James Denseiow

As it becomes clearer to people that the Coronavirus is not a passing storm, but rather something that will set the weather for some time to come, thinking is increasingly focused on what the crisis will catalyse. Far too often, however, people are jumping to quick conclusions that the world once it adjusts will be the one that they’ve been campaigning for without any real sense as to how or why.

Examples of this include the climate change movement. Lockdown and the closures of factories and suspension of international travel have led observers to argue that the sudden arrival of clean air, the return of animals to areas previously too polluted and the dramatic drop in carbon emissions is here to stay. Yet already the return of China to something approaching the status quo in terms of emissions and the postponement of the UN Climate Change Conference scheduled for this year appear to be pushing the agenda backwards.

Likewise, as the world realised the extent and severity of the COVID crisis, the UN Secretary General made the very sensible call for a global ceasefire. Afterall who has the time to kill each other when a deadly virus is doing that job instead. The call did make an initial impact, local ceasefires like those in Northwest Syria were able to sustain and it gave impetus to nascent peace efforts in other conflicts.

Guterres asked warring parties around the world to lay down their arms and refocus their efforts on mitigating and suppressing COVID-19. It was a bold call but already we have seen momentum growing with numerous ceasefire initiatives appearing to take root. Crucially progress seemed more advanced at local levels whereas at a global level, despite the leadership shown by Guterres, the Security Council remained divided and unable to show the commitment needed to ensure continued momentum. The Security Council failing at this most critical time will mean that history will surely judge them harshly. Even during the worst tensions of the Cold War resolutions and agreements were found when it came to global health, including a consensus around polio vaccinations.

It is not hyperbole to say that millions of lives in some of the most fragile contexts across the globe depend on it. A Security Council Resolution would be a statement of intent that could fan the fires of hope emerging at local levels. Already the global ceasefire call has the support of 110 governments, several Armed Non-States Actors and a host of religious and civil society leaders.

A global ceasefire in the short term puts an end to the daily drumbeat of death and destruction but critically also allows life-saving aid reach the most vulnerable communities, and support them to mount an effective response to coronavirus. Make no mistake even if a global ceasefire is agreed there is a huge amount of work to do. Yet there are energised constituencies of concern ready to do it once global agreement is concluded. We can all surely agree that this is an unprecedented moment and the push for nationwide ceasefires in all of the world’s conflicts could be a crucial first step towards lasting peace.

However, as the violence in Idlib restarts, hope for the global ceasefire initiative appears to be over and its failure shines a hard light of realpolitik on what is most likely to happen in the era of the Coronavirus. Indeed, rather than shinning a light on sunny uplands and hope for a better future, the virus and its fallout will most likely accelerate existing trends with a host of profound negative consequences. These are increasing human rights violations, increasing prevalence of non-state armed groups, decreasing effective multilateralism and global institutions, increasing authoritarian governance, wider use of counterterrorism and emergency laws, as well as the continued spread of disinformation and ‘fake news’.

For me the moment in which hope of a more fundamental reset in some of the world’s existing trends was lost was in early May when Militants stormed the maternity ward of the Dasht-e-Barchi hospital in the Afghan capital Kabul, killing at least 24 people, including newborns, mothers and nurses. Afghanistan, much like the conflict in Syria, had seen a steady stream of atrocities over the years but this felt particularly heinous, especially when put into the context of the COVID crisis.

While we should all hope that a better future can emerge from the darkness of the current crisis, we must be able to buttress hope with plans and policies that can chart the way out of the darkness. In a more optimistic note the global response to the death of George Floyd has led to the prospect of root and branch reform of the US approach to criminal justice, something that could not have been predicted earlier in the year. Lots of this was down to the previous efforts of the ‘Black Lives Matter’ moment and it a timely reminder that you have to have both hope and a plan to flourish in the ear of accelerations.

by : jamse danselow

Iran’s IRGC blames US for own downing of Ukraine passenger plane, one year later ‘Most Dangerous Extremists’ report ranks Nasrallah first, ISIS’ caliph second

BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”