval linked to the COVID-19 pandemic. There are urgent calls for reflection on the world that will emerge from the crisis and how we will address major ongoing challenges such as climate change, violence, widespread inequalities and massive technological disruption. “The next ten years are critical for putting the pieces into place for the world to come after the COVID-19 crisis, and addressing the already-severe challenges from before it began,” said UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay. “This new survey is part of UNESCO’s commitment to leading a global reflection on these issues. Understanding the obstacles people are facing and their hopes for overcoming them is crucial, and I call on everyone from all regions to take part and tell us what they think.” Amid questions from some on the effectiveness and relevance of multilateralism in today’s world, the survey will also gain insights into how the international community, including UNESCO through its mandate to build peace in the minds of men and women, can better address the concerns of all populations. The survey is open to all around the world and it will soon be available in at least 20 languages. It will be open for the next three months, with the results to be released in September 2020 as part of a special “World in 2030” report analysing global and regional views on the challenges of today. A special focus has also been placed on ensuring a large number responses from young people. Through the survey, UNESCO aims to give them an opportunity to express their points of view and ideas and contribute to discussions on what the future should look like. The survey is being held as part of UNESCO’s ongoing Strategic Transformation. It also fits into wider efforts by the Organization to reflect upon the world to come, including the recent launch of the UNESCO Forum series. This series kicked off this week with video interviews featuring leading women thinkers, artists and activists, in which they aired their views on the challenges and opportunities the world will face in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis. URL:https://en.unesco.org/news/theworldin2030-help-unesco-set-global-agenda-issues-you-care-about 
La Coalition mondiale pour l’éducation facilite l’accès gratuit à l’enseignement à distance par Internet dans plusieurs pays 2020-06-01 Major mobile telephone operators that are part of UNESCO’s Global Education Coalition have stepped up efforts to improve connectivity by providing free access to online educational content for students in all regions of the world affected by Covid-19 induced school closures. “While the Global Education Coalition supports both online and offline solutions, aiming towards connectivity for all is an important imperative, especially when our data shows that 43% of the world’s households do not have access to the internet,” said UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay. “Cost is also a major obstacle for students from disadvantaged backgrounds all over the world, The Coalition’s initiative is an example of the concrete results that can be achieved by bringing together the United Nations and the private sector. By ensuring free of charge connection to educational content in a number of countries, these corporations give a strong signal as to the need to provide free access to online educational options, especially where schools remain closed.” The operators, Orange and Vodafone, are offering free of charge access to distance education platform in some countries as a response to the closure of schools which still affects 1.26 billion learners worldwide. In sub-Saharan Africa, Orange through its subsidiaries, provides free access to accredited learning platforms in Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali and Democratic Republic of the Congo. Similar packages are planned in Botswana, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Liberia and Madagascar. The practice is also being extended to countries in other regions: Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, and Tunisia, free connection is provided to digital education contents. “For several years now, Orange has had the ambition of improving access to education for all. It is in this context that we have opened our Digital Schools and launched our socially-priced mobile data packages dedicated to online training,” said Alioune Ndiaye, Executive Director of Orange for the Middle East and Africa. “Since April, the majority of our subsidiaries have been offering free access to school and university content from our partners to enable students to continue learning from home. We hope that e-learning, which has now demonstrated its added value, will continue to develop in Africa as a complement to traditional means". In Samoa, Vodafone is providing around 80,000 learners with a free Student Sim Card that gives unlimited 4G data access to a range of approved educational websites. The company is working with the Ministry of Education, Sports & Culture and UNESCO to develop and host a free student e-Learning Portal utilizing the national learning curriculum. “Our investment into the future of our children says a lot about our values and mission. Vodafone is all about empowering future generations to be the best they aspire to be. This initiative and free Student Sim have all you need to stay on top of your studies and succeed academically,” says Vodafone CEO, Satish Sharma. UNESCO estimates that despite the efforts of governments worldwide to provide alternative remote learning, at least 500 million children and youth are currently excluded from public educational provision, partly because of lack of connectivity. While the share of students with no access to internet at home is under 15% in Western Europe and North America, it is as high as 80% in sub-Saharan Africa. Although mobile phones can enable learners to access information, connect with teachers and with one another, about 56 million learners, almost half of them in sub-Saharan Africa, live in areas that are not covered by mobile networks. To take stock of lessons learned in recent months and explore solutions to bridge digital divides, UNESCO organized a webinar on connectivity on 22 May, which brought together partners from the Coalition and beyond, including ITU, Microsoft, Ericsson, Mastercard Foundation and several UNESCO Chairs specializing in technology and education. All stressed the need for collaboration to provide public connectivity so as to maintain the right to education and enable digital learning inside and outside the classroom, leveraging new financing models, especially to benefit the most under-served areas. The Global Education Coalition which brings together over 100 partners was launched on 26 March to pool the skills and resources of a wide range of public and private entities and deploy inclusive and equitable distance learning options tailored to countries’ needs, prioritizing connectivity, teachers and gender. **** Media contact: Clare O’Hagan, UNESCO Press Service, c.o-hagan@unesco.org, +33(0)145681729 URL:https://en.unesco.org/news/global-education-coalition-facilitates-free-internet-access-distance-education-several 
Call for applications and nominations for the 2020 UNESCO International Literacy Prizes 2020-05-20 UNESCO has now opened its call for applications and nominations for the 2020 UNESCO International Literacy Prizes. This year UNESCO will reward five individuals or organizations around the world for their outstanding projects that promote literacy within the theme ‘Teaching and learning literacy: the role of educators and changing pedagogies’. This year’s thematic focus is highlighting teachers who are at the frontline of delivering literacy learning, and their contribution to promoting youth and adult literacy, linked to target 4.6 of the Sustainable Development Goal on Education (SDG4), where literacy is perceived as a continuum developed throughout life. Since 1967, the UNESCO International Literacy Prizes have rewarded excellence and innovation in the field of literacy. Over 495 projects and programmes around the world have already received recognition and support for their excellent work. Who can apply and who can nominate? Governments, non-governmental organizations and individuals who promote literacy through projects and programmes are welcome to apply. All applications should be submitted to nominating entities, such as the National Commission for UNESCO in the country of the programme, or an NGO that is in an official partnership with UNESCO. Candidates can submit their applications through the online platform. Details about the application and nomination process are on the UNESCO International Literacy Prizes’ website. National Commissions and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in official partnership with UNESCO are encouraged to nominate individuals, institutions and organizations who are making outstanding contributions to promoting literacy and who request a nomination. Deadline for candidates to submit applications to nominating entities: 28 June 2020 (midnight, Paris time). Deadline for nominating entities to submit their nominations to UNESCO: 12 July 2020 (midnight, Paris time). The nominations will be assessed by an independent International Jury, composed of five experts on the basis of the selection criteria. Based on the recommendations of the International Jury, the Director-General of UNESCO will select the finalists to be awarded at the occasion of International Literacy Day (8 September). About the Prizes Through two prestigious literacy Prizes, UNESCO supports effective literacy practices and encourages the promotion of dynamic literate societies to close the literacy gap of approximately 750 million of people. UNESCO distinguishes between two Literacy Prizes which are given to five laureates in total: The UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Prize (2 awards), was established in 1989 and is supported by the Government of the Republic of Korea. It gives special consideration to programmes that focus on the development and use of mother-tongue literacy education and training. The UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy (3 awards), was established in 2005, and is supported by the Government of the People’s Republic of China. This Prize recognizes programmes that promote literacy amongst adults in rural areas and out-of-school youth, particularly girls and women. Each prizewinner receives a medal, a diploma and US$20,000. Contact: literacyprizes@unesco.org(link sends e-mail) UNESCO International Literacy Prizes URL:https://en.unesco.org/news/call-applications-and-nominations-2020-unesco-international-literacy-prizes 
Yuval Noah Harari: “Every crisis is also an opportunity” 2020-05-07 In an interview with the UNESCO Courier, Yuval Noah Harari, Israeli historian and author of Sapiens, Homo Deus, and 21 Lessons for the 21st Century, analyses what the consequences of the current coronavirus health crisis are likely to be, and underlines the need for greater international scientific co-operation and information-sharing between countries. How is this global health pandemic different from past health crises and what does it tell us? I am not sure it is the worst global health threat we have faced. The influenza epidemic of 1918-1919 was worse, the AIDS epidemic was probably worse, and pandemics in previous eras were certainly far worse. As pandemics go, this is actually a mild one. In the early 1980s, if you got AIDS – you died. The Black Death [the plague that ravaged Europe between 1347 and 1351] killed between a quarter and half of the affected populations. The 1918 influenza killed more than ten per cent of the entire population in some countries. In contrast, COVID-19 is killing less than five per cent of those infected, and unless some dangerous mutation occurs, it is unlikely to kill more than one per cent of the population of any country. Moreover, in contrast to previous eras, we now have all the scientific knowledge and technological tools necessary to overcome this plague. When the Black Death struck, people were completely helpless. They never discovered what was killing them and what could be done about it. In 1348, the medical faculty of the University of Paris believed that the epidemic was caused by an astrological misfortune – namely that “a major conjunction of three planets in Aquarius [caused] a deadly corruption of the air” (quoted in Rosemary Horrox ed. The Black Death, Manchester University Press, 1994, p. 159). In contrast, when COVID-19 erupted, it took scientists only two weeks to correctly identify the virus responsible for the epidemic, sequence its entire genome, and develop reliable tests for the disease. We know what to do in order to stop the spread of this epidemic. It is likely that within a year or two, we will also have a vaccine. However, COVID-19 is not just a health-care crisis. It also results in a huge economic and political crisis. I am less afraid of the virus than of the inner demons of humankind: hatred, greed and ignorance. If people blame the epidemic on foreigners and minorities; if greedy businesses care only about their profits; and if we believe all kinds of conspiracy theories – it will be much harder to overcome this epidemic, and later on we will live in a world poisoned by this hatred, greed and ignorance. In contrast, if we react to the epidemic with global solidarity and generosity, and if we trust in science rather than in conspiracy theories, I am sure we can not only overcome this crisis, but actually come out of it much stronger. To what extent could social distancing become the norm? What effect will that have on societies? For the duration of the crisis, some social distancing is inevitable. The virus spreads by exploiting our best human instincts. We are social animals. We like contact, especially in hard times. And when relatives, friends or neighbours are sick, our compassion arises and we want to come and help them. The virus is using this against us. This is how it spreads. So we need to act from the head rather than the heart, and despite the difficulties, reduce our level of contact. Whereas the virus is a mindless piece of genetic information, we humans have a mind, we can analyse the situation rationally, and we can vary the way we behave. I believe that once the crisis is over, we will not see any long-term effects on our basic human instincts. We will still be social animals. We will still love contact. We will still come to help friends and relatives. Look, for example, at what happened to the LGBT [lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered] community in the wake of AIDS. It was a terrible epidemic, and gay people were often completely abandoned by the state, and yet the epidemic did not cause the disintegration of that community. Just the opposite. Already, at the height of the crisis, LGBT volunteers established many new organizations to help sick people, to spread reliable information, and to fight for political rights. In the 1990s, after the worst years of the AIDS epidemic, the LGBT community in many countries was much stronger than before. How do you see the state of scientific and information co-operation after the crisis? UNESCO was created after the Second World War to promote scientific and intellectual co-operation through the free flow of ideas. Could the "free flow of ideas" and co-operation between countries be strengthened as a result of the crisis? Our biggest advantage over the virus is our ability to co-operate effectively. A virus in China and a virus in the United States cannot swap tips about how to infect humans. But China can teach the US many valuable lessons about coronavirus and how to deal with it. More than that – China can actually send experts and equipment to directly help the US, and the US can similarly help other countries. The viruses cannot do anything like that. And of all forms of co-operation, the sharing of information is probably the most important, because you cannot do anything without accurate information. You cannot develop medicines and vaccines without reliable information. Indeed, even isolation depends on information. If you don’t understand how a disease spreads, how can you quarantine people against it? For example, isolation against AIDS is very different from isolation against COVID-19. To isolate yourself against AIDS, you need to use a condom while having sex, but there is no problem talking face to face with an HIV+ person – or shaking their hands and even hugging them. COVID-19 is an entirely different story. To know how to isolate yourself from a particular epidemic, you first need reliable information about what causes this epidemic. Is it viruses or bacteria? Is it transmitted through blood or breath? Does it endanger children or the elderly? Is there just one strain of the virus, or several mutant strains? In recent years, authoritarian and populist politicians have sought not only to block the free flow of information, but even to undermine the public’s trust in science. Some politicians depicted scientists as a sinister elite, disconnected from “the people”. These politicians told their followers not to believe what scientists are saying about climate change, or even about vaccinations. It should now be obvious to everyone how dangerous such populist messages are. In a time of crisis, we need information to flow openly, and we need people to trust scientific experts rather than political demagogues. Fortunately, in the current emergency most people indeed turn to science. The Catholic Church instructs the faithful to stay away from the churches. Israel has closed down its synagogues. The Islamic Republic of Iran is punishing people who go to mosques. Temples and sects of all kinds have suspended public ceremonies. And all because scientists have made some calculations and recommended closing down these holy places. I hope that people will remember the importance of trustworthy scientific information even after this crisis is over. If we want to enjoy trustworthy scientific information in a time of emergency, we must invest in it in normal times. Scientific information doesn’t come down from heaven, nor does it spring from the mind of individual geniuses. It depends on having strong independent institutions like universities, hospitals and newspapers. Institutions that not only research the truth, but are also free to tell people the truth, without being afraid of being punished by some authoritarian government. It takes years to build such institutions. But it is worth it. A society that provides citizens with a good scientific education, and that is served by strong independent institutions, can deal with an epidemic far better than a brutal dictatorship that has to constantly police an ignorant population. For example, how do you make millions of people wash their hands with soap every day? One way to do it is to place a policeman, or perhaps a camera, in every toilet, and punish people who fail to wash their hands. Another way is to teach people in school about viruses and bacteria, explain that soap can remove or kill these pathogens, and then trust people to make up their own minds. What do you think, which method is more efficient? How important is it for countries to work together to disseminate reliable information? Countries need to share trustworthy information not only about narrow medical issues, but also about a wide range of other issues – from the economic impact of the crisis to the psychological condition of citizens. Suppose country X is currently debating which kind of lockdown policy to adopt. It has to take into consideration not only the spread of the disease, but also the economic and psychological costs of lockdown. Other countries have already faced this dilemma before, and tried different policies. Instead of acting on the basis of pure speculations and repeating past mistakes, country X can examine what were the actual consequences of the different policies adopted in China, the Republic of Korea, Sweden, Italy and the United Kingdom. It can thereby make better decisions. But only if all these countries honestly report not just the number of sick and dead people, but also what happened to their economies and to the mental health of their citizens. The rise of AI and the need for technical solutions has seen private companies come forward. In this context, is it still possible to develop global ethical principles and restore international co-operation? As private companies get involved, it becomes even more important to craft global ethical principles and restore international co-operation. Some private companies may be motivated by greed more than solidarity, so they must be regulated carefully. Even those acting benevolently are not directly accountable to the public, so it is dangerous to allow them to accumulate too much power. This is particularly true when talking about surveillance. We are witnessing the creation of new surveillance systems all over the world, by both governments and corporations. The current crisis might mark an important watershed in the history of surveillance. First, because it might legitimate and normalize the deployment of mass surveillance tools in countries that have so far rejected them. Secondly, and even more importantly, it signifies a dramatic transition from “over the skin” to “under the skin” surveillance. Previously, governments and corporations monitored mainly your actions in the world – where you go, who you meet. Now they have become more interested in what is happening inside your body. In your medical condition, body temperature, blood pressure. That kind of biometric information can tell governments and corporations far more about you than ever before. Could you suggest some ethical principles for how these new surveillance systems can be regulated? Ideally, the surveillance system should be operated by a special health-care authority rather than by a private company or by the security services. The health-care authority should be narrowly focused on preventing epidemics, and should have no other commercial or political interests. I am particularly alarmed when I hear people comparing the COVID-19 crisis to war, and calling for the security services to take over. This isn’t a war. It is a health-care crisis. There are no human enemies to kill. It is all about taking care of people. The dominant image in war is a soldier with a rifle storming forward. Now the image in our heads should be a nurse changing bed-sheets in a hospital. Soldiers and nurses have a very different way of thinking. If you want to put somebody in charge, don’t put a soldier in charge. Put a nurse. The health-care authority should gather the minimum amount of data necessary for the narrow task of preventing epidemics, and should not share this data with any other governmental body – especially not the police. Nor should it share the data with private companies. It should make sure that data gathered about individuals is never used to harm or manipulate these individuals – for example, leading to people losing their jobs or their insurance. The health-care authority may make the data accessible to scientific research, but only if the fruits of this research are made freely available to humanity, and if any incidental profits are reinvested in providing people with better health care. In contrast to all these limitations on data sharing, the individuals themselves should be given as much control of the data gathered about them. They should be free to examine their personal data and benefit from it. Finally, while such surveillance systems would probably be national in character, to really prevent epidemics, the different health-care authorities would have to co-operate with one another. Since pathogens don’t respect national borders, unless we combine data from different countries, it will be difficult to spot and stop epidemics. If national surveillance is done by an independent health-care authority which is free of political and commercial interests, it would be much easier for such national authorities to co-operate globally. You have spoken of a recent rapid deterioration of trust in the international system. How do you see the profound changes in multilateral co-operation in the future? I don’t know what will happen in the future. It depends on the choices we make in the present. Countries can choose to compete for scarce resources and pursue an egoistic and isolationist policy, or they could choose to help one another in the spirit of global solidarity. This choice will shape both the course of the present crisis and the future of the international system for years to come. I hope countries will choose solidarity and co-operation. We cannot stop this epidemic without close co-operation between countries all over the world. Even if a particular country succeeds in stopping the epidemic in its territory for a while, as long as the epidemic continues to spread elsewhere, it might return everywhere. Even worse, viruses constantly mutate. A mutation in the virus anywhere in the world might make it more contagious or more deadly, putting in danger all of humankind. The only way we can really protect ourselves, is by helping to protect all humans. The same is true of the economic crisis. If every country looks only after its own interests, the result will be a severe global recession that will hit everyone. Rich countries like the US, Germany and Japan will muddle through one way or the other. But poorer countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America might completely collapse. The US can afford a $2 trillion rescue package for its economy. Ecuador, Nigeria and Pakistan don’t have similar resources. We need a global economic rescue plan. Unfortunately, so far we don’t see anything like the strong global leadership we need. The US, which acted as world leader during the 2014 Ebola epidemic and the 2008 financial crisis, has abdicated this job. The Trump administration has made it very clear that it cares only about the US, and has abandoned even its closest allies in Western Europe. Even if the US now comes up with some kind of global plan, who would trust it, and who would follow its lead? Would you follow a leader whose motto is “Me First”? But every crisis is also an opportunity. Hopefully the current epidemic will help humankind realize the acute danger posed by global disunity. If indeed this epidemic eventually results in closer global co-operation, it will be a victory not only against the coronavirus, but against all the other dangers that threaten humankind – from climate change to nuclear war. You speak about how the choices we make now will affect our societies economically, politically and culturally, for years to come. What are these choices and who will be responsible for making them? We are faced with many choices. Not only the choice between nationalistic isolationism and global solidarity. Another important question is whether people would support the rise of dictators, or would they insist on dealing with the emergency in a democratic way? When governments spend billions to help failing businesses, would they save big corporations or small family businesses? As people switch to working from home and communicating online, will this result in the collapse of organized labour, or would we see better protection for workers’ rights? All these are political choices. We must be aware that we are now facing not just a health-care crisis, but also a political crisis. The media and the citizens should not allow themselves to be completely distracted by the epidemic. It is of course important to follow the latest news about the sickness itself – how many people died today? How many people were infected? But it is equally important to pay attention to politics and to put pressure on politicians to do the right thing. Citizens should pressure politicians to act in the spirit of global solidarity; to co-operate with other countries rather than blame them; to distribute funds in a fair way; to preserve democratic checks and balances – even in an emergency. The time to do all that is now. Whoever we elect to government in coming years will not be able to reverse the decisions that are taken now. If you become president in 2021, it is like coming to a party when the party is already over and the only thing left to do is wash the dirty dishes. If you become president in 2021, you will discover that the previous government has already distributed tens of billions of dollars – and you have a mountain of debts to repay. The previous government has already restructured the job market – and you cannot start from scratch again. The previous government has already introduced new surveillance systems – and they cannot be abolished overnight. So don’t wait till 2021. Monitor what the politicians are doing right now.The opinions expressed in this interview are those of the author, and not necessarily those of UNESCO and do not commit the Organization. Read more: Who owns science? The UNESCO Courier, May 1999Medicine and health, The UNESCO Courier, August 1987World health: ten years of progress, The UNESCO Courier, May 1958 URL:https://en.unesco.org/courier/news-views-online/yuval-noah-harari-every-crisis-also-opportunity