Thursday, April 23, 2026

#NextGenerationEU – Europe’s moment: Repair and prepare for the next generation

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#NextGenerationEU – Europe’s moment: Repair and prepare for the next generation

Today (27 May), the European Commission has put forward its proposal for a major recovery plan. To ensure the recovery is sustainable, even, inclusive and fair for all member states, the European Commission is proposing to create a new recovery instrument, Next Generation EU, embedded within a powerful, modern and revamped long-term EU budget. The Commission has also unveiled its adjusted Work Programme for 2020, which will prioritise the actions needed to propel Europe’s recovery and resilience.

The coronavirus has shaken Europe and the world to its core, testing health care and welfare systems, our societies and economies and our way of living and working together. To protect lives and livelihoods, repair the Single Market, as well as to build a lasting and prosperous recovery, the European Commission is proposing to harness the full potential of the EU budget. Next Generation EU of €750 billion as well as targeted reinforcements to the long-term EU budget for 2021-2027 will bring the total financial firepower of the EU budget to €1.85 trillion.

More information is available online in a press release and a factsheet on the Adjusted Commission Work Programme 2020.

The President’s speech in the European Parliament plenary will be online here in EN, FR and DE. Watch it live on EbS+.

President von der Leyen will give a press conference following the European Parliament plenary debate, followed by press conference by Commissioner Hahn. Follow live on EbS.

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IDF not in hurry to integrate women in elite combat units

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IDF not in hurry to integrate women in elite combat units

May 27, 2020

Gali Nishri is a marathon runner. Service in an elite military unit runs in her family and she wants nothing more than to serve in the Shayetet 13 commando of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the equivalent of the US Navy SEALs. Mika Klieger successfully completed a tryout for IDF naval officers’ training, but she is eyeing service in the infantry’s Golani commando. Omer Sariya, a bookworm inspired by the exploits of Hannah Senesh, the woman parachuted by the British into Yugoslavia during World War II to assist anti-Nazi forces, dreams of serving in the IDF paratrooper’s commando. Mor Lidani has her sights set on serving in the IDF’s elite counterterrorism Duvdevan commando.

The four youths, cadets in a pre-military academy, petitioned Israel’s top court May 20, demanding that the IDF summon women for tryouts to its elite special operations units just as it does men, in the name of full equality.

“We are not asking for any special treatment. We want the women tested according to the exact same criteria applied to men. If they pass, they serve,” Attorney Yinor Bertental told Al-Monitor. “We specifically want them called for tryouts conducted according to set criteria so that the army cannot wriggle out of allowing them to serve if they pass.”

Bertental knows what he is talking about. In 2019, he petitioned the Supreme Court on behalf of two female soldiers who had successfully completed rigorous training to become tank crewmembers but were not allowed to serve in that capacity. In January 2020, the court rejected that petition, citing a decision by IDF Chief Aviv Kochavi to continue testing the integration of women as tank fighters.

Kochavi reportedly deemed that the first pilot program to integrate women as tank fighters in 2017-18 had not addressed some related issues, such as women’s ability to load tank shells. Thus, a second pilot program will be put in place. But is this a genuine attempt at finding solutions or a delaying tactic? Bertental said that the second pilot will include some 60 rather than the previous 15 participants, and increase the height and weight prerequisites. The idea, in any case, is to have gender-segregated tanks, apparently a concession to rabbis and some religious commanders opposed to co-ed military units.

“With the growing number of men from religious Zionist circles in the army, the conflict with the gender revolution in the IDF has become unavoidable,” Idit Shafran Gittleman, an expert on women’s integration into the IDF and head of the Army and Society program at the Israel Democracy Institute, told Al-Monitor.

The combination of an inherently male-dominated, patriarchal, hierarchal organization and conservative, religious pressures has created a bastion that is hard to breach. While thousands of women serve in combat positions that were closed to them less than a decade ago, Shafran Gittleman concedes that the military often takes one step forward and two steps back. “There is still a large group of people who view the fight for gender equality as a liberal, feminist whim willing to sacrifice the army’s ability to win wars. The fact that equality is not a luxury has still not sunk in,” she said.

The petitioners themselves insist they are not trying to poke the army in the eye. “We want to contribute and volunteer,” Klieger has said in several interviews, but she also believes the petition has a higher purpose than just personal ambition. “If women serve in elite units, this would create a huge shift in social awareness,” she noted. The four women claim that the roles offered to women by the army are “gilded cages, allowing the army to boast of integrating women in combat roles although they are nothing but a misleading fig leaf.”

Shafran Gittleman agrees. “This is a super important petition, given that the IDF is a people’s army, with mandatory recruitment, and it plays a key role in shaping society, imbuing values and social norms and creating social mobility,” she said.

The May 20 petition is directed at the IDF and at the newly installed Defense Minister Benny Gantz, whose record on women’s inclusion could be considered spotty.

In 2011, as IDF chief of staff, Gantz was forced to issue an apology after he joked with then-Defense Minister Ehud Barak about female soldiers present at an army exercise in the north. In the comments, caught on an open mike, Barak was heard asking Gantz, “Who are these girls, from the battalion, the brigade?” To which Gantz answered, “They sing on breaks” — a reference to the controversy over women singing in the presence of religious male soldiers.

Two years later, Gantz was quite clear about his views on women serving in infantry units. “I see three parameters for women’s service in the IDF. The first is whether they can carry out operational tasks; the second is whether they can work in the operational environment in which they are placed; and the third is whether this can be done in the required scope. I don’t think we can have companies of women [only] in Golani.” Nonetheless, he added, “There is no problem with a woman being a combat pilot.”

When Gantz entered politics in late 2018, he appointed two former fellow army chiefs to the leadership of his Blue and White party — Moshe Ya’alon and Gabi Ashkenazi — naming very few women to his party’s Knesset slate.

The attitude of distancing women from top security positions was reflected also in the recent nomination of a panel of experts advising the National Security Council on combatting the coronavirus outbreak. The panel included 23 members — all men. In response to a demand by women’s groups to include women, the committee thanked them for their “important letter.”

Nonetheless, Bertental is hopeful. “I think it will be hard for the IDF and the court to deny the petitioners something as basic as equality,” he said, encouraged by the commander of Israel’s northern command Maj. Gen. Amir Baram, who said in a recent interview, “I believe in these women. Those among them able to get into these units on an egalitarian basis, I am with them all the way.”



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Bollywood actor Kiran Kumar has recovered and tests negative for COVID-19  : Bollywood News – Bollywood Hungama

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Bollywood actor Kiran Kumar has recovered and tests negative for COVID-19  : Bollywood News – Bollywood Hungama

Actor Kiran Kumar who was diagnosed with COVID-19 on May 14 had recovered and tested negative for the third time. The actor was asymptomatic and was under home quarantine after he tested positive. 

Talking to a news agency Kiran Kumar revealed that his family is under isolation as a precautionary measure. The actor went to the hospital on May 14 for a medical check-up where the COVID-19 test was mandatory. He said that he tested positive even though he had no symptoms before the test or even after getting tested. He said that his family lives on the second floor of the building and he has quarantined himself on the third floor.

Kiran Kumar has featured in films like Dhadkan, Mujhse Dosti Karogi, Bobby Jasoos among several others.  

ALSO READ: Two members of Karan Johar’s household staff test positive for COVID-19; filmmaker’s family members and other staff tests negative

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Kathy Griffin Sparks Anger With Tweet About Injecting Trump With Air

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Kathy Griffin Sparks Anger With Tweet About Injecting Trump With Air

Comedian Kathy Griffin faced backlash on Twitter for her post Tuesday about President Donald Trump being injected with air ― a potentially fatal procedure that could cause an air embolism and block a blood vessel.

“Syringe with nothing but air inside it would do the trick,” Griffin wrote in response to Trump’s pondering during a White House diabetes event on the price of insulin about whether he should take the drug.

“FUCK TRUMP,” the comedian added.

Griffin later responded to a tweet from the conservative Washington Examiner news website, which said she was advocating “for someone to stab” Trump with a syringe full of air.

“I SURE DID, FUCKER,” she replied.

Griffin, who in March was hospitalized with a stomach infection amid fears she’d contracted COVID-19, faced backlash in 2017 after she posed for photographs with a fake severed head that looked like the president.

Trump called Griffin “sick” for the stunt:

The comedian initially apologized, saying she went “way too far” and “was wrong.” She also was investigated by the Secret Service. 

Since then, Griffin has retracted that apology on multiple occasions, calling the outrage “BS” and overblown.



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Xenophobia chips away at the African notion of ubuntu – The Mail & Guardian

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Xenophobia chips away at the African notion of ubuntu – The Mail & Guardian

COMMENT

Although Africa can boast many achievements, it also faces myriad challenges. With its diverse political and socioeconomic landscapes, blend of cultures and traditions, no two countries on the continent are the same. Whereas important advancements have been made in many areas, societies are still plagued by discrimination, racism and inequalities. The multifaceted and complex issues facing Africa can only be tackled effectively through inclusion. 

The African proverb “Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu” can be translated to mean that to be human is to recognise the humanity of others. The notion of ubuntu is developed from this proverb when discussing problematic situations and appealing to individuals to be humane, caring, helpful and to ensure that human dignity is always at the core of people’s actions, thoughts and deeds when interacting with others. 

Ubuntu is the hallmark of inclusivity, a symbol of tolerance and solidarity in ordinary life. It denotes brotherhood, neighbourliness, benevolence, human dignity, equal treatment and respect, solidarity, human rights and tolerance towards outsiders. 

In April 1998, Thabo Mbeki addressed the United Nations University, where he called on Africans to appreciate their importance and equip themselves for development shaped for equal economic activity and good living. With a superior insight into the importance of brotherhood and neighbourliness, premised on the African renaissance, Thabo Mbeki warned Africans against intolerance towards outsiders. He said the following:

“I owe my being to the Khoi and the San whose desolate souls haunt the great expanses of the beautiful Cape. I am formed of the migrants who left Europe to find a new home on our native land. Whatever their actions, they remain, still, part of me. In my veins course the blood of the Malay slaves who came from the East. I am the grandchild of the warrior men and women that Hintsa and Sekhukhune led, the patriots that Cetshwayo and Mphephu took to battle, the soldiers Moshoeshoe and Ngunyane taught never to dishonour the cause of freedom. I am the grandchild who sees in the mind’s eye and suffers the suffering of a simple peasant folk … I come of those who were transported from India and China. Being part of all these people, and in the knowledge that none dare contest that assertion, I shall claim that I am an African!” 

These wise words and the concept of ubuntu of Africans, however, stands in stark contrast to the bout of xenophobic attacks and violence seen in South Africa in recent years.

Regardless of the European concerns of people coming across the Mediterannean, most migration occurs within the African continent itself and it is a known fact that South Africa’s sophisticated economy is an attractive pull force for many other poor Africans. 

The assumption that these migrants have come to “take the jobs” of South Africans has subjected many African nationals to xenophobic attacks, resulting in the deaths of 12 people in 2019. Thousands of migrants, mainly from Somalia, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, found themselves displaced and their shops looted and vandalised. The violent attacks were soon followed by refugees and asylum seekers protesting xenophobia and staging months of sit-ins on the streets of Cape Town from September 2019. A makeshift camp quickly grew on the pavements of one of the city’s main tourist attractions, Greenmarket Square. Another camp sprung up outside the District Six Museum. These protestors were demanding relocation to any other country.

The language of fear and intimidation has become embedded in our national dialogue and has often dominated news headlines, both locally and globally. President Cyril Ramaphosa emphasised that turning on foreign nationals can never be justified. He said: “We want foreign nationals here to obey the laws of South Africa. They must obey the laws. They must live in accordance with our protocols, laws, and regulations. If they are committing crime, they are criminals like any South African would be a criminal for doing the same thing.”

In response to the violent attacks on foreign nationals, the African Union and African countries have criticised South Africa, threatening economic sanctions. South African embassies were attacked and the South African ambassador to Nigeria was summoned. The attacks saw the withdrawal of the Zambian soccer team from a match and the cancellation of a concert by Nigerian Afrobeat star Burna Boy — all in protest against the attacks. South African businesses were also under threat. 

In response to the attacks, the government launched a national action plan to combat xenophobia, racism and discrimination, in order to address the widespread human rights abuses arising from xenophobic and gender-based violence and discrimination.

The action plan, however, has glaring gaps and fails to address the lack of accountability for xenophobic crimes. With virtually no convictions, perpetrators of such violence seem to have got away, setting the stage for similar attacks in the future. 

Xenophobia is a threat to the idea of the African Renaissance — the ideals of harmony and diversity are in danger. It seems that South Africa soon forgot about its own struggles and attempts to overcome the injustices of the past and its many projects of social cohesion and inclusive nation-building, all premised on the idea of ubuntu.

We are therefore faced with uncomfortable questions as South Africans — why are we treating people so inhumanely? How is it that 26 years after the first free and fair elections, coupled with our own struggle for human rights and the need to end discrimination, we support the displacement of communities and watch the destruction of the lives of many?  

South Africa has taught the world many lessons about forgiveness and reconciliation. As violent anti-immigrant rhetoric sweeps through Europe and the United States and many other parts of the world, perhaps this is another opportunity for us to teach the world about how hatred emerges and how it can be stopped.

We need to remind ourselves again of the principle of ubuntu — our attitude of benevolence and tolerance towards foreigners or strangers before xenophobia.

Dr Nitha Ramnath is deputy director of communication and marketing at the University of the Free State. She writes in her personal capacity 



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Coronavirus live updates: US deaths near 100K; Nevada casinos to reopen June 4; Los Angeles opens largest US testing site

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Coronavirus live updates: US deaths near 100K; Nevada casinos to reopen June 4; Los Angeles opens largest US testing site

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Poetry, yoga, and lots of reading are among the ways these kids are coping with being out of school and stuck at home under coronavirus restrictions.

USA TODAY

The national coronavirus toll was closing in on a stunning 100,000 deaths Wednesday as states slowly reopened their economies while attempting to control the number of new infections, hospitalizations and fatalities.

In New York state, where almost 30,000 people have died, Long Island began reopening Wednesday, leaving New York City as the only area remaining essentially locked down. In California, barbershops and hair salons will be allowed to reopen across most of the state.

“We’re making progress,” Newsom said. “We’re moving forward.”

Some state are discouraging travel by requiring or recommending that visitors and residents returning from other states quarantine for 14 days. There are more than 5.6 million confirmed cases around the globe, with nearly 1.7 million in the United States, according to the Johns Hopkins University data dashboard. More than 350,000 people have died worldwide. The U.S. has reported more than 98,900 dead in a span of less than four months, more than the number of Americans killed in the Vietnam and Korean wars combined.

Our live blog is being updated throughout the day. Refresh for the latest news, and get updates in your inbox with The Daily Briefing. Scroll down for more details.

Here are a few of the major developments from Tuesday:

  • Former Vice President Joe Biden, the presumptive 2020 Democratic nominee, criticized President Donald Trump for saying that wearing a face mask is “politically correct.”
  • Six in 10 parents say they would likely not send their kids back into classrooms if they reopen in the fall, and 1 in 5 teachers say they likely won’t return either, according to an exclusive USA TODAY/Ipsos poll.
  • The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention clarified its “confusing” guideline language about the spread of coronavirus on surfaces and objects. 

What we’re talking about: In America’s debate over face masks, public ridicule and judgment have become commonplace — for people who selectively cover up and for those who forgo them altogether.

Staying Apart, Together: USA TODAY brings a newsletter about how to cope with these trying times straight to your inbox.

Your daily dose of good news: Have you gotten closer to your pet during the coronavirus quarantine? You’re not alone, according to a new survey.

Brazil death toll expected to rise sharply, near US total

Brazil’s reported death toll, now at about 25,000, could exceed 125,000 by early August and continue to increase after that, according to forecasts from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington. IHME projects the U.S. death total at 132,000 by early August, but the U.S. is forecast to be near the end of the the cycle by then. IHME Director Dr. Christopher Murray said Brazil must follow the lead of Wuhan, China, as well as Italy, Spain, and New York by enforcing measures to reduce transmission of the virus and gain control of the fast-growing epidemic.

“Until then, IHME is forecasting the death toll in Brazil will continue to climb,” Murray said. “There will be a shortage of critical hospital resources, and the peak of deaths may not occur until mid-July.”

CDC clarifies guidelines on coronavirus and its spread on surfaces, objects

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released an update to their recent changes to the coronavirus guidelines. Two days after the guidelines said COVID-19 “does not spread easily” by touching contaminated surfaces or objects, the CDC clarified that the wording they used was “confusing.”

“This change was intended to make it easier to read, and was not a result of any new science,” the CDC said in a news release. The agency had always warned that “it may be possible” to become infected with coronavirus by touching contaminated surfaces or objects although the primary way to get infected is through person-to-person contact. That statement still holds true with the recently updated guidelines saying: “This is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads, but we are still learning more about how this virus spreads.”

Nevada set to reopen casinos with social distancing restrictions on June 4

Nevada will soon welcome tourists again as casinos are set to open June 4 with social distancing restrictions, Gov. Steve Sisolak announced late Tuesday.

“We welcome the visitors from across the country to come here, to have a good time, no different than they did previously, but we’re gonna be cautious,” Sisolak told reporters.

Sisolak said the state will be prepared to close down again if there’s a spike in cases. He shut down the casinos 10 weeks ago in an effort to prevent the spread of the virus. The governor also announced the second phase of reopening that will begin Friday. Gyms, fitness studios, movie theaters, shopping malls and bars will reopen with restrictions. In-person religious services with up to 50 people will also be allowed, he said. Brothels, night clubs and strip clubs are excluded.

Joe Biden calls Donald Trump ‘a fool’ for saying masks are politically correct

President Donald Trump called wearing a face mask “politically correct“ on Tuesday, while former vice president Joe Biden called Trump “a fool” for demeaning them, highlighting the politicization that has emerged around face masks during the coronavirus pandemic. On Tuesday, during a news conference in the Rose Garden, Trump asked a reporter, “Can you take it off, because I cannot hear you,” referencing the face mask.

“I’ll just speak louder, sir,” the reporter responded.

“OK, you want to be politically correct. Go ahead,” Trump replied. The reporter refused to take the mask off. 

Last week, Ford executives encouraged Trump to don a face mask during his visit to one of its factories, but he said he chose not to wear it near photographers because he “didn’t want to give the press the pleasure of seeing it.”

– Savannah Behrmann

Italian opera singer Andrea Bocelli reveals COVID-19 infection

Andrea Bocelli is the latest star on a long list of celebrities who have tested positive for COVID-19. In a video shared by Italian newspaper La Stampa and translated by French outlet France 24, the opera singer, 61, confirmed to a group of journalists that both he and his family had experienced the novel coronavirus.

“My whole family was contaminated,” he said in an English translation. “We all had a fever — though thankfully not high ones — with sneezing and coughing.”

He continued, “I had to cancel many concerts… It was like living a nightmare because I felt like I was no longer in control of things. I was hoping to wake up at any moment.”

– Sara M Moniuszko

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Los Angeles opens largest coronavirus testing site in US at Dodger Stadium

The city of Los Angeles opened its biggest testing site at Dodger Stadium, which can test up to 6,000 people daily for free. It’s the largest site in the U.S., according to Community Organized Response Effort, a non-profit organization that helps vulnerable communities during a crisis.

“Dodger Stadium is a place where Angelenos usually rally around a common goal of victories on the field –– and today, it is uniting us around a mission to save lives,” Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said in a statement.

CORE has worked with state and city officials to open 12 sites in Los Angeles, and 28 sites across the nation. Los Angeles was the first U.S. city to offer free testing to all residents, whether they had symptoms or not. 

More coronavirus news and information from USA TODAY

More than 100 Apple Stores scheduled to reopen this week across US

Some Apple Stores will reopen this week, with 100 of the 271 U.S. outlets opening their doors again. However, shopping won’t resume like it used to do pre-coronavirus. In most of the stores, customers won’t be allowed to enter the premises, and instead will only be able to pick up products in front of the store or via a dedicated curbside location. Apple will be setting up Genius Bar appointments in front of the stores as well. 

The Genius Bar is where customers go to get free tech support, or to have data moved from Apple devices. However, some stores will allow customers to come in and shop, including locations in the San Diego and Santa Barbara areas in California, Las Vegas, Houston, Texas, and Boca Raton, Florida.  

– Jefferson Graham

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If you’ve been laid off due to the coronavirus pandemic and are on the job hunt, you’re probably wondering how to explain it on your resume.

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NHL unveils plan to restart with 24-team postseason tournament

The NHL took a big step Tuesday toward completing its 2019-20 season amid the coronavirus pandemic. Commissioner Gary Bettman announced a 24-team playoff format that was accepted by the Players’ Association through a vote that concluded Friday.

The tournament will feature the top 12 teams in each conference, with seeds based on points percentage and calculated using every team’s record at the time of the pause. The top four seeds in each conference would automatically advance to the traditional round of 16, but seed Nos. 5 through 12 would have to play their way in. The tournament will be played in two hub cities to be announced at a later date, Bettman said – one for the Eastern Conference playoffs and one for the Western Conference playoffs.

– Vincent Z. Mercogliano

Contributing: The Associated Press

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France bans controversial drug to treat COVID-19

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France bans controversial drug to treat COVID-19

Paris The French government has cancelled a decree allowing hospital doctors to administer hydroxychloroquine as a treatment to patients suffering severe forms of COVID-19.

Wednesday’s announcement comes two days after the World Health Organisation said it was pausing a large trial of the malaria drug due to safety concerns.

France has banned the use of a controversial drug to treat COVID-19.Credit:AP

British medical journal The Lancet has reported that patients getting hydroxychloroquine had increased death rates and irregular heartbeats, adding to a series of other disappointing results for the drug as a way to treat COVID-19.

US President Donald Trump and others have pushed hydroxychloroquine in recent months as a possible coronavirus treatment.

France decided at the end of March to allow the use of hydroxychloroquine in specific situations and in hospitals only.

No vaccine or treatment has yet been approved to treat COVID-19, which has killed more than 350,000 people globally.

Reuters

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Hong Kong police stamp out national anthem bill protests – CNN Video

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Hong Kong police stamp out national anthem bill protests – CNN Video

Protests have erupted in the heart of Hong Kong’s financial center. Police have fired pepper spray to disperse crowds as the city’s legislative council debates the controversial national anthem bill. CNN’s Anna Coren reports.



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Africa can build back better after Covid-19 – The Mail & Guardian

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Africa can build back better after Covid-19 – The Mail & Guardian

COMMENT

These are challenging times for Africa and the rest of our global village. 

As of May 24, 54 countries in Africa had recorded more than 100 000 Covid-19 cases and over 3 000 deaths. And although the number of cases continues to grow, it could have been much worse had it not been for African governments taking preventive action despite weakened environments.

We mourn the lives of the people we have lost and recognise the sorrow and burden of families and loved ones they have left behind. Life as we have known it has changed in unimaginable ways.

Economies and livelihoods have been heavily affected as the demand for Africa’s commodities has fallen and tourism has declined sharply. Remittances — which can account for more than 10% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) — are also drying up. 

Already, the price of oil, which accounts for 40% of Africa’s exports and 7.4% of GDP, has declined by half, sharply reducing revenues for countries such as Nigeria and Angola. A similar price crash in coffee and cocoa has lowered earnings for Ethiopia, Kenya, Côte d’Ivoire and other producers.

Informal workers, 85.8% of the labour force, lacking social protection or buffers against economic shocks, are facing the devastating consequences. This is especially true for women workers who make up the majority of this sector.      

Africa’s economic growth could contract by 2.6%, pushing about 29-million more people into extreme poverty. 

As the toll mounts, learning has been suspended, forcing children out of school, creating uncertainty about whether they will be able to continue their education and losing some of the precious gains realised over the past five years.

Shortages of food stuff, including maize, cooking oil and wheat flour, could trigger a food crisis if problems such as the swarms of locusts devouring crops and pasture in East Africa are not tackled. The disruption of global supply chains is also considerably affecting export capacities.

The pandemic has brought long-standing fragilities and inequalities into sharp relief, including systemic discrimination against women and girls.  

There has also been an alarming rise in levels of violence in the home and rights-based abuses under the lockdown. 

These are just some of the reports we get daily — stories of pain, anxiety, frustration and anguish. 

But there is also hope, rooted in the customary spirit of African solidarity and kindness, of ubuntu — I am because we are.

Doctors, nurses, other frontline workers and ordinary citizens, men and women, old and young, are demonstrating sacrifice, courage and commitment in the fight against the pandemic. 

Women constitute 70% of the healthcare workforce; they are risking their lives to save others, serving as nurses, laundry workers, catering assistants and more. 

The African Union (AU) leadership responded swiftly to the crisis, setting up a co-ordinated continental approach, establishing an anti-Covid-19 Response Fund and appointing special envoys to mobilise international support.

The United Nations (UN), led by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, has mobilised to support African states to prepare for, respond to and suppress the pandemic. The AU’s Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) is co-ordinating with WHO and other partners to provide countries with training and medical supplies. 

Young Africans are also coming up with innovative solutions to healthcare challenges. 

In Cameroon, for example, 26-year-old Christian Achaleke rallied his friends and workmates to launch the “One Person One Sanitizer” campaign. He invested his salary in kickstarting the production of homemade hand sanitizers using a WHO-approved recipe.

Governments have announced relief measures. Companies are repurposing their production lines to make face masks, sanitizers, gowns and more.

Beyond the health response, the UN quickly scaled up its activities across the peace and security, humanitarian and development nexus to support the African response to Covid-19. 

The UN has launched a Global Humanitarian Plan, much of which is devoted to the African continent. The UN “Solidarity Flights”, led by the WHO and the World Food Programme (WFP) in co-ordination with the AU and Africa CDC, are delivering urgently needed medical equipment to all African nations.

UN Country Teams and UN missions are providing integrated whole-of-system support by tapping into the comparative advantages of specific agencies, funds and programmes.  

Guided by a Socio-Economic Response Framework, the UN is working across Africa to support governments in addressing the socioeconomic impacts of the crisis, from ensuring essential health services, social protection and basic services to protecting jobs, guiding fiscal and macroeconomic policies and promoting social cohesion and community resilience.

For example, in Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and Zambia, the UN has worked with the governments and development partners to mobilise financial resources. 

In Burkina Faso, Gabon, Mali and Tunisia, the UN is supporting governments in the procurement of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs). In Ethiopia, the UN — through WFP — is providing logistical support to facilitate delivery of products by private donors. 

The UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) has financed Covid-19 information sessions for civil servants and social workers and supplied information materials for distribution among the armed forces and the general population. 

And the UN Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) is using its radio station to inform people about Covid-19 in local languages, working to dispel rumours and counter misinformation.

The UN secretary-general has called for more than $200-billion for Africa as part of a comprehensive global response package, as well as an across-the-board debt standstill, options towards debt sustainability and solutions for structural issues in the international debt architecture.

Furthermore, the UN, along with the AU and the European Union, has just signed the regional programme of the Spotlight Initiative to end Violence against Women and Girls, dedicating some $40-million to prevention and response. 

These positive developments help to keep hope alive.

Just a few months ago, Africa’s fortunes were on the upswing. Some of the world’s fastest-growing economies were on the continent. Increasing internet access continues to expand the frontiers of innovation for Africans, youth in particular.

Declining rates of poverty and infant mortality signaled that Africa was on the right development path, anchored by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the AU’s Agenda 2063.

We must have faith that the pandemic is only a partial eclipse, and that Africa’s sun will shine again — because of the continent’s youth, innovation and genuine partnerships to recover better.

The interconnectedness of African countries and particularly border communities requires that the continent continues to depend on pan-African solidarity in the Covid-19 fight. The African proverb “You cannot clap with one hand” rings as true as ever.

Recovering better 

Despite the devastating effects of the pandemic, Africa can build back better. Here are a few ways how to do so:

First, improve affordable access to medical supplies by creating green lanes at customs to facilitate fast movement, suspending tariffs on medical items, establishing price control mechanisms and fostering local manufacturing of medical supplies.

Second, protect small and medium-sized enterprises, including by leveraging opportunities in the digital economy and expanding access to technology.

Third, implement the African Continental Free Trade Area in order to fast-track Africa’s industrialisation and position its economy to better withstand future global shocks.

Fourth, use the recovery to accelerate a transition to low-carbon, climate-resilient growth, with a shift to economies that avoid air pollution, create green jobs and ensure clean and sustainable consumption and production.  This shift must be fair to all and leave no one behind. 

Fifth, we must heighten our focus on children, older persons, persons with disabilities, refugees and internally displaced persons.

Our guiding frameworks for a better, more sustainable recovery are the Sustainable Development Agenda and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.   

Women must be at the decision-making table. We must also enlist the talent of the youth if we are to succeed in transforming Africa to a land of inclusion and prosperity that will serve future generations.  

We will get through this crisis together. Covid-19 can be defeated in Africa, and we can build back better. 

In the words of Nelson Mandela: “It is in your hands to create a better world for all who live in it.”

This op-ed was first published by Africa Renewal, a United Nations magazine



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Transhumanism: Meet the cyborgs and biohackers redefining beauty

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Transhumanism: Meet the cyborgs and biohackers redefining beauty

Written by Karina Tsui, CNN

As biotechnology advances, so too may our ideas of what it means to be human.

Today, we can alter our bodies in previously unimaginable ways, whether that’s implanting microchips, fitting advanced prosthetic limbs or even designing entirely new senses.

So-called transhumanists — people who seek to improve their biology by enhancing their bodies with technology — believe that our natural condition inhibits our experience of the world, and that we can transcend our current capabilities through science.

Ideas that are “technoprogressive” to some are controversial to others. But to photographer David Vintiner, they are something else altogether: beautiful.

Neil Harbisson was born with achromatism, or total colorblindness. In 2004, he had an antenna implanted into his skull that allows him to perceive colors as audible vibrations. Credit: David Vintiner

“Beauty is in the engineered products,” said Vintiner, who has spent years photographing real-life cyborgs and body-modifiers for his upcoming book, “I Want to Believe — An Exploration of Transhumanism.”

Made in collaboration with art director and critic Gem Fletcher, the book features a variety of people who identify, to some degree, as “transhuman” — including a man with bionic ears that sense changes in atmospheric pressure, a woman who can “feel” earthquakes taking place around the world and technicians who have developed lab-made organs.

Fletcher was first introduced to the transhumanist subculture via the London Futurist Group, an organization that explores how technology can counter future crises. Upon meeting some of its members, the London-based art director approached Vintiner with the idea of photographing them in a series of portraits.

Describing himself as an "eyeborg," Rob Spence installed a wireless video camera in place of his right eye.

Describing himself as an “eyeborg,” Rob Spence installed a wireless video camera in place of his right eye. Credit: David Vintiner

“Our first shoot was with Andrew Vladimirov, a DIY ‘brain hacker,'” Vintiner recalled in a phone interview. “Each time we photographed someone new, we asked for referrals and introductions to other key people within the movement.”

Though the photographer admitted that the transhumanists’ claims can seem outlandish at first, he soon saw the appeal of technological self-enhancement. “If given the chance, how would you design your own body and what would you want it to say about you?” he asked.

Redefining human experience

One of Vintiner’s subjects, James Young, turned to bionics after losing his arm and leg in an accident in 2012. Young had always been interested in biotechnology and was particularly drawn to the aesthetics of science fiction. Visualizing how his body could be “re-built,” or even perform enhanced tasks with the help of the latest technology, became part of his recovery process.

But according to the 29-year-old, the options presented to him by doctors were far from exciting — standard-issue steel bionic limbs with flesh-colored silicone sleeves.

James Young has always been drawn to the aesthetics of science fiction. Following his accident, he came to see "re-building" his body as part of his recovery process.

James Young has always been drawn to the aesthetics of science fiction. Following his accident, he came to see “re-building” his body as part of his recovery process. Credit: David Vintiner

“To see what was available was the most upsetting part,” Young said in a video interview.

“What the human body can constitute, in terms of tools and technology, is such a blurry thing — if you think about the arm, it’s just a sensory piece of equipment.

“If there was anyone who would get their arm and leg chopped off, it would be me because I’m excited about technology and what it can get done.”

Japanese gaming giant Konami worked with prosthetics sculptor Sophie de Oliveira Barata to design a set of bionic limbs for Young. The result was an arm and leg made from gray carbon fiber — an aesthetic partly inspired by Konami’s “Metal Gear Solid,” one of the then-22-year-old’s favorite video games.

Beyond the expected functions, Young’s robotic arm features a USB port, a screen displaying his Twitter feed and a retractable dock containing a remote-controlled drone. The limbs are controlled by sensors that convert nerve impulses from Young’s spine into physical movements.

“Advanced prosthetics enabled James to change people’s perception of (his) disability,” said Vintiner of Young, adding: “When you first show people the photographs, they are shocked and disconcerted by the ideas contained within. But if you dissect the ideas, they realize that they are very pragmatic.”

James Young's bionic arm features a USB port, a screen linked to his Twitter account and a retractable dock containing a remote-controlled drone.

James Young’s bionic arm features a USB port, a screen linked to his Twitter account and a retractable dock containing a remote-controlled drone. Credit: David Vintiner

Young says it has taken several years for people to appreciate not just the functions of advanced bionic limbs but their aesthetics, too. “Bionic and electronic limbs were deemed scary, purely because of how they looked,” he said. “They coincided with the idea that ‘disability is not sexy.'”

He also felt there was stigma surrounding bionics, because patients were often given flesh-colored sleeves to conceal their artificial limbs.

“Visually, we think that this is the boundary of the human body,” Young said, referring to his remaining biological arm. “Opportunities for transhumanists open up because a bionic arm can’t feel pain, or it can be instantly replaced if you have the money. It has different abilities to withstand heat and to not be sunburned.”

As Vintiner continued shooting the portraits, he felt many of his preconceptions being challenged. The process also raised a profound question: If technology can change what it is to be human, can it also change what it means to be beautiful?

“Most of my (original) work centers around people — their behavior, character, quirks and stories,” he said. “But this project took the concept of beauty to another level.”

09 david vintiner transhumanism

Liz Parrish claims to be the first person to successfully undergo dual gene therapy to “treat” biological aging. Credit: David Vintiner

Eye of the beholder

Science’s impact over our understanding of aesthetics is, to Vintiner, one of the most fascinating aspects of transhumanism. What he discovered, however, was that many in the movement still look toward existing beauty standards as a model for “post-human” perfection.

Another subject of Fletcher and Vintiner’s book is Sophia, a robot designed by scientists David Hanson and Ben Goertzel at Hanson Robotics. Sophia is one of the most advanced humanoid robots to date.

Speaking to CNN Style in 2018, Hanson said that Sophia’s form would resonate with people around the world, and that her appearance was partly inspired by real women including Hanson’s wife and Audrey Hepburn, as well as statues of the Egyptian queen Nefertiti.

Related video: Meet Sophia, the robot who smiles and frowns just like us

But with her light hazel eyes, perfectly arched eyebrows, long eyelashes, defined cheekbones and plump lips — Sophia’s appearance arguably epitomizes that of a conventionally beautiful Caucasian woman.

“When I photographed Ben Goertzel, he vocalized how he took no time to consider how he (himself) looked — it was of no interest to him,” the photographer recalled of the photo shoot.

Vintiner saw a certain irony: that someone who was unconcerned about his own appearance would nonetheless project our preoccupation with beauty through his company’s invention.

It also served as a reminder that attractiveness may be more complex than algorithms can ever fathom.

Ben Goertzel, one of the scientists behind Sophia the robot.

Ben Goertzel, one of the scientists behind Sophia the robot. Credit: David Vintiner

“I fear that if we can design humans without any of the ‘flaws’ that occur in our biological makeup, things will be pushed further and further towards a level of perfection we can only imagine right now.” Vintiner said. “Look at how plastic surgery has altered our perception of beauty in a very short space of time.

“If the transhumanists are right and we, as humans, can live to be several hundreds of years old, our notion of beauty and the very meaning of what it is to be human will change dramatically.”

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the launch of “I Want to Believe — An Exploration of Transhumanism,” as well as a Kickstarter campaign and accompanying photo exhibition, have been temporarily postponed.

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