Around the world, the activism of Black women has been instrumental in shaping social justice agendas and promoting human rights. Their work has improved the health and welfare of women and girls, protected the environment and elevated the voices of the oppressed, both in their communities and further afield.
Author Archives: youthforsdg
Discovering the forest wonders of Africa – and the threats they face
Africa’s forests are some of the natural wonders of the world. As someone who has spent decades studying the ecology and management of tropical forests, I’m constantly amazed by the unique forest ecosystems on the continent.
Clearing alien trees can help reduce climate change impact on Cape Town’s water supply
Droughts in water scarce regions are being aggravated by human-driven climate change. While rainfall reduction is the main driver, increased temperature and evaporation can also play a role.
Yemen war now ‘chronic emergency’ as millions face hunger
After more than seven years of war, Yemen is living in a chronic state of emergency, marked by hunger, disease and other miseries that are rising faster than aid agencies can reverse, UN relief chief Martin Griffiths told the Security Council on Tuesday, as the Special Envoy for the country called for joint efforts by Yemenis and the international community to break the entrenched cycle of violence.
Economic effects of Lake Albert flooding ‘devastating’ for affected Ugandans
The flooding of Lake Albert, in Africa’s Great Lakes Region, has caused huge economic losses on the shores of Uganda, where people were already struggling to recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
UN rights chief leads call for global COVID-19 vaccine equity
The global failure to deliver enough COVID-19 vaccines to developing countries “is prolonging the pandemic” and causing tens of thousands of preventable deaths every week, senior UN figures told the Human Rights Council on Thursday.
Many Ukrainians face a future of lasting psychological wounds from the Russian invasion
Arash Javanbakht, Wayne State University “Polina came to our bedroom awakened by the sound of explosions. I didn’t know and still don’t know what to tell her. Her eyes today are full of fear and terror; eyes of all of us.” Alina, a family friend who is a marketer and mother of two children fromContinue reading “Many Ukrainians face a future of lasting psychological wounds from the Russian invasion”
Black women in South African academia struggle to get ahead: what needs to change
In South Africa, the number of black women who acquire undergraduate degrees has increased more than any other population group. Yet they remain underrepresented in senior academic and management positions in the country’s higher education institutions.
Ukraine crisis: UN agencies support rising tide of refugees
The number of people fleeing the Russian onslaught in Ukraine surpassed 874,000 as of Wednesday morning New York time, data from the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, has revealed.
Five things you should know about disposable masks and plastic pollution
The fight against plastic pollution is being hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, as the use of disposable masks, gloves and other protective equipment soars, but UN agencies and partners insist that, if effective measures are put into place, the amount of plastics discarded every year can be significantly cut, or even eliminated.
Youth For SDG 