There will be many people wondering how a post Covid-19 world might look. A large chunk of those people will be hoping for a return to normality, but there are also many calling for things to change.
Among those are a group of more than 200 stars and scientists, including the likes of Madonna, Robert de Niro, and Cate Blanchett, who have all signed an open letter calling for radical change across the world when the coronavirus pandemic eases.
Published in French daily Le Monde, the letter calls for an end to mass consumerism and a "radical transformation" of world economies in order to save the planet.
The letter was headed by Muhammad Yunus, Nobel laureate for medicine, chemistry and physics, and Nobel Peace Prize winner.
“We believe it is unthinkable to ‘go back to normal’,” the letter says. “Adjustments are not enough. The problem is systemic.
“The ongoing ecological catastrophe is a meta-crisis. Unlike a pandemic... a global ecological collapse will have immeasurable consequences.”
Among other famous names to sign the letter are Javier Bardem, Penelope Cruz, Jane Fonda, Marion Cotillard, Willem Dafoe, Rooney Mara, Christian Louboutin, Adam Driver, Ben Hardy, Jeremy Irons and Ralph Fiennes.
The 200 signatories said it was time “to leave behind the unsustainable logic that still prevails and to undertake a profound overhaul of our goals, values, and economies.”
The short letter added: "The pursuit of consumerism and an obsession with productivity have led us to deny the value of life itself: that of plants, that of animals, and that of a great number of human beings.
"Pollution, climate change, and the destruction of our remaining natural zones has brought the world to a breaking point."
Posting to his own Instagram account, Yunus said, "On 6th May, many international public figures will collectively claim that #THETIMEHASCOME to lay the foundation of a new world. The world that will emerge after the Covid-19 crisis should not be a copy of the world we had before. We call for a new way of thinking and for a paradigm shift."
Analysis
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New UK refugee system
- A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
- Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
- A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
- To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
- Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
- Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
What is tokenisation?
Tokenisation refers to the issuance of a blockchain token, which represents a virtually tradable real, tangible asset. A tokenised asset is easily transferable, offers good liquidity, returns and is easily traded on the secondary markets.
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
