Disunited Nations

The League of Nations was established after the first world war to enforce the agreements reached following the cessation of hostilities with Germany, while also creating a forum to cooperatively maintain a new global order. The League of Nations subsequently transformed into the United Nations at the end of the second world war. Its mission was still the same but its intention was more focused on maintaining and reinforcing a power dynamic that ensured that the super powers maintained control over global affairs. 

The setup of the United Nations mostly serves the interests of the permanent members. The basic intention is that if the super powers are kept happy then they would be less likely to go to war with each other culminating in another world war. However, this does not stop such super powers attacking other countries, or supporting internal conflicts or wars between other countries. In actual fact, permanent members have a veto that ultimately thwarts united action and silences smaller nations with concerns about their sovereignty. So it is clear that the United Nations has no ability to prevent war where a super power wishes it. It is also not able to guarantee global peace unless member countries choose to exercise restraint. 

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is not the first time a superpower or a superpower backed nation has unilaterally attacked another country. The Soviet Union attempted to invade Afghanistan, the U.K. waged a military campaign in the Falklands, the USA has attacked Libya, Iraq and Afghanistan, Israel bombed Iran, Saudi Arabia attacked Yemen, and Russia has invaded territory in Georgia and Crimea. While there may not have been universal support for all these action the United Nations was helpless to prevent or stop them. 

There is no doubt that the United Nations and its agencies do a lot of good work across the globe. Work which is underpinning well-being and development in many countries. However, it is clear that certain permanent  members have chosen to either ignore or circumvent the charter in order to attack other countries. As an organisation that was setup to stop wars and maintain peace its workings haven’t proven effective at doing this. 

Cat Flap

The case of a Black footballer in London who was filmed kicking and hitting his cat has once again raised the spectre of endemic racism in the British society. The footballer’s treatment of the cat was cowardly and abhorrent. There was no excuse for it. However, it has become the focus of extremely divisive and xenophobic rhetoric from quite a few people in the United Kingdom. The player has been rightly condemned but some comments have been so incendiary that it would not be unreasonable to be concerned about the personal safety of the player. A lot of the criticism has referenced the player being either Black or not British. The implication being that his race or ethnicity might be a factor in why he behaved poorly. The piling on has really taken on the tenor of a lynching. The amount of outright xenophobia and racist implications in some comments reinforces the notion that there is an endemic level of racism still in British society. 

Leap of Faith

 © Sony Pictures Animation Inc 

A leap of faith means believing that you are doing the right thing because you are making the absolute right choice. You move forward without guarantees or certainly of the outcome but you have insight that  you will achieve the aim you are shooting for. Our faith in God and religion is based on a justified true belief that there is a higher authority and Supreme Being that dictates human life. Religious belief often means that people commit to worship on the basis that God is real and right. They build up a faith that their belief in a religion is righteous and redeeming. This faith allows them to rever and worship their God knowing that there is a higher esoteric calling that they are accountable to. 

As individuals we often encounter situations where we have to decide on what decision to make while uncertain about the benefits or detriment involved. We end up trying to weigh up the advantages of taking a course of action against the risks that it might entail. However, the fact that we might not know what outcome will result; be it positive or negative, does not prevent us from deciding on which course of action to take. It’s at that point that we make a leap of faith that we will achieve the outcome desired, or at the very worst we will not suffer excessively should things not turn out as we hope. 

How we make decisions about what direction or actions we take is big part of what goes into setting up our mental health. There are two things that can have a particularly detrimental effect on our state of mind. One is, when being confronted with a choice, how we proceed and whether we go on to take action. The other thing is, how we respond to situations in which we are faced with conflicting options. Not acting positively in either of these situations may lead to significant anxiety and stress induced behaviour. 

Just as with our relationship with God the strongest personal relationships are rooted in faith. Faith in another person’s altruism. We open ourselves up and step into a circle of trust where we expect the best of each other. And even when there are questions we challenge each other to be better and reward our trust. And at times when we have doubts we take everything into consideration and explore the limits of our own faith. Ultimately, that faith instils a feeling of trust in individuals. It is this that goes on to form the bedrock of most relationships. 

Taking a leap of faith means putting aside any sense of doubt and preparing to commit to a course of action that we believe will deliver some anticipated benefits. It also represents a recognition that having given careful consideration to the circumstances that is most suitable option to choose. This is how human beings commit to a long term gain over any perceived short term risks. 

Lawfully Unjust

The trial of the ‘Kenosha killer’ was recently concluded in Wisconsin with non guilty verdicts on all counts. The jury largely accepted the self defence justification put forward by the defence. There are clearly mixed feelings about the verdict and how this verdict could have been reached. The arguments will rage on and a lot of people will remain outraged while others claim it was a just verdict given the circumstances. There have been views given about missteps by the prosecution and the Judge’s general approach to the case. The case may be concluded but ill feelings engendered by it will be with us for a very long time. 

It is impossible to look into this case and not see that it feeds into the whole issue of gun ownership and use in the United States. It is impossible to legitimise common gun ownership and enact ‘open carry’ laws, and not expect that guns will become a means of focusing minds on fears and anxieties. The more people are encouraged to possess weapons the more likely those weapons will replace reflection and restraint when people are confronted with threats and challenges. It becomes more plausible to imagine danger to life when oneself is possessed of the means to take a life. And the simple truth is that guns are made with the sole function of causing harm and ending life.

Whether it is acknowledged or not, the thing White people in America fear the most is Black people. And it doesn’t make any difference whether the Black are actually dangerous or not. There is an inbred fear and a perception of Black people as angry and volatile that automatically makes white people fear for their safety. This is borne out in everyday interactions and it is what underlies law enforcement’s lethal approach to policing Black communities. When you throw gun ownership and a militarised police force into the mix you end up with the legally permitted murder of Black people. 

An Anticlimactic Cop26

Cop26 pledges to reduce emissions and halt deforestation are a major step forward in the battle to stage a recovery from the impending environmental disaster we are in the midst of. They definitely don’t solve the problem but they do map out a path towards a solution. Unfortunately, there are a lot obstacles littering that path. There are obviously some countries that are adamantly reluctant to give up the money and influence that an emissions heavy and fossil fuel driven world gives them. There are also a lot of countries that don’t have the infrastructure or basic living conditions to adopt a sustainable and environmentally friendly lifestyle. 

Developing countries are jockeying for finance to support them towards becoming carbon neutral. The UN needs to push for funding to support the investment in setting up the infrastructure for renewable energy in developing countries. It also needs to have a framework to ensure that certain countries following through on their pledges to transition away from fossil fuels and environment damaging practices. However, there is little indication that any allocated funding will be actually applied to delivering a sustainable environment and renewable energy platform. The dominance of corruption and poverty in these countries means that the carbon neutral goals may just not be realistic. A lot of the countries have rural areas that are largely lacking in amenities. Even electrification is still an aspirational target in a lot of these places. The requirements to enable them to adopt renewable energy on a mass scale are just not there.

Developing countries are responsible for less than 5% of total global emissions but are disproportionately affected by the impact of global warming. However, it must be acknowledged that a lot of developing countries import and consume a high volume of goods that produced by manufacturing responsible for a large amount of emissions. These economies and conveniences mean that while there is a demand for such commodities certain countries will continue to hesitate to change their manufacturing modalities. We have seen that Russia, China, India and Brazil; primarily amongst others, have dragged their feet towards embracing the goal of carbon neutrality by 2050. 

Nigeria, a major oil producer, has done very little to develop solar or wind energy energy production. And this is despite being ideally placed to make strides in developing renewable energy resources. For decades now successive Nigeria governments have not only allowed petroleum companies to damage the environment, but have been complicit in suppressing efforts to halt and repair the damage. The country could have instituted a surcharge on corporate and individual leasing of oil concessions to repair and develop areas damaged by oil exploration. The surcharges could also serve as an investment fund for developing renewable energy solutions. It has not done so because of corruption, an absence of will, and a half hearted approach to tackling climate change. 

Plans to reduce emissions, tackle methane production, phase out coal, curb deforestation and promote renewable energy are an extremely important step forward for the world. However, putting forward plans is not a guarantee that effective action will be taken. Developing countries are the most in need of environmental rehabilitation but they are the least likely to be fully committed making the changes needed. They are making a case for being given financing to enable them implement their plans but it is unlikely that the plans reflect the totality of the problem facing such countries. It is also highly unlikely that any funding won’t be misused or diverted towards other things. 

The onus is on developed countries who are responsible for the greater proportion of global emissions to take decisive action to stop coal usage, phase out fossil fuels and stop profiting from environmental destruction. Unformtunately, developed countries are hardly the good samaritans we need them to be. They are much more the 'big bad wolves' of the world. America is just a few million votes away from another Trumpean apocalypse. Russia and Putin are very focused on doing anything to gain geographical and economic dominance over any nations vulnerable to its sway. China is desparately trying to relive Mao dynastic rule. The U.K. appears to have become pathologically untrustworthy and unreiable. The E.U. is struggling to convince its member states that they can thrive from working as a union without losing any sovereignty. The emerging economies are holding on to the idea of economic success above all else. The prospect of saving the environment seems extremly fraught.

There is a possibility of reducing emissions and limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees. However, this will require the developed nations doing their part and the whole world holding them to account. Without a concerted effort by all there is no way to achieve the desired goal by 2050. There is also a need to recognise that while reducing emissions will work towards a global rescue; developing countries are currently struggling with not only the effects of global warming but also a failure or inabillity to protect their regions against climate catastrophes. The work to develop strategies, plans and infrastructure needs to already be in full swing. Finance will be needed to get things underway. Governments will also need to be motivated to commit to the work and effectively implement environmentally sustainable practices.

R. Kelly: A Generational Shame

The other day I heard someone blasting an R. Kelly song in their car while driving down the street and it made me think about how we allowed his musical success to prevent us from expressing reservations about his behaviour. There is no doubt that the people around him should have called him aside at some point and told him to stop. Not that it would have made any difference to him. However, there were enough signs for those of us listening to and buying his music to wonder exactly what was going on with him. As it turned out, it wasn’t until years later when the videos leaked that people really started to sit up and take notice. By then it was already too late for his victims, the community and he himself. 

When he released his second album we should have taken note of the themes of female domination and subjugation that were so very clearly front and centre in the songs. And we should have taken the stories about him marrying Aaliyah more seriously. There is no way the signs coming through shouldn’t have alarmed us. And it definitely shouldn’t have taken us so long to look a little closer into what was going on. 

Unfortunately, in today’s celebrity obsessed culture it is not possible to say that this will not happen again. However, Black people have to start taking another look at how we respond to sexual abuse in close knit communities and religious settings. We need to make it safe for children and women to speak out against sexual abuse without being stigmatised and ostracised in their families and communities. Black people are often reluctant to be seen to drag down prominent Black figures in the community. However, speaking out and acting against abuse and assault cannot be shied away from. It is a responsibility we owe to all girls, women, children and society as a whole. We need to listen to victims and act to confront and put a stop to abuse wherever it is happening. Unless we ourselves change our attitudes to abuse nothing will get better. 

Sabina Nessa

The murder of Sabina Nessa is another thread in an all too familiar pattern of women being murdered by men while going about their daily lives. Women and girls are not safe and this has been the case for a very long time. Over time society has adopted norms that make it tolerable for men to murder women and feel able to get away with justifying their actions. Whether it is the French notion of ‘crime of passion’, the murder defence of “violent sex”, or the implication that rape victims somehow did something to provoke their assailants; society finds a way to make violence against women reasonable under certain circumstances. The truth is that males need to learn to respect the rights, choices and bodies of women.

Violent urges are primeval but over time the desire for social acceptance has restrained people from wantonly resorting to it. Unfortunately we are at a point where men seem to feel that giving in to violent urges is liberating and empowering. There are too many instances of people resorting to violence to resolve personal differences. It has become common to find people on social media threatening violence against strangers whom they might be having a difference of opinion with. Social media personalities have taken to promoting and organising boxing matches as a way of amping up rivalries. The US experiences of minorities subjected to violent police interventions have been disturbing and disruptive. And recently the increasing exposure of violent assaults by U.K. law enforcement officers has spotlighted a very worrying trend. 

As a society we need to address and change the culture of violence against women that has become entrenched in our lives. We should be able to rely on law enforcement and government institutions to recognise the dangerous trends and actively work to combat them. Talking about it isn’t enough. Not enough is being done and women are paying the price for this negligence. Keeping women safe is not about finding protectors, it’s about stopping perpetrators.