Recently, a young single parent lady recounted her experience when she took her child to school on a Monday morning. As can be expected of an elite Ghanaian Basic School, an assortment of luxurious cars trooped in each morning to bring the children of their rich owners to school. However, what struck Jay that Monday…
US President Donald Trump’s announcement on December 6 last year of his decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel was a real shock not only for Palestinians but also for the international community as a whole. For many people, this decision was the final nail in the coffin for the two-state solution. But…
The Auditor General (AudG), Daniel Yaw Domelevo must begin to practice his small talk. He announced earlier this month in Accra, that his Office had investigated and subsequently issued Disallow and Surcharge certificates for Ghc5.4 billion cedis worth of public goods and services. Some were found to have already been paid and had unilaterally chosen…
The global humanitarian community is again in confusion. The Oxfam sexual misconduct scandal has made headlines. Policymakers and humanitarian leaders everywhere talk about the need for change. Over the last 30 years or so, there have been many scandals, and much demand for reform. However, business just continues as usual. According to Reuters, during…
It seems obvious that Libya is not in a fit state to hold an election, but the international community seems determined to organise one anyway, writes the BBC North Africa Correspondent Rana Jawad. Libya’s politicians, the UN, and EU member states have been talking about it for months. Presidential and legislative elections are expected in…
Women in Syria have been sexually exploited by men delivering aid on behalf of the UN and international charities, the BBC has learned. Aid workers said the men would trade food and lifts for sexual favours. Despite warnings about the abuse three years ago, a new report shows it is continuing in the south of…
In a January 19 article about the impacts of climate change in Bangladesh, New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof describes a coastal island on the verge of disappearance and farmers forced to “marry off” their underage daughters as a result of losses linked to sea level rise. This dystopic imaginary of Bangladesh in the time…
Europe is facing its biggest refugee crisis since World War II. What is new this time around is that many of the displaced are being driven from their homes by the destructive effects of climate change. And this is just the beginning. As sea levels rise, swallowing island nations and swamping large parts of Bangladesh,…
Fred Witteveen is a co-author of this article. He is the national director of World Vision Bangladesh. Do you remember being a child, wide awake at night, breath drawn, every creak and whisper of breeze a monster under the bed, an intruder down the hall? Then as day breaks, childish fear evaporates and the night’s…