Foreign snippets of news, mostly

The World Food Programme (WFP) was awarded the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize – richly deserved.

Cass listened to her favourite interview: that of Stephen Sackur in the BBC HARDTalk programme, on Sunday December 1. He interviewed Ex Republican Governor of South Carolina, David Beasly, now Executive Director of the WFP, who seemed extremely committed and concerned especially about refugee children in Yemen where he said the worst ever crisis was happening. He predicted that worse was to come. The WFP of US$ 15bn required annually was hardly available so they had to make do. Admittedly, countries, even the rich, are hard pressed economically so to how donate generously for charity overseas. And most of the poverty and hunger and harm to women and children were because of armed conflicts, within or between countries. There is no end or limit to leaders’ greed for power.

Sackur commented that Beasly had promoted and worked for Trump in the 2016 presidential election. Beasly admitted it. He seemed no longer enamoured of the man but he did not criticize Trump outright. He said the US had donated 4 b and that most countries were looking inward and thus organizations like the WFP suffer greatly, not being able to achieve half of what has to be done.

Sackur also commented on the fact that during a recent visit to a children’s hospital in Yemen. Beasly had to leave the ward as he just could not take any more of the suffering he saw. He admitted he was in tears after seeing how beautifully a 1 ½ year old girl, emaciated with starving, smiled lovingly at him.

Sackur and Beasly both agreed that billionaire individuals from all over the world should contribute to organisations such as WFP because nations are cash-strapped having their own unemployed people to see to.

Beasly said: “It is easy to feel hopeless, but we have to go on.”

Very rich being donors

Cass mentioned this fact or rather hope in the Sri Lankan context, in a Cassandra Cry column two weeks previous, when she commented how flat dwellers who are definitely suffering from restrictions imposed on them due to the surge of Covid-19 infection, protest and scream complaining that the government allowance of Rs 5000 to them was totally inadequate. True, but at least the government, also on the brink of you-know-what, cannot give more. So Cassandra reflected that Sri Lankans who have got extremely rich by earning through thriving businesses including many self-made, one-generation multi billionaires, should donate to help our daily workers out of job now. There are some who have amassed huge monies in other ways. Why not a bit of extra charity Cass dares to ask since one cannot spend much on high living in these bleak, restricted times.

This idea was expressed by Sackur too: Why not the world’s billionaires contribute to the WFP. Beasly agreed.

On the other hand there are so many un-rich Sri Lankans who do so much for the under privileged, most often banding together with others who feel for our poor.

Deforestation now in the public domain

All the shouting in Parliament debating the 2021 budget left Cassandra cold and unresponsive. Comment is useless, but many gems were shed in a few of the speeches. Sajith debates well with even temper and voice; Harsha and Eran are superb. How about the government side? The less said the better!

But one good thing is happening. The public and organisations that claim to be watchdogs for the public are getting vociferous about deforestation and illicit sand mining. The mining for limestone should cease immediately in Digana in the precincts of the Victoria Dam. People sometimes are worse than assess and jackals in their greed and resorting to cunning methods of exploiting resources; never they mind the danger to the country.

The Island

or its Sunday edition carried an article by Dr Sumith Pilapitiya and another about deforestation and over-use of resources. It was an article that every single MP should read and keep bulletin-boarded in offices that deal with wildlife. The two authors quoted the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres twice which quotes were very spot-on regarding our local deforestation and human-elephant conflict.

We in this tiny island have so many brilliant men and women of education, expertise, love of the country and personality. Cass suspects they are not brain-stormed or their abilities tapped. Cass caustically supposes political affiliations interfere and influence.

One very relevant story Cass heard was that during the previous regime, Nilame’s of temples and devales that conduct annual peraheras, wanted elephants loaned for their processions. It looks very much that numbers count for prestige; 15 to 25 elephants are not adequate for the parade. The Nilames met the then Prez Sirisena who summoned Dr Pilapitiya, wisely appointed Head of Wildlife, and said he must release elephants from orphanages. Dr P. was willing to lend from the Pinnawela Orphanage as those animals were to remain in the orphanage; but not from the Udawalawe Home as elephants in it were trained to return to the jungle. The Prez was adamant. (Did he only tongue whiplash or did he bring out his madu walige?) Pronto came letter of resignation from Dr P. Such a great loss for the Wildlife Department and the entire country. Mercifully he is here, maybe off and on since the UN has recognized him as a foremost expert on elephants, particularly.

Another plus

The Paris Agreement on a legally binding treaty on climate change adopted in Paris on December 12, 2015, with 196 Parties signing it, celebrated its fifth anniversary and via a virtual conference assessed what each country’s contribution had been, mainly on decrease of carbon emissions. The results were positive, but yet the urgent cry to save the planet must be heeded. One scientist proclaimed that at the rate pollution continues, the world will exist as it is, only for 100 more years.

The celebration was because the President to be, Biden announced that the US will rejoin the Paris Agreement from which it dropped out of solely due to Prez Trump being cheesed off by having to limit industrial activity.

And so the world spins around with the Pfizer BioNtech vaccine against Covid 19 being injected in people in the UK and now US, on priority basis. Singapore and India have placed their orders. Cass feels strongly Sri Lanka should go for the much cheaper and transportable Oxford vaccine. By the time we are ready to order a vaccine or have the WHO do it for us, the Oxford vaccine will surely be available.