Facilitation

In an era marked with alarming language of “fire and fury,” it is useful to add a bag of tea to boiling water and let it steep for until reason gives diplomacy a chance to percolate for an amiable situation. As a beverage, tea lubricates good conversations, without the hangovers that come along with alcoholic concoctions.

Saudi Arabia announced on Thursday that it is reopening its border with Qatar to allow Qataris to attend the hajj, despite a monthslong rift between Doha and four Arab countries led by Riyadh that prompted both sides to trade accusations of politicizing the pilgrimage.

The court’s founding treaty, the Rome Statute, was adopted on July 17, 1998. A year of activities leading up to the 20th anniversary in 2018 presents an opportunity to build much-needed political support for the ICC's important judicial work. [...] Backing from member countries is needed to carry out the court’s investigations, arrest warrants, and witness protection programs. Private and public diplomacy is necessary to protect the court’s independence and legitimacy from outside political pressure.

For Kiribati, adapting to climate change might mean relocating entirely. Pacific islanders’ identities are very much tied to their ancestral land, the physical islands on which they live. Migration may mean a national and cultural loss, especially when most traditions are preserved orally. [...] Anote Tong, former president of Kiribati, advocates for “migrating with dignity.” This policy was designed to give citizens the tools to relocate legally, finding work in other nations like Australia and New Zealand.

This weekend, 8th and 9th July, the Queen Elizabeth II (QE2) Centre in Central London will play host to Palestine Expo, a huge celebration of Palestinian heritage and culture. [...] They have billed the expo as the "biggest social, cultural and entertainment event on Palestine in Europe… a platform to further justice and peace in Palestine." 

La Bestia is the popular name for the freight train that as many as a half-million Central American migrants a year ride during a perilous journey through Mexico to the United States border. The exhibit, organized by the Colectivo de Artistas contra la Discriminación (Artists Collective against Discrimination) explores that experience through art and poetry, the center says in an announcement.

The Honduras Red Cross (HRC), the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), in partnership with Save the Children, and thanks to the generous support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), are currently conducting a Knowledge Attitudes and Practices (KAP) baselines for the Community Action on Zika (CAZ) project.

Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon proposed reviving a Seoul-Pyongyang football exchange program to a senior North Korean sports official on Sunday. [...] "Gyeongseong-Pyongyang Football was quite popular back in the day, and if it comes back to life, I think Seoul residents will welcome it with open arms," Park told Chang. "I hope you'll give it careful consideration."

Pages