Ex-Togo premier Houngbo becomes first African to head ILO

FRIDAY MARCH 25 2022

Gilbert Houngbo, the former prime minister of Togo, is the incoming head of the International Labour Organisation, and will become the first African to lead the UN agency. 

Gilbert Houngbo, the former prime minister of Togo, was on Friday elected the next head of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and will become the first African to lead the United Nations agency.

After two rounds of voting, the ILO's governing body elected the 61-year-old to succeed British trade unionist Guy Ryder, who steps down at the end of September, after 10 years in the job.

"You have made history," Houngbo told the governing body after the election.

"I am deeply and absolutely honoured to be the first representative of the African region to be selected to lead the ILO after 103 years."

Houngbo was chosen from among five candidates and had been seen in a strong position after the African Union threw its weight behind him.

Currently head of the Rome-based International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), he also enjoyed strong backing on the labour side.

He has previously held several high-level positions within the UN system, such as finance director at the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and deputy director-general of ILO itself, from 2013-2017.

His opponents in the race were former French labour minister Muriel Penicaud, South Korea's ex-foreign minister Kang Kyung-wha, South African entrepreneur Mthunzi Mdwaba, and ILO deputy Greg Vines of Australia.
'Rich symbolism'

Houngbo's win marks a dramatic shift for the ILO, which since its founding in 1919 has been led by men only from Europe or the Americas.

The oldest specialised UN agency has 187 member states, which are, uniquely in the UN system, represented by governments, employers and workers.

The organisation's governing body counts 56 members, with half of them representing governments, and a quarter each representing employers and workers.

The vote took place by secret ballot behind closed doors.

The ILO said Houngbo received 30 votes in the second-round voting, securing the majority. Penicaud received 23, Kang two and Mdwaba one.

After the first round, Vines was eliminated.

In his first address after the vote, Houngbo hailed the outcome.

"The outcome of this election carries a rich symbolism," he said, adding that it "fulfils the aspirations of a young African, a young African boy whose humble upbringing turned into a lifelong quest for social justice."

Houngbo will take the ILO helm on October 1 and will have his work cut out as the organisation strives to adapt its norms to a world of work rapidly transforming due to evolving technologies.

The Covid-19 pandemic has only sped up those changes, leading to the rapid uptake of virtual technologies to enable remote working.

"My election as director-general takes place during a troubled moment in history, at a moment of uncertainty for what the future might hold," he acknowledged.

"The world needs an ILO that is capable of solving real-life problems of the working people and the enterprises."

Putin's complaints about 'cancel culture' make him sound like an American conservative: op-ed

Sky Palma
March 25, 2022

In a statement this week, Russian President Vladimir Putin made a reference to author J.K. Rowling, saying that backlash the Harry Potter creator received for her comments on transgender people weren't unlike the the sanctions being leveled at Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

“They are now trying to cancel our country. I’m talking about the progressive discrimination of everything to do with Russia,” Putin said.

Writing in the Bulwark this Friday, Jonathan Last contends that Putin is starting to sound like an American conservative, saying that you can hear the same kind of rhetoric emanating from the American right wing.

"Just something to keep in mind the next time you see the people who were apologizing for Putin up until five minutes ago insisting how they have nothing at all to do with that guy," Last writes.

Invasion of Ukraine: Russia states more limited war goal to 'liberate' Donbass

 In a scaled-back formulation of its war goals, Russia said on Friday that the first phase of its military operation was mostly complete and it would focus on completely "liberating" Ukraine's breakaway eastern Donbass region. FRANCE 24's Rob Parsons tells us more.

Israeli and Palestinian mothers gather for peace by Dead Sea

Israeli and Palestinian women, members of two local peace movements, take part in an inaugural event marking the beginning of their partnership near the city of Jericho, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, on Friday. (AFP)

https://arab.news/9x34s
AFP
March 25, 2022

Hundreds of activists from the Palestinian initiative "Women of the Sun" and Israeli movement "Women Wage Peace" shared in the poetry of Mahmoud Darwish

They planted flags on the Dead Sea's shore and vowed to carry on the push for peace

JERICHO, Palestinian Territories: Israelis and Palestinians braved wind and rain to hold a “peace conference” Friday by the Dead Sea bringing together two major women’s movements from both sides for the first time.

Hundreds of activists from the Palestinian initiative “Women of the Sun” and Israeli movement “Women Wage Peace” shared in the poetry of Mahmoud Darwish, planted flags on the Dead Sea’s shore and vowed to carry on the push for peace despite the stagnation of political talks.

“As women, when we start to sit and speak about our children and about life, we feel like we’ve known each other for a long time,” Layla Sheikh from Bethlehem in the West Bank told AFP.

“We can understand each other’s suffering and share it,” she said.

“I hope that by coming together, we will prevent the loss of live,” said Pascale Chen from Tel Aviv.
“In 10 days, my son will go for military service. He has to do his duty... but still we are mothers all together. We feel we have a role to play in peace,” she said.

Peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians have largely ground to a halt.

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, who opposes Palestinian statehood, has ruled out formal peace talks during his tenure, but says he is committed to expanding economic opportunities for Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Ties between Israel and the Palestinian Authority led by president Mahmud Abbas have showed signs of thawing in recent months, following a series of high-level meetings, including Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz hosting Abbas at his home.

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken is to travel to Israel and the West Bank next week to hold talks with the leadership from both sides.

Scientists find microplastics in blood for first time

Microplastics had already been spotted in oceans, air and food—now researchers have

 found it in human blood.

Scientists have discovered microplastics in human blood for the first time, warning that the ubiquitous particles could also be making their way into organs.

The tiny pieces of mostly invisible plastic have already been found almost everywhere else on Earth, from the deepest oceans to the highest mountains as well as in the air, soil and food chain.

A Dutch study published in the Environment International journal on Thursday examined blood samples from 22 anonymous, healthy volunteers and found microplastics in nearly 80 percent of them.

Half of the blood samples showed traces of PET plastic, widely used to make drink bottles, while more than a third had polystyrene, used for disposable food containers and many other products.

"This is the first time we have actually been able to detect and quantify" such microplastics in human blood, said Dick Vethaak, an ecotoxicologist at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.

"This is proof that we have plastics in our body—and we shouldn't," he told AFP, calling for further research to investigate how it could be impacting health.

"Where is it going in your body? Can it be eliminated? Excreted? Or is it retained in certain organs, accumulating maybe, or is it even able to pass the blood-brain barrier?"

The study said the microplastics could have entered the body by many routes: via air, water or food, but also in products such as particular toothpastes, lip glosses and tattoo ink.

"It is scientifically plausible that plastic particles may be transported to organs via the bloodstream," the study added.

Vethaak also said there could be other kinds of microplastics in blood his study did not pick up—for example, it could not detect particles larger than the diameter of the needle used to take the sample.

The study was funded by the Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development as well as Common Seas, a UK-based group aimed at reducing plastic pollution.

Alice Horton, anthropogenic contaminants scientist at Britain's National Oceanography Center, said the study "unequivocally" proved there was microplastics in blood.

"This study contributes to the evidence that plastic particles have not just pervaded throughout the environment, but are pervading our bodies too," she told the Science Media Center.

Fay Couceiro, reader in biogeochemistry and environmental pollution at the University of Portsmouth, said that despite the small sample size and lack of data on the exposure level of participants, she felt the study was "robust and will stand up to scrutiny".

She also called for further research.

"After all blood links all the organs of our body and if plastic is there, it could be anywhere in us."People with IBD have more microplastics in their feces, study says

More information: Heather A. Leslie et al, Discovery and quantification of plastic particle pollution in human blood, Environment International (2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2022.107199

Journal information: Environment International 

© 2022 AFP

Chemists cook up way to remove microplastics using okra

Agence France-Presse
March 22, 2022

Okra is used as a thickening agent in many cuisines (Kola Sulaimon AFP)

Extracts of okra and other slimy plants commonly used in cooking can help remove dangerous microplastics from wastewater, scientists said Tuesday.

The new research was presented at the spring meeting of the American Chemical Society, and offers an alternative to the synthetic chemicals currently used in treatment plants that can themselves pose risks to health.

"In order to go ahead and remove microplastic or any other type of materials, we should be using natural materials which are non-toxic," lead investigator Rajani Srinivasan, of Tarleton State University, said in an explainer video.

Okra is used as a thickening agent in many cuisines, such as Gumbo, a stew from Louisiana. It's also a staple of cuisine in South Asia, where it's called bhindi.

Srinivasan's past research had examined how the goo from okra and other plants could remove textile-based pollutants from water and even microorganisms, and she wanted to see if that would equally apply to microplastics.

Ingested microplastics -- defined as pieces five millimeters or smaller -- have been shown to harm fish in several ways, from disrupting their reproductive systems to stunting growth and causing liver damage.
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The source of microplastics is the estimated eight billion tons of plastic produced since the 1950s, less than 10 percent of which has been recycled.

The rest eventually breaks down and is today found in every corner of the globe, from oceans and waterways to the air and soil, as well as our food.

It is feared there could be health impacts on humans, though more research is needed. Microplastics can also be carcinogenic and mutagenic, meaning they can potentially increase risks of cancer and DNA mutations.

Typical wastewater treatment removes microplastics in two steps.

First, those that float are skimmed off the top of the water. These however account for only a small fraction, and the rest are removed using flocculants, or sticky chemicals that attract microplastics into larger clumps.

The clumps sink to the bottom and can then be separated from the water.

The problem is that these synthetic flocculants, such as polyacrylamide, can break down into toxic chemicals.

So, Srinivasan and colleagues set about investigating how extracts of supermarket-bought okra, aloe, cactus, and fenugreek, tamarind and psyllium would perform.


They tested chains of carbohydrates, known as polysaccharides, from the individual plants, as well as in combination, on various microplastic-contaminated water, examining before and after microscopic images to determine how many particles had been removed.

They found that polysaccharides from okra paired with those from fenugreek could best remove microplastics from ocean water, while polysaccharides from okra paired with tamarind worked best in freshwater samples.

Overall, the plant-based polysaccharides worked just as well or better than polyacrylamide. Crucially, the plant-based chemicals are both non-toxic and can be used in existing treatment plants.

Ultimately, said Srinivasan, she hopes to scale up and commercialize the process, enabling greater access to clean and safer drinking water.

© 2022 AFP

CANADA

'I regret going': Protester says he has nothing left after giving life savings to 'Freedom Convoy'

Brad Reed
March 24, 2022


A man who got involved with the anti-vaccine mandate "Freedom Convoy" protests in Canada now says he regrets going -- in no small part because he gave the convoy his entire life savings.

In an interview with CBC, Martin Joseph Anglehart said that he got involved in the convoy protests earlier this year even though he "never had a stance" on the vaccine mandates.

He says he started out delivering fuel and laundry to the protesters as they occupied major cities, including key bridges that are used as major trade routes.

Soon, however, Anglehart's participation became much more costly.

"From Jan. 28 to Feb. 14, bank statements provided to CBC show Anglehart transferred thousands of dollars and spent thousands more at a gas station near Coventry Road — where he was stationed for the majority of the protest," reports the CBC. "Anglehart is currently living out of his SUV, as he said his landlord kicked him out over his 'point of view' concerning the protest."

Anglehart tells CBC that he regrets that he now has "nothing left" -- and also that the protest disrupted life for so many Ottawa residents.

"I would like to apologize to [the] people in Ottawa," Anglehart now says. "I'm sorry... All I wanted was to help people."

Zelensky calls for worldwide anti-war protests as Russian invasion enters second month

Julia Conley,

 Common Dreams
March 24, 2022

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky (Screen Shot)

Exactly a month after Russian President Vladimir Putin began his military invasion of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, the Ukrainian president who has garnered international recognition for his wartime leadership, called on the global community to speak out in unison against Putin's attack.

"Come from your offices, your homes, your schools and universities. Come in the name of peace," Zelensky said in a video address that he posted on social media. "Come with Ukrainian symbols to support Ukraine, to support freedom, to support life. Come to your squares, your streets. Make yourselves visible and heard."

Zelensky's call for global solidarity came as U.S. President Joe Biden arrived in Europe for a three-day summit with world leaders regarding the conflict.

The Ukrainian president addressed the leaders of the NATO alliance in Brussels via video link from Kyiv, calling for urgent military assistance—but stopping short of asking NATO to establish a no-fly zone over Ukraine, a move which would require the countries to target Russian military planes and could trigger "World War III," according to experts.

The U.S. committed earlier this month to sending $800 million in military equipment to Ukraine.

"Say that people matter, freedom matters, peace matters, Ukraine matters. All as one, together, who want to stop the war."

"Ukraine asked for your planes," Zelensky told the NATO leaders Thursday. "So that we do not lose so many people. And you have thousands of fighter jets! But we haven't been given any yet. To save people and our cities, Ukraine needs military assistance—without restrictions."


The Ukrainian leader also warned that though he understands that the U.S. has no plans to send troops to fight Russian forces and that Ukraine is not part of NATO, "Russia does not intend to stop in Ukraine. Does not intend and will not. It wants to go further."

Biden will reportedly announce new sanctions against Russia on Thursday, targeting dozens of the country's defense companies, more than 300 lawmakers, and powerful figures close to Putin.

Ukraine says that at least 2,500 of its civilians have been killed by Russian forces since the invasion on February 24.

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) reported Thursday that more than half of Ukraine's 7.5 million children have been forced from their homes since the war began—one of the largest mass displacements of children since World War II.

More than 3.5 million Ukrainians have fled the country in the past four weeks, with more than two million resettling in Poland and hundreds of thousands arriving in countries including Hungary, Moldova, and Romania. Biden announced Thursday that the U.S. plans to accept 100,000 Ukrainian refugees.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) earlier this month launched an investigation into alleged "crimes against humanity" by the Russians. Putin's estimated 1,500 attacks on Ukrainian civilian targets have included a maternity hospital and nearly two dozen other healthcare facilities, 330 schools, and 900 residential buildings.

Peace talks between Russia and Ukraine have made limited progress in recent weeks, and Mykhailo Podolyak, a senior aide to Zelensky who is leading the negotiations, said Thursday that the talks could take months but expressed confidence that Russia is negotiating in good faith.

"Twenty-eight days of war have shown that Russia is not a country that can dictate conditions," Podolyak told ABC News. "It seems to me they really do want to resolve some issues in negotiations, because there is the sanctions pressure, military pressure from Ukraine. We have already put them in their place."

NATO has reported that as many as 15,000 Russian troops have been killed and 25,000 have been injured. Ukrainian officials say at least six generals are among those who have been killed, while Russia has acknowledged the death of only one general.


Tens of thousands of people across Europe took part in mass protests against Putin's invasion earlier this month, and thousands of Russians have been arrested for speaking out against the president.

"Say that people matter, freedom matters, peace matters, Ukraine matters," Zelensky urged people around the world Thursday. "All as one, together, who want to stop the war."

A 'disaster for Indiana': Mike Braun’s constituents revolt after GOP senator criticized legalization of interracial marriage

Meaghan Ellis, 

AlterNet
March 24, 2022

Sen. Mike Braun (R-IN) (Screen Grab)

TWITTER POSTS AT ARTICLE END

Sen. Mike Braun (R-IN) is facing serious blow back for his remarks arguing the legalization of interracial marriage should not have been a U.S. Supreme Court ruling but rather a decision left to individual states. The controversial remarks came during the confirmation hearings held for President Joe Biden's SCOTUS justice nominee, Ketanji Brown Jackson.

At one point during his questioning of Brown Jackson, Braun complained about what he described as "judicial activism" as he highlighted a number of historic rulings he appeared to have issues — with interracial marriage being one of them.

"When it comes to issues, you can't have it both ways," Braun said. "When you want that diversity to shine within our federal system, there are going to be rules and proceedings, they're going to be out of sync with maybe what other states would do. It's the beauty of the system, and that's where the differences among points of view in our 50 states ought to express themselves."

Shortly after making the remarks, Braun attempted to backpedal. In a statement offering further explanation for his remarks, the Indiana lawmaker wrote: "Let me be clear on that issue — there is no question the Constitution prohibits discrimination of any kind based on race, that is not something that is even up for debate, and I condemn racism in any form, at all levels, and by any states, entities, or individuals."

However, that still wasn't enough to quell the critical reactions that followed. Shortly after reports began circulating about Braun's remarks, lawmakers from both sides of the aisle, political candidates, Indiana residents and other Twitter users began flooding the social network with critical reactions.

Mike Schmuhl, who serves as the Indiana Democratic Party's chairman, quickly fired back with blistering comments in response to Braun's remarks which he described as "un-American."

"The United States Supreme Court has affirmed many times that marriage equality in our country extends to any committed couple regardless of sex, race, orientation, or religious affiliation, and to question that legitimacy questions the very fabric of America and its people," Schmuhl said.

Schmuhl went on to slam the Republican Party's "culture wars" which he believes are impacting America's future.

"Democrats implore all Hoosiers to ask themselves if they want to be associated with someone as embarrassing as Mike Braun and a form of partisanship that endorses white nationalist views — because these are the same views that led to the insurrection against our nation on January 6, 2021," he said. "If Mike Braun wants to question the legitimacy of anything, it should be his own standing as a United States Senator. He cheated his way into office and consistently shows that he does not represent us.”

However, Democrats aren't the only ones slamming Braun for his remarks. Some Republican lawmakers and candidates have also pushed back in disagreement. Speaking to The Indy Star in an emailed statement, Indiana Republican Party chairman Kyle Hupfer said he believes "some rights are so 'intrinsic' that they cannot be left up to states, and one of those is ensuring 'racial equality.'"

Others took to Twitter to express their concerns. "It is appalling that a US Senator from IN claims that the US Supreme Ct shouldn’t decide the right of people to marry inter-racially," tweeted Mayor Thomas McDermott (D), who is running for the Indiana Senate. "I condemn [Senator Braun] ‘s comments and I urge [Sen. Todd Young] to join me in condemning views that should be left behind in our nation's past.

From a second Twitter account, McDermott tweeted, "The modern-day GOP has become a disgrace. Comments like these, from a sitting US Senator, were wrong in the 1950’s, and are appalling in the year 2022. It’s up to us #Hoosiers to take care of business and drive backwards thinking politicians out of Washington DC."

Members of interracial families have also pushed back against Braun for his offensive remarks.

While some Twitter users expressed frustration over Braun's remarks and antics from other Republican lawmakers, other users mocked the lawmaker for his blunder.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) went a step further in dissecting Braun's statement. The lawmaker shared her interpretation of his statement as she challenged him to speak publicly again and denounce his previous remarks.

"Senator Braun’s statement does not walk back what he said," Ocasio-Cortez tweeted.

She concluded, "He needs to go on the record to clarify whether he believes states should be allowed to reinstate anti-miscegenation laws, and whether it’s his belief SCOTUS should overturn Loving v. Virginia as he does w/ Roe v. Wade."

  

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MINNESOTA

Fond du Lac Band demands action from high schools after racist social media conversation circulates

The exchange about Native Americans was between students from Cloquet and Esko high schools. 

By Jana Hollingsworth Star Tribune

 

MARCH 23, 2022 — 7:11PM

ALEX KORMANN, STAR TRIBUNE

Kevin Dupuis, chairman of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, posed for a portrait at the Cloquet Forestry Center last March. The chairman has asked leaders of two nearby school districts to act on students’ racist speech aimed at Native Americans.

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DULUTH — The Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa is demanding a response from leaders of nearby school districts after a racist and threatening Snapchat conversation between two students was shared on social media late last week.

The exchange between a student from Esko High School and another from Cloquet High included a desire for the Cloquet school to be bombed so "all natives die." It continued with other derogatory remarks about Native American people.

"We are horrified and saddened by the ignorant and racist statements of students from schools where many of our Native youth attend," Fond du Lac Chairman Kevin Dupuis Sr. wrote in a letter to the superintendents of the Esko and Cloquet school districts.

"We want to receive an immediate response from the school districts and school leadership on how you intend to address this situation, not only with the specific students involved in the incident but also with the larger student body community."

Native American students make up about 14% of the Cloquet Public Schools enrollment. Part of the Fond du Lac Reservation, which has its own K-12 school, is in Cloquet. About 1% of Esko students are Native American.

In a statement, Cloquet schools superintendent Michael Cary said the district would not tolerate racial profiling or racist or hate language. He apologized "for the harm this language has done or may do to our students, families and community."

Cary said the Snapchat exchange event "will lead to appropriate disciplinary action, individualized education targeting these racist beliefs, and restorative practices to address the harms caused by ignorance."

Esko superintendent Aaron Fischer offered a similar statement, saying the incident doesn't reflect the district's values, but the administration shares "responsibility in shaping the character of our students."

"In addition to addressing the offenders, we will renew our ongoing efforts to build a culturally competent school community free of intolerance, ignorance and hate," he said.

Cloquet and Esko are the latest Minnesota schools where racism has surfaced on social media or at sporting events. Officials are investigating and responding to recent incidents in Edina, New Prague, Minnetonka, Prior Lake and the North St. Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale School District.

Racism within Cloquet schools is ongoing, said Lynn Olson, a Fond du Lac Band member whose granddaughter and grand-niece attend the high school.

"This is really affecting my girls," said Olson, who met with Cloquet school leaders after she saw the Snapchat screenshot. "This will traumatize and stay with the kids forever."

She said she wants the involved students to apologize to the Native community, and for school leaders to do more, including requiring curriculum that would educate students about Native American oppression and genocide.

Matthew Williams, a sophomore Cloquet High hockey player, said some teammates mocked Native Americans in the locker room, making fun of such traditions as pow wows and dress.

Williams said the players didn't know he was Native American until the Snapchat exchange ignited conversation about racism and he shared his heritage. Some apologized, he said, "but I feel like there is a lot of work to be done." A lifelong hockey player, he said he is hesitant to continue with the team.

Tia Tokkesdal, a Fond du Lac band member and Cloquet graduate, said she is hoping for more transparency from officials.

She said Cloquet school leaders "made remarks over the loudspeaker and put an e-mail out. But they're not being transparent about the actions they took with the students or what they will do to prevent this in the future. … Our community deserves to know the outcome."

School administrators declined to comment on disciplinary details, citing privacy laws.

Dupuis, in his letter, asked Cary and Fischer to meet and discuss with band leaders how they'll work to prevent "racist and violent rhetoric" from students.

"We need to ensure that our students remain and feel safe in the public schools they attend," he said.

Both superintendents have since met with tribal leaders.

Jana Hollingsworth writes about the Duluth/Superior region. She joined the Star Tribune in 2021. Sign up to receive the new North Report newsletter.