Posts
2021
Monthly Recap
News in July 2021 you may have missed
AFRICA 01.07.21: DR Congo. At least 10 people were killed in a terrorist raid on the city of Beni in the east of the country.
China
Portraits along the way - in Pictures
Travelling around China and India has provided me with memories of fantastic nature and beautiful cities and towns, all of which have their own unique charm and sights. The most memorable moments of visiting new places, however, are the encounters with friendly and warmhearted locals. I still remember, years after, the kind people who stopped to pose for a stranger with a camera. This gallery presents some of the beautiful portraits along the way.
Unesco
UNESCO’s 44th Session: 27 sites that made it into the World Heritage List - in Pictures
The 44th session of the World Heritage Committee saw Liverpool stripped of its heritage status due to development concerns, while Venice and the Great Barrier Reef narrowly avoided being added to the list of endangered sites.
10 books, movies and music UN-aligneders want you to dive in!
Last month we asked our readers to tell us about their favourite books, TV shows & music. This is a list of some their suggestions.
Standing up to The Dystopian Tide
The United Nations is the devil. It has had the top job of securing world peace for over three quarters of a century and for a host of reasons it has made an absolute mess of it. And yet, most of us are happy to be represented by this organisation. We say enough is enough. In this issue of The Gordian, we talk about why the UN cannot be trusted to represent, let alone advance, humanity’s ideals and aspirations and why simple reform will not resolve its inherent problems. This issue contains more exclusive reports by, our literary editor, Alex Liberto, and other UN-aligned members, namely Jay Davis, Jonna Lappalainen and Carla Pietrobattista. The editors are Adrian Liberto and Ariana Yekrangi.
Art
The Perfected Thought: Michelangelo Buonarroti
The search for perfection, albeit in different ways and forms, has always accompanied man throughout his growth and impacted his socio-historical imprint . Starting from ideas for the improvement and evolution of the most basic aspects of life, such as the perfecting of agricultural or construction techniques, his ambition stretched to the creation of increasingly perfect buildings and works of art.
Linguistics
'Why are you talking like that?': How politicians use words to influence and mislead
Have you ever found yourself agreeing with a politician for no apparent reason? Have you ever thought why many people support a certain politician even though they hold a ‘foolish’ standpoint? Have you ever thought of how language influences people’s decisions in a political environment? While it is true that humans are complex creatures and clear linear relationships rarely apply in the real world, language usage and perception undoubtedly plays a significant role in the world of politics, especially today where social factors such as gender and ethnicity are gaining more attention. In this brief article, I will look at the use of language in political discourse. More specifically, we will also look at the phenomenon known as code-switching, how and why it occurs and some of the effects it bears.
Cyprus
The new UN-peacekeeping budget: pun intended!
At the end of June, the budget for peacekeeping operations for the period from 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2022 was approved by the United Nations. Eye-watering sums have been allocated in order to maintain buffers between hostilities that have been stewing for decades.
United Nations
Alone against the world: The US betrays the UN on Cuba
For the 29 years in a row, the UN General Assembly voted overwhelmingly in favour of a resolution demanding the end of the 60-year embargo on Cuba imposed by the US. What happened? The US and Israel were the only countries opposed to the June 30 resolution: 184 voted in support of it. Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla did not mince his words lambasting the US for human rights violations: “This is made visible by the lengthy lines which every day overwhelm the Cuban people in the midst of a pandemic to access basic goods, by the shop shelves that are empty and the unbridled increase in food prices. … The blockade is a massive, flagrant and systematic violation of the human rights of all of the Cuban people.
The Gordian In Audio
What does Antonio Guterres' re-selection mean for the United Nations? — Podcast
While the UN's causes are noble, its communiques can feel like an alphabet soup and its members often behave like undisciplined children. An audio episode explores the ambitions and limitations of its leader, António Guterres
United Nations
António Guterres: The Power Under The Throne
The feeling I experience when plunging into the ocean of communiques from the United Nations is always the same: drowning in an alphabet soup. Often, the words are noble, the causes honourable.
United Nations
8 UN Secretariat Offices explained in 10 minutes
The Secretariat consists of the personnel of the United Nations, with the Secretary-General as its head. It is estimated that as of 2021, more than 35,000 people are employed by the United Nations.
United Nations
UN's slow pace of justice & UNESCO's decision on Venice
The slow pace of justice UN judges have still not quite finished with the aftermath of the atrocities relating to the breakup of the former Yugoslavia almost 30 years ago. On June 30, they convicted former head of Serbia’s State Security Service, Jovica Stanisic, and his subordinate Franko “Frenki” Simatovic to 12 years in prison.
Afghanistan
Edward Mortimer was wrong about the United Nations
Last week Edward Mortimer, the chief speechwriter for Kofi Annan, passed away at the age of 77. He was described as “one of the lively minds surrounding the Secretary-General, given license to think and experiment at a time when the future of the United Nations was being written anew”.
A fervid summer: Share your favourite books, TV shows & music with our international readers
As summer holidays begin, we want to hear from our readers about their favorite books, TV shows or music.
Monthly Recap
News in June 2021 you may have missed
AFRICA 02.06.21: Mali. The African Union has suspended Mali from the African Union over its second coup in nine months.
"Just Let Them Eat Fudge..."
Plunging into the ocean of UN communiques is like drowning in an alphabet soup. Often, the words are noble, the causes honourable. Occasionally they even make a difference... and yet the members of this mighty club behave like undisciplined children who delight in doing just as they please. In this issue of The Gordian, following the re-election of the Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, we will be discussing everything relating to his post and office. This issue contains more exclusive reports by, our literary editor, Alex Liberto, and other UN-aligned members, namely Jonna Lappalainen, Carla Pietrobattista and Aryan Yekrangi. The editors are Adrian Liberto and Ariana Yekrangi.
Italy
The Torlonia Marbles - in Pictures (Part 2)
This gallery is the second part of the exhibition of the Torlonia Marbles, the largest collection of classical sculpture still in private ownership and one of the most valuable in the world.
Italy
The Torlonia Marbles - in Pictures (Part 1)
The exhibition of the Torlonia Marbles, the largest collection of classical sculpture still in private ownership and one of the most valuable in the world, closed in Rome on June 29. A selection of 92 of the 620 statues and busts had been on display in the Villa Caffarelli on the Capitoline Hill since October 2020, although until April, the exhibition was subject to sporadic closures owing to the pandemic. The marbles had been on restricted display since the mid-19th century, but were moved into storage for safety reasons during WWII, where they languished until now. Some of the sculptures are now due to be sent on loan to museums around the world; in the meantime, a permanent gallery will be set up for them in Rome by the Italian government in accordance with an agreement that was reached with the Torlonia estate a few years ago. <br> <br> The Torlonia family (Tourlonias) moved to Rome in the mid-18th century from France under the employ of a French abbot and soon found favour with the clergy. Marino (Marin), opened a mercer’s shop specialising in silks and brocades imported from France, while gradually expanding into the banking business. Giovanni, his son, focused on banking and real-estate, becoming the banker of some of the most powerful people of the times, including the Pope and Napoleon Bonaparte, increasing his wealth and family titles in the process. His son, Prince Alessandro Torlonia, built on his father's interests, including his passion for collecting classical sculptures. The drive for Italian unification that led to the creation of the Monarchy of Italian (1861-1946) had created a liquidity crisis for many noble and wealthy families, who were often forced to sell their art collections in order to keep afloat. The Torlonias were ready at hand to swoop up some of these outstanding collections, such as those belonging to the Cavaceppi and Giustiniani families. Here are some of the highlights of the exhibition. • See <a href="https://un-aligned.org/gallery/the-torlonia-marbles-part-2/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Part 2 of this collection.</a>
United Nations
UN Secretaries-General: A Gallery Timeline
Since its foundation in October 1945, nine Secretary-Generals have been appointed by the General Assembly. This gallery presents them in chronological order from the first Acting Secretary General Gladwyn Jebb to the present António Guterres.
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