#global-diplomacy

[kesarijournal]

Striking the Houthis in Yemen: A Whirl of Power Plays, Sarcasm, and Blazing Skies

In the latest episode of ‘World Powers Play Chess,’ the US and UK, ever the dynamic duo of international policing, have decided to add a new twist to the complex Yemeni soap opera. With a coalition that reads like a guest list at an exclusive global summit – hello Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands – these countries have collectively embarked on what could be dubbed ‘Operation Let’s…

[ivygorgon]

AN OPEN LETTER to THE PRESIDENT & U.S. CONGRESS

Petition Against Israel's Forced Displacement and Threats of Violence

13 so far! Help us get to 25 signers!

Dear President Biden and Members of Congress,

We, the undersigned, express our deep concern and condemnation of Israel's ongoing acts of forced displacement and threats of violence against those who seek to return home.

The forced displacement of individuals from their homes is a violation of fundamental human rights and international law. It leads to immense suffering, loss of livelihoods, and perpetuates cycles of poverty and instability.

Furthermore, the threats of violence against those who seek to return home are reprehensible and undermine the basic principles of safety and security for all individuals, regardless of their background or beliefs.

We call upon the international community to take immediate and decisive action to pressure Israel to cease these illegal and inhumane practices. We urge governments, international organizations, and civil society to:

1. Condemn Israel's actions in the strongest terms possible and demand an immediate halt to all forced displacement and threats of violence.

2. Provide support and assistance to those affected by forced displacement, including access to shelter, healthcare, and legal aid.

3. Ensure accountability for those responsible for perpetrating and enabling these violations of human rights and international law.

4. Work towards a just and lasting solution based on the principles of equality, justice, and respect for human rights.

We stand in solidarity with the victims of forced displacement and violence and call for justice and accountability for all those affected.

▶ Created on April 16 by Fatima

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[medieval-elephants]

Remember, an elephant is not just for Christmas!

If you are a medieval ruler like Henry III who received an elephant from his brother-in-law (St) Louis IX of France in early December 1254, be prepared to spend:

£6 17 shillings 5 pence (refund to the sheriff of Kent for transporting the elephant from France to England) £22 20 pence on a multi-purpose elephant house at the Tower of London £24 14 shillings 3½ pence on food for the elephant every nine months

By comparison, a laborer might earn just 1-and-a-half pence per day, while a well-to-do knight might live on £15 per year. (For more, see Cassidy's and Clasby's article from the Fine Rolls of Henry III Project.) And don't forget, you will have to pay for the elephant's keeper, too! The monk-chronicler Matthew Paris helpfully depicted Henry III's elephants alongside one of its keepers for scale. The man is labelled as Henry de Flor, "mag[iste]r bestie" ("caretaker of the beast").

Sadly, Henry did not have these expenses for long: although many medieval legends emphasized elephants' longevity, this elephant only lived until 1257 in the inhospitable northern climate. When it died, it was initially buried in the tower, but Henry later had its bones transferred to Westminster Abbey.

Despite these difficulties and costs, elephants had a notable history as diplomatic gifts in the Middle Ages, even in regions where elephants did not naturally live. Charlemagne's elephant Abul Abbas is a very early example of the phenomenon, and by the eleventh century Byzantine emperors were receiving elephants in Constantinople. In 1228, the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II received an elephant from al-Kamil, the ruler of Egypt, and King Louis IX probably also received his elephant from an Egyptian ruler before regifting it to Henry III.

Side note: although the "white elephant" gift exchange claims to be based on a southeast Asian ruler's practice of punishing courtiers with a gift that would cost them a lot of money, there is not much historical evidence for this before the story was shared in the Anglo-American world in modern era. Some elephants fought back over being passed around as gifts, though. In the early 15th century an elephant and other rare animals arrived in Japan. (Martha Chaiklin has suggested that they were intended as a diplomatic gift for someone else, but were blown off course and ended up with the Ashikaga shogun.) The elephant was extremely grumpy and trampled some courtiers, so the shogun regifted it to Taejong, ruler of Korea. The elephant continued to trample courtiers in Korea and was expensive to feed, so Taejong exiled it to its own private island, where it continued to live.

Materials: parchment, ink, and pigments Contents: Matthew Paris's Chronica Maiora Origin: St Albans Abbey (made by the scribe-illuminator-chronicler-monk Matthew Paris) Now Cambridge, Corpus Christi College, MS 16 I, f. ii r

[lunammoon]

Learning that not every highschool level us history class had a unit about the guilded age, robber barons, and laissez-faire capitalism connected so many dots for me.

[xtruss]

70 Years After WWII, Japan Brings New Disaster To The World

— Chen Yang | August 24, 2023

Illustration: Liu Rui/Global Times

Japan kick starts discharging the Nuclear-Contaminated Water Stored at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear ☢️ Power Plant into the sea on Thursday afternoon. This move, prioritizing Japanese government's own interests over the common interests of all humanity, will ultimately lead to Japan's isolation and leave another indelible permanent stain on human history.

On March 11, 2011, a magnitude-9 earthquake struck off the coast of northeastern Japan, triggering a towering tsunami that caused a nuclear leak at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear ☢️ Power Plant. As of now, the amount of nuclear-contaminated wastewater stored in Japan has exceeded 1.3 million tons, and it is increasing by 100 tons per day. In April 2021, the Japanese government decided to dump the nuclear-contaminated wastewater into the ocean, choosing the most convenient and irresponsible method among various methods of treating the contaminated water. Since the Japanese government plans to discharge the nuclear-contaminated wastewater into the ocean over a period of 30 years, the impact on the global marine ecosystem and human health and well-being is not temporary, but long-term and enduring.

Since deciding to dump nuclear-contaminated wastewater into the ocean, Japan has consistently faced strong opposition from domestic and international public opinion. On Tuesday, the chairman of the National Federation of Fisheries Co-operative Associations in Japan, Masanobu Sakamoto, reiterated during a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, "Nothing will change in our opposition to the release of water into the ocean without the understanding of fishermen and the public."

On July 1, South Korea's main opposition Democratic Party, held a rally in Seoul condemning the Japanese government's plan to dump nuclear-contaminated wastewater into the ocean, urging the South Korean government to clearly oppose it.

Cooperation Needed to Minimize Economic Risk Brought by Fukushima Nuclear ☢️ Contaminated Water Dumping — Hu Weijia! August 23, 2023. Japan's reckless dumping of nuclear wastewater poses a grave danger to Earth. Cartoon: Carlos Latuff

Despite the continuous doubts and opposition to the discharge of nuclear-contaminated wastewater into the ocean from Japan domestically and internationally, the Japanese government has turned a deaf ear and insisted on pushing forward with the discharge process. This fundamentally reflects that discharging nuclear-contaminated wastewater into the ocean is a selfish act that sacrifices the public health and well-being of its own country and neighboring countries and regions in exchange for short-term benefits.

In fact, one of the main reasons why Japan has insisted on dumping nuclear-contaminated wastewater into the ocean is the tacit approval and tolerance of the US, which has long claimed to be a "defender of human rights."

The US is Japan's ally and has had a wide range of influence on Japanese politics, diplomacy, culture and other aspects. It can even influence Japan's domestic and foreign policies to some extent. In theory, the US should exert its influence to prevent Japan from adopting irresponsible practices in dumping nuclear-contaminated wastewater into the ocean. However, unfortunately, regarding this public issue that poses a threat to the global marine ecosystem and human health and well-being, the US did not criticize or condemn it, worse, it praised the Japanese government for its "transparent efforts" in dealing with the issue and considered Japan's dumpingplan to be "safe."

Fishers Against Fukushima Nuclear ☢️ Contaminated Water Dumping! Fishers of the South Korea's National Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives hold a rally on August 16, 2023, in the coastal area of in Goheung county in South Jeolla Province, to protest against the dumping of nuclear-contaminated wastewater from Japan as Japanese government reportedly is eyeing dumping the contaminated water in late August. Photo: VCG

Perhaps it is precisely because of the support and "double standards" from the US that Japan has the confidence to push forward with the process of discharging nuclear-contaminated wastewater into the ocean without any scruples until a specific date is determined and the discharge is implemented.

During World War II, Japan launched aggressive wars against neighboring countries, bringing great disasters to neighboring countries and regions. Today, the discharge of nuclear-contaminated wastewater can be said to be a new disaster that Japan, which has gone through defeat and surrender for more than 70 years, has brought to neighboring countries and regions.

The ocean is the common property of all humanity, not a dumping ground for Japan's arbitrary disposal. Regarding the issue of nuclear-contaminated wastewater, Japan should recognize its own responsibility, adopt a scientific attitude, fulfill its international obligations, and respond to the serious concerns of its own citizens, neighboring countries and the international community. If it simply ignores these concerns, it will ultimately leave an indelible permanent stain on Japan in human history.

— The Author is a Guest Research Fellow at the Centre for Japanese Studies, Liaoning University.

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

A US attorney is reviewing a handful of classified documents found at President Joe Biden's former office in Washington, CBS News reported Monday.

In a statement, Richard Sauber, the special counsel to President Biden, said the White House was cooperating with the National Archives and Records Administration and the Justice Department on the matter.

"The documents were discovered when the president's personal attorneys were packing files housed in a locked closet to prepare to vacate office space at the Penn Biden Center in Washington, DC," Sauber said.

Biden held a position at the center, run by the University of Pennsylvania, from 2017 to 2019.

The documents "were not the subject of any previous request or inquiry by the Archives," Sauber said, adding that they were immediately handed over to the record-keeping agency.

The Washington Post on Monday evening reported roughly 10 documents were found at the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy & Global Engagement, citing a person familiar with the investigation. The Office of the General Counsel notified the archives upon the discovery, and the agency quickly took control of the records, Sauber told the outlet.

The documents were found shortly before Attorney General Merrick Garland named the former federal prosecutor Jack Smith as special counsel in mid-November to oversee two investigations related to former President Donald Trump.

Trump immediately pounced on the story.

"When is the FBI going to raid the many homes of Joe Biden, perhaps even the White House?" he posted on his social-media network.

Bradley P. Moss, a national security lawyer, told Insider that this looked like a routine matter with no allegation of criminal wrongdoing. He contrasted what we know about the case with that being built against Trump, who held boxes of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago resort even after their return had been demanded by the National Archives.

"Biden's team did exactly what you're supposed to do," Moss said. "When you find improperly stored classified documents, you immediately notify the government — and you turn it over immediately."

Classified documents are routinely misplaced, and this looks to be a routine investigation, perhaps motivated in part by a desire from the Justice Department to show it's impartial, Moss said. The nature of the investigation would change if the US attorney in charge of reviewing the documents, John Lausch, a Trump appointee, uncovered any evidence that Biden or his staff misled the National Archives.

"The reason Donald Trump is in criminal jeopardy right now isn't just because of the documents being improperly stored. It was the obstruction," Moss said. "That is why it has gotten to the point it has, where we're looking at the real possibility of a criminal indictment."

[shirkers2018dirsanditan]

i think you’re likely insane if you’re losing your mind over h/illary c/linton making some little tweet about shinzo abe after he was assassinated. that is legitimately bizarre and there are few things that matter less. however. why did she say he was a champion for women LMAO

[emilypenserfranglais]

The Devil Wears Prada is on and omg. How did I not realize how much this was like my old job? Including the toxic boss. 💀😭🤬

[beautifuldreamcycle]

From Conscience to Consciousness

The ability to expand one's awareness is vital in order to create a unified world family.

In the words of Mahatma Gandhi: “There is a higher court than courts of justice, and that is the court of conscience. It supersedes all other courts.” There is a worldwide call for a ceasefire in Gaza, and an end to the war in Ukraine. It is as if the conscience of the youth in the world has woken up. They can no longer calmly accept the continuation of the unmitigated violence being propagated…

[kesarijournal]

Unraveling the Diplomatic Intrigue: India, Australia, and the Khalistan Conundrum

In a world where geopolitical dynamics are as intricate as they are impactful, a recent series of high-level discussions between India and Australia have caught the eye of international observers. At the heart of these talks is a complex web involving the Khalistan movement, strained Indo-Canadian relations, and Australia’s role in this multifaceted narrative.#### The Delhi Dialogue: A…

[ivygorgon]

AN OPEN LETTER to THE PRESIDENT & U.S. CONGRESS

No more arms transfers! Ceasefire now. The hostages must come home.

637 so far! Help us get to 1,000 signers!

Last week, President Biden expressed his outrage over the Israeli military’s killing of seven World Central Kitchen workers directly to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Within hours, the Israeli cabinet voted to increase aid deliveries in Gaza — a welcome sea change in its months-long siege that can help tens of thousands of people avoid famine.

There’s no need to wait for the Israeli military to make another deadly decision for President Biden to do all he can to save lives now. President Biden should enforce U.S. law immediately to suspend U.S. military aid to Israel and ensure the indiscriminate killing of aid workers and mass starvation of Palestinians ends today. We need the focus to shift to peace negotiations, rescuing the hostages, and rebuilding.

The U.S. government is likely the only one capable of swaying the Israeli government from deepening the crisis and tipping the entire region into all-out war. It must do so. Americans overwhelmingly want the carnage to stop.

Thanks.

▶ Created on April 8 by Jess Craven · 636 signers in the past 7 days

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[kevinmmiller]

Introduction: Beyond Globalization

Globalization, a relatively recent economic phenomena, and norm, at least in its most recent incarnation. Has brought wealth, prosperity, and diversity to billions of individuals worldwide. In the following pages, I try to clarify the effects of Globaliza

Photo by Marcin Jozwiak on Pexels.com Globalization, a relatively recent economic phenomena, and norm, at least in its most recent incarnation. Has brought wealth, prosperity, and diversity to billions of individuals worldwide. In the following pages, I try to clarify the effects of Globalization, and its normative successes, as well as failures. I will do this through the lens of a World which…

[culturaldiversityday]

Closing ceremony - 6th World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue.

Under the theme "Dialogue for Peace and Global Security: Cooperation and Interconnectivity".

Moderator:

Prof. Mike Hardy, Founding Director of the Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations, Coventry University

Speakers:

H.E. Mr. Adil Karimli, Minister of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan

H.E. Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of ICESCO

Ms. Nihal Saad, UNAOC Director

Ms. Zoritsa Urosevic, Executive Director of UN Tourism

Related Sites and Documents

6th World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue website Baku Process Home Page

Watch the (Closing Ceremony) 6th World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue.!

The 6th World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue will be held in Baku, Azerbaijan, 1-3 May, under the title "Dialogue for Peace and Global Security: Cooperation and Interconnectivity".