24 October United Nations Day 75 years ago today the United Nations came into existence. The world was emerging from years of bitter warfare, which had also witnessed systematic genocide and cruelty. There were immediate issues about rebuilding the broken world, and establishing peace; there were longer term issues of ensuring that the ‘human rights’ […]

  23 October Yesterday Jason Leitch said openly that Christmas this year will not be the same as we have been used to. Politicians and the media reacted vociferously. Maybe they feel they have to. But with current levels of infection, past experience of the way in which ‘spikes’ can occur, and seeing the UK

22 October At the start of the pandemic in the Spring there was a definite sense that ‘we are all in this together’. Does that sense of unity across and within the nations of Britain still exist? Is there full co-operation between the different authorities within Britain and its constituent parts? Is there party politics

21 October Trafalgar Day The anniversary of the naval battle against the combined French and Spanish navies has long been commemorated by the Royal Navy. The details may not particularly concern us now – especially as France and Spain are now allies – but it gives us a focus to think about those who serve

20 October World Statistics Day Do you ever listen to a group of politicians, ‘experts’, ‘scientists’, campaigners or the like arguing over something (Covid-19, general health, climate change, unemployment, poverty or whatever) and as your eyes glaze over with confusion, think’ “But you aren’t comparing like with like, it’s apples versus pears.” Sometimes you feel

19 October After a period of dry, fairly still weather, with a number of sunny days – so that we could enjoy the Autumn colours – we’re back to wind and rain. Younger people find such days great fun, when they put on their wellies and go splashing in the puddles. At some stage in

International Day for the Eradication of Poverty Poverty is a major issue around the world: five years ago it was estimated that there were 736m people, mainly in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, living on less than US$1.9/ day. That has probably increased. Poverty affects ability to access food (especially nutritional food), education, healthcare, clean

World Food Day Organised by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation, World Food Day calls for ‘global solidarity to help all populations, and especially the most vulnerable, to recover from the [Covid-19] crisis, and to make food systems more resilient and robust so they can withstand increasing volatility and climate shocks, deliver affordable and sustainable