Adrian Liberto

Contributing editor

A Grim Trend July seems to have accelerated the grim trend that has been eroding civility and security over the last few years. The month dawned with Hong Kong finding itself stripped of many of its civil liberties.

AFRICA 01.07.20: Mali. Over 30 farmers were slaughtered by armed jihadists on motorcycles while they were returning home from their fields in villages in the Mopti region.

Symptoms of Compassion Fatigue Did you ever catch yourself feeling really moved by something quite trivial when reading the news, as you skimmed past some tragedy in Yemen or Syria without even paying the slightest bit of attention? Or are you prone to add a like or comment to a Facebook GIF about a silly animal situation, for instance, while ignoring a poignant post about social injustice or an environmental emergency? If your answer is “yes”, you are not alone. In fact, you fit nicely into the norm: a host of well-meaning people suffering from “compassion fatigue”.

UN-aligned is proud to announce the launch of a series of campaigns in line with its manifesto. UN-aligned campaigns will cover a range of issues concerning human rights, the environment and United Nations reform, and we will be reporting on them in The Gordian, as well as on our website.

https://youtu.be/VhGGrppQsg4 AFRICA O4.05.20: Burundi. President Pierre Nkurunzizahas, who had been in power for 15 years, died aged 55 following a heart attack.

Creation often leaves a hidden trail of waste. Unlike nature’s cycle, much of our artificial refuse resists renewal, threatening the environment. This article highlights the overlooked role of waste in creation and explores creative solutions to turn it from problem to asset.

UN-aligned is one year old this month! The seed was sown some years ago in China and developed thanks to the dedication of like-minded people. We have gone from 22 Foundation Members to hundreds of followers from around the world: some are full members, others are subscribers, while many follow us on Facebook.

2019 was a momentous year for UN-aligned! The organisation was launched in May after years of preparation and it only took a few months to attract members from all over the world. The first months were focussed on perfecting and consolidating the website and communication structures, including the magazine and language options.

The Enemy Within When Martin Luther King Jr. visited India in 1959, he paid the homage to the venerable land with these powerful words: “To other countries I may go as a tourist, but to India I come as a pilgrim.” Martin Luther King Jr.

National Identity Villages and towns, built on cooperation, existed long before nations did. With time, however, the need for security threaded them together like a string of pearls.

Every Forty Seconds The 10th September was World Mental Health Day. In this context the WHO published a flyer to raise awareness on suicide and how to help prevent it: Working Together to Prevent Suicide.

So, President Trump now wants to buy Greenland! An uninhabited Greek island is one thing, but the largest island in the world that is also an autonomous territory… Well! Although Greenland has been a part of Denmark for over 200 years, it has been increasingly self-governing since 1979, with only foreign affairs and defence still controlled by Denmark. The suggestion just highlights how callous and clueless the American President is. Trump wants to buy all of greenland, no joke: WATCH People are not for sale Despite its promising name, Greenland is no Eden.

And so it continues… Migrants are once again the victims of indifference and direct aggression. Six children and about 50 adults were killed and more that three times as many were badly hurt when a migrant detention centre was bombed by the forces of General Khalifa Haftar who are fighting the UN recognised government of Libya.

It has not been a good week for refugees; but then again, it never is… Today’s The Guardian reports how the Lebanese government forced 5,000 refugee families to demolish their own home in order to induce them to return to Syria. Yesterday, the captain of rescue ship Sea-Watch 3, Carola Rackete, was arrested after she forcefully docked her ship in the Italian island of Lampedusa. Having rescued 53 migrants drifting off the coast of Libya on June 12, the Sea-Watch 3 was left stranded while the Italian authorities kept refusing to let her dock.

Second thoughts… After ordering an attack on Iran last week, president Trump had an after thought. How many human lives would it cost? One wonders: what amount of casualties would have made his strike acceptable? Fifty? A hundred? Creating a problem The Iranian problem is of Trump’s making.

Learning a thing or two from Taiwan… Taiwan gave the world a lesson in real democracy last month when same-sex marriage was legalised in the “country“. In a referendum last November, 72% of the population had voted against allowing same-sex marriage.

Picking on the weakest… Some people just need a common enemy. Any group that can be easily picked on offers the perfect target.

The United Nations (UN) is a remarkable organisation. It has achieved some outstanding results for humanity and it continues to do so.

Bloody motives! If an angel came and told me that all the world problems would be solved if I just put a few bombs around killing innocent people in mosques, synagogues, churches, market places or hotels… would I do it? Of course not. Firstly, because I do not even have the right to insult an innocent person, let alone take their life.