Imagine what we could have done to educate, inspire, and care for our children here instead of spending billions to bomb our children there.... Whatever there you are thinking about right now, there are [& they are] our children, too.

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center

@TheKingCenter

Imagine. #OurChildrenEverywhere #BelovedCommunity #TheKingCenter #MLK

 https://x.com/TheKingCenter/status/2041659730578317406/photo/1

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‘Impunity won’t last forever’: What gives Francesca Albanese hope

 The UN Special Rapporteur points to the way out of the current crisis facing international law, while responding to criticism over her stance on October 7.

 By Samah Salaime January 21, 2026

 

"This is not the first atrocity to have happened in world history, but it is the first to be fully televised. I would like to ask the people in Israel: Do you see what is being done in your name? There have been reports from B’Tselem and other human rights groups, there are soldiers who have broken the silence, and some have even committed suicide. Israelis know what is happening to the Palestinian people, but they seem not to care...." 

 

"... I have huge respect for those Israelis who have managed to open their eyes and wake up to what they are part of. It’s important that as many Israelis as possible join the struggle against apartheid, because this is also something that holds them captive. You cannot commit crimes and atrocities and brutalize another people without losing your humanity in return. " 

Francesca Albanese, July 27, 2024. (Rafael Medeiros/CC BY-SA 2.0)

Midway through Francesca Albanese’s recent lecture at SOAS University of London, the young man sitting next to me in the audience quietly began to cry. The UN Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories had been speaking about the role of international law at a time of genocide, but the man was no longer paying attention. 

I asked him if he was okay and handed him a tissue. He told me that he’s a doctor from Gaza, and that he left the Strip with his wife (also a doctor) in the early months of the war. 

Then I learned the reason for his tears. In December 2023, when the Israeli army ordered the evacuation of his neighborhood in northern Gaza, his family gathered their belongings and boarded a truck to escape. But while they did so, he ran to his in-laws’ house to collect his wife, whom he had recently married. 

“Everyone got on the truck except me — my father, mother, brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts, and their children,” he told me. “Before I got back, they were all killed in a single airstrike. I survived by chance. Everyone died. I have no one.”

I stopped listening to the distinguished speaker and the irritating questions from disgruntled audience members and continued speaking with the doctor, whose name, he told me, was Abdallah. “My mother was... READ MORE 

https://www.972mag.com/israel-gaza-impunity-francesca-albanese/

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Paperback of the week: Righting Wrongs by Kenneth Roth -Roth spent three decades as head of Human Rights Watch. His record of past victories is also a warning for the future

Roth notes the struggle for human rights is “incessant”; there is no sign that China and others will stop their abuses anytime soon"

It was strange to be reading Righting Wrongs, Kenneth Roth’s memoir about his time in charge of Human Rights Watch, on the same weekend that the United States bombed Venezuela and abducted its president, Nicolás Maduro. As condemnation of the action failed to arrive from Keir Starmer, or barely any significant European leader, I thought of Roth’s statement that it is “axiomatic that for Human Rights Watch’s methodology to work, some particular government or institution must feel shamed”. Unfortunately, it’s shamelessness that seems to be in the ascendant.

Roth achieved tremendous successes at Human Rights Watch during his 29 years as executive director (he stepped down in 2022), seeing the organisation’s annual budget grow from $7m to $100m. The organisation has campaigned for a diverse range of issues including the banning of landmines and LGBT rights, as well as documenting genocide in Rwanda and Bosnia, the displacement of Palestinians from Gaza and, in the early 2000s, helping to establish the International Criminal Court. The idea, he explains, is to present reports so solid as to be undeniable, and therefore shame the target government or group into stopping their actions. “Stigmatise with facts,” he writes.

Roth’s predecessor at Human Rights Watch, Aryeh Neier, taught him “the possibility of being an activist with intellectual sophistication”. And according to Roth: “It is not my nature to spend lots of time rallying in the streets or picketing government buildings.” He is, he says, no rabble-rouser. Readers of his somewhat colourless prose would have to agree.... READ MORE  https://observer.co.uk/culture/books/article/paperback-of-the-week-righting-wrongs-by-kenneth-roth

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https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/739898/righting-wrongs-by-kenneth-roth/

 ONE OF THE ECONOMIST‘S BEST BOOKS OF 2025 • From the long-time head of Human Rights Watch, the fascinating and inspiring story of taking on the biggest villains and toughest autocrats around the world

In three decades under the leadership of Kenneth Roth, Human Rights Watch grew to a staff of more than five hundred, conducting investigations in one hundred countries to uncover abuses—and pressuring offending governments to stop them. Roth has grappled with the worst of humanity, taken on the most brutal officials of our time, and persuaded leaders from around the globe to stand up to their repressive counterparts.

The son of a Jew who fled Nazi Germany just before the war began, Roth grew up knowing full well how inhumane governments could be. He has traveled the world to meet cruelty and injustice on its home turf: he arrived in Rwanda shortly after the genocide; scrutinized the impact of Saddam’s invasion of Kuwait; investigated and condemned Israel’s mistreatment of Palestinians. He directed efforts to curtail the Chinese government’s persecution of Uyghur Muslims, to bring Myanmar’s officials to justice after the ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims, to halt Russian war crimes in Ukraine—even to reign in the U.S. government. Roth’s many innovations and strategies included the deployment of a concept as old as mankind—the powerful tool of “shaming”—and here he illustrates its surprising effectiveness against evildoers.

This is a story of wins, losses, and ongoing battles in the ceaseless fight to uphold our most basic values. 

"On this new year, let’s resolve to get our priorities straight. A safer world begins by investing more in fighting poverty and less in fighting wars. Peace must prevail. It’s clear the world has the resources to lift lives, heal the planet, and secure a future of peace and justice.In 2026, I call on leaders everywhere: Get serious. Choose people and planet over pain. And I urge everyone who hears this message: Play your part. Our future depends on our collective courage to act. This new year, let’s rise together: For justice. For humanity. For peace. "

United Nations

@UN

“As we turn the page on a turbulent year, let’s resolve to get our priorities straight in 2026.” Wishing people around the world a Happy New Year, @antonioguterres urges: 

 

“Let’s rise together: For justice, humanity and peace.”

 

https://x.com/UN/status/2006712385688711420 

 

 https://un.org/sg/en/content/sg/statements/2025-12-29/secretary-generals-new-year-message

 

Statement by António Guterres, Secretary-General of The United Nations

As we enter the new year, the world stands at a crossroads.

Chaos and uncertainty surround us. 

Division. Violence. Climate breakdown. And systemic violations of international law.

A retreat from the very principles that bind us together as a human family. 

People everywhere are asking: Are leaders even listening? Are they ready to act.

As we turn the page on a turbulent year, one fact speaks louder than words:

Global military spending has soared to 2.7 trillion dollars, growing by almost 10%.

That is thirteen times more than all development aid, equivalent to the entire Gross Domestic Product of Africa.

All, while conflict rages at levels unseen since World War II.

On this new year, let’s resolve to get our priorities straight.

A safer world begins by investing more in fighting poverty and less in fighting wars. Peace must prevail.

It’s clear the world has the resources to lift lives, heal the planet, and secure a future of peace and justice.

In 2026, I call on leaders everywhere: Get serious. Choose people and planet over pain.

And I urge everyone who hears this message: Play your part.

Our future depends on our collective courage to act.

This new year, let’s rise together:

For justice. For humanity. For peace. 

 https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/statements/2025-12-29/secretary-generals-new-year-message

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Humanitarian principles & UNRWA

Humanitarian principles

Endorsed by UN General Assembly Resolutions 46/182 and 58/114, humanitarian principles guide the work of all actors working in the humanitarian sphere. As an Agency with a humanitarian mandate – to assist and protect Palestine refugees – humanitarian principles provide the space to make our work possible. From ensuring the sanctity of our shelters in times of crisis, to maintaining access to the most vulnerable populations, to advocating on behalf of Palestine refugees, the principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, and independence are at the heart of all UNRWA operations.

The four principles together drive humanitarian action. A humanitarian response requires a focus on humanity, placing those in need at the centre and addressing suffering wherever it is found, respecting the dignity and fundamental rights of beneficiaries. It requires UNRWA to be impartial and provide a response based on independent assessments of need without distinction, neutral to allow operations on all sides and among various parties, and independent to make its own decisions in shaping operations.  https://www.unrwa.org/humanitarian-principles

 

"The UN agency entrusted with the protection and welfare of Palestine refugees for three-quarters of a century, Unrwa, which I lead, was always meant to be temporary. The conclusion of its mandate was foreseen at its establishment. The choice before us today is whether to jettison a decades-long investment in human development and human rights by chaotically dismantling the agency overnight, or pursue an orderly political process in which Unrwa continues to provide millions of Palestine refugees with education and healthcare until empowered Palestinian institutions take over these services." Philippe Lazzarini, commissioner-general of Unrwa*   https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/dec/20/unrwa-stop-saving-lives-gaza-israel-un-agency

*Resolution 194

1940s- April - August 1948: More than 700,000 Palestine refugees are displaced as a result of the 1948 War.

The United Nations General Assembly adopts resolution 194 (III), resolving that “refugees wishing to return to their homes and live at peace with their neighbours should be permitted to do so at the earliest practicable date, and that compensation should be paid for the property of those choosing not to return and for loss of or damage to property which, under principles of international law or equity, should be made good by the Governments or authorities responsible.”

Resolution 302

8th December 1949

UNRWA is created by General Assembly resolution 302 (IV), with the initial mandate to provide “direct relief and works programmes” to Palestine refugees, in order to “prevent conditions of starvation and distress… and to further conditions of peace and stability”. UNRWA takes over from the United Nations Relief for Palestine Refugees (UNRPR), established in 1948. 

1940s

 https://www.unrwa.org/content/resolution-302

READ MORE re Mandate:

In response to developments in the region, the General Assembly repeatedly extends and expands the UNRWA mandate, requiring the Agency to engage in a wide variety of humanitarian, development and protection activities based on the needs of beneficiaries.

General Assembly resolution 614 (VII), in 1952, notes a need for “increased relief expenditures” in the UNRWA budget. In 1955, resolution 916 (X) notes the "serious need of other claimants for relief […] namely, the frontier villagers in Jordan, the non-refugee population of the Gaza Strip, a number of refugees in Egypt, and certain of the Bedouin”. General Assembly resolutions in 1958 and 1959 recommend that the Agency increase programmes relating to education, vocational training and self-support, an emphasis that will become an important blueprint for the Agency.

Following the hostilities of June 1967, in which 300,000 people, including some 120,000 Palestine refugees, are rendered homeless or leave their homes, resolution 2252 (ES-V) asks UNRWA to “continue to provide humanitarian assistance… on an emergency basis, and as a temporary measure, to persons in the area who are currently displaced and in serious need of continued assistance”. In later years, the General Assembly repeatedly restates the Agency’s mandate for those displaced in 1967, and, after the invasion of Lebanon by Israel in 1982, extends it to encompass those displaced by “subsequent hostilities.” In the same year, resolution 37/120 (J) explicitly adds protection to the list of UNRWA responsibilities, urging the Agency to “undertake effective measures to guarantee the safety and security and the legal and human rights of the Palestinian refugees in the occupied territories.”

From 1992 to 2002, UNRWA collaborates with the Office of the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process (UNSCO) and other specialized agencies of the United Nations system to contribute to the development of economic and social stability in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt). In 1993, after Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) sign the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements, UNRWA begins developing its Peace Implementation Programme, which works “to meet Palestinian requests for assistance and priorities” during the interim period; General Assembly resolution 49/35 (1994) notes its “significant success.”

While other agencies and actors have the central role in arriving at a resolution of the Palestine refugee issue, UNRWA is mandated to work with governments on interim measures and to provide relief and assistance to Palestine refugees “pending the just resolution” of the Palestine refugee question.  The role UNRWA plays in the region has evolved to reflect the needs and pressures of the times, but the Agency’s central mandate remains largely unchanged: UNRWA protects and assists Palestine refugees, seeking to help them achieve their full potential in human development.  

 

https://www.unrwa.org/resources/strategy-policy/unrwa-and-sustainable-development-goals-sdgs

UNRWA and SDG 1: No Poverty

Poverty eradication and respect for human rights, central pillars of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), are at the core of the Agency’s human development, humanitarian and protection work. By investing in the human capital of Palestine refugees, UNRWA actively contributes to the realization of the 2030 Agenda. As the largest direct service provider to Palestine refugees in its areas of operations, the impact of UNRWA is concrete and sustained, with the following Sustainable Development Goals central to our work: SDG 1: No Poverty; SDG 2: Zero Hunger; SDG 3 Good Health and Well-Being; SDG 4: Quality Education; SDG 5: Gender Equality; SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation; SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth; SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities; SDG 13: Climate Action; and SDG17: Partnerships.

UNRWA joins the global effort to promote the SDGs through the “Decade of Action” and, in particular, the work UNRWA has done over the past 70 years. To learn more, view our factsheet on “UNRWA and the SDGs” 

 

Palestine refugees

Who is UNRWA mandated to serve?

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UNRWA is mandated by the UN General Assembly to serve ‘Palestine refugees’. This term was defined in 1952 as any person whose "normal place of residence was Palestine during the period 1 June 1946 to 15 May 1948 and who lost both home and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 conflict." Palestine refugees are persons who fulfil the above definition and descendants of fathers fulfilling the definition. Read the full eligibility rules (Arabic PDF) or learn more here.

In addition to Palestine refugees, the UN General Assembly has also mandated UNRWA to offer services to certain other persons who require humanitarian assistance, on an emergency basis as and when required, in UNRWA fields of operations. Notably, the General Assembly has mandated the Agency to provide services to persons in the region who are currently displaced and in serious need of continued assistance as a result of the 1967 and subsequent hostilities. These persons are not registered as Palestine refugees. Only the UN General Assembly can change the mandate of UNRWA, the definition of a Palestine refugee and whom the Agency is mandated to serve.  https://www.unrwa.org/who-we-are/frequently-asked-questions

"Palestinian armed groups must release all civilian hostages immediately and unconditionally. Without an immediate and sustained ceasefire by all parties there will be no end in sight to civilian suffering." Amnesty International: END ISRAEL'S GENOCIDE IN GAZA... RELEASE CIVILIAN HOSTAGES... CEASEFIRE NOW!!!!!!

Amnesty International

@amnesty

Today marks two years since the deadly Hamas-led attacks in southern Israel, during which at least 1,200 Israelis and other nationals – mostly civilians- were killed and 251 people were taken hostage, 20 are still alive and held in Gaza. 

 

Today marks two years since Israel began its brutal onslaught against Palestinians in the occupied Gaza Strip. 

 

Over 67,000 Palestinians – mostly civilians – have been killed. 90% of homes have been destroyed or damaged. Most of the population has been forcibly displaced, starved and subjected deliberately to conditions of life calculated to destroy Palestinians in Gaza. 

 

This is genocide. 

 

This horror has been made possible with the support of the US and other allies and the tightening of Israel’s 18-year-long illegal blockade that has inflicted unimaginable suffering. 

 

This must end now. 

 

Humanity cannot bear this any more.  

 

States must stop ignoring their legal obligations and press Israel to end its genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.  

 

Palestinian armed groups must release all civilian hostages immediately and unconditionally.  

 

Without an immediate and sustained ceasefire by all parties there will be no end in sight to civilian suffering.

“I'm not scared of Israel. I’m scared of a world that has seemingly lost all sense of humanity" Greta Thunberg

“I'm not scared of Israel. I’m scared of a world that has seemingly lost all sense of humanity" Greta Thunberg

 

"Israel has written one of the darkest pages of human history and the world is still holding the pen." Francesca Albanese

"The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is morally, legally & politically intolerable. The nightmare must stop. Today, I called on world leaders to do all they can to ensure the Two-State solution prevails, for the people of Israel, Palestine & all humanity." António Guterres , Secretary-General of the United Nations

António Guterres

@antonioguterres

 

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is morally, legally & politically intolerable. The nightmare must stop. Today, I called on world leaders to do all they can to ensure the Two-State solution prevails, for the people of Israel, Palestine & all humanity.

Do not ‘co-opt’ the cross to divide: Bishops join church leaders in message after rally 21/09/2025: "As Christians from different theological and political backgrounds we stand together against the misuse of Christianity. The cross is the ultimate sign of sacrifice for the other. Jesus calls us to love both our neighbours and our enemies and to welcome the stranger. Any co-opting or corrupting of the Christian faith to exclude others is unacceptable."

A group of Church of England bishops and senior clergy have joined leaders from across denominations in speaking out against any “co-opting or corrupting” of the Christian faith and symbols to exclude others.

The bishops of Winchester, Manchester, Southwark, Croydon, Bradford, Woolwich and Kingston were among the signatories to a joint letter from church leaders voicing concern at the use of Christian symbols, particularly the cross, at last week’s ‘Unite the Kingdom’ rally.

They joined with senior leaders in the Methodist, Baptist and Pentecostal churches; the Church of Scotland; the Salvation Army; the Catholic social action network Caritas and leaders of major cross-denominational groups such as the Evangelical Alliance and Churches Together in England in the letter which appears in the media today. Other signatories include the former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Williams, leaders of Christian charities such as the Bible Society, CARE and the Oasis trust, as well as prominent clergy and theologians.

The letter acknowledges that many of those involved in the rally felt a “deep sense of frustration at feeling unheard and forgotten in the democratic process” but that it also included “racist, anti-Muslim and far right elements”.

“As Christians from different theological and political backgrounds, we stand together against the misuse of Christianity,” they write.

“The cross is the ultimate sign of sacrifice for the other.

“Jesus calls us to love both our neighbours and our enemies and to welcome the stranger.

“Any co-opting or corrupting of the Christian faith to exclude others is unacceptable.”

https://www.churchofengland.org/media/press-releases/do-not-co-opt-cross-divide-bishops-join-church-leaders-message-after-rally 

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Full text of the letter

We are deeply concerned about the co-opting of Christian symbols, particularly the cross, during Saturday’s ‘Unite the Kingdom’ rally. Many individuals and communities felt anxious, unsettled and even threatened by aspects of the march.

There were undoubtedly diverse motivations for those engaged in the event. We respect the right to free speech, to hold different views on issues such as immigration, the importance of healthy debate between religious communities and the need to disagree well when consensus is difficult.

We also understand that for many of those involved in the rally there is a deep sense of frustration at feeling unheard and forgotten in the democratic process. We know that we cannot heal this wound unless the Church, and society as a whole rises to do more to address the issues of poverty, inequality and exclusion.

However, this rally included racist, anti-Muslim and far right elements. As Christians from different theological and political backgrounds we stand together against the misuse of Christianity. The cross is the ultimate sign of sacrifice for the other. Jesus calls us to love both our neighbours and our enemies and to welcome the stranger. Any co-opting or corrupting of the Christian faith to exclude others is unacceptable.

As Christian leaders we are proud of our country and commit ourselves to work with others building a more United Kingdom where the values of love, humility and compassion shine through in every community; and we do so unapologetically in the name of Jesus Christ.

• Rt Revd Philip Mounstephen, Bishop of Winchester
• Gavin Calver, CEO, Evangelical Alliance
• Bishop Mike Royal, General Secretary, Churches Together in England
• Revd Richard Andrew, President, Methodist Conference 2025/26
• Jude Levermore, Head of Mission, Methodist Church
• Matt Forsyth, Vice-President, Methodist Conference 2025/26
• Commissioners Jenine and Paul Main, Territorial Leaders, The Salvation Army United Kingdom and Ireland
• Revd Lynn Green, General Secretary, The Baptist Union of Great Britain
• Bishop Tedroy M. Powell, National Presiding Bishop, Church of God of Prophecy Trust. (U.K.)
• Rev Fiona Smith, Principal Clerk of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
• Rt Revd Dr Rowan Williams, Honorary Assistant Bishop, Llandaff
• Rt Revd Dr David Walker, Bishop of Manchester
• Rt Revd Christopher Chessun, Bishop of Southwark
• Rt Revd Toby Howarth, Bishop of Bradford
• Chine McDonald, Director, Theos
• Revd Lucy Winkett, Rector, St James’s Piccadilly
• Dr Christopher Baker, Professor of Religion and Public Life, Goldsmiths, University of London,
• Debra Green OBE, Executive Director, Redeeming Our Communities
• Revd Canon Dr Jennifer Smith, Wesley's Chapel and Leysian Mission.
• Rt Revd Dr Rosemarie Mallett, Bishop of Croydon
• Dr Anthony Reddie, Professor of Black Theology, University of Oxford
• Dr Robert Beckford, Professor of Black Theology, Queen's Foundation.
• Kat Osborn, Co-CEO, Safe Families and Home for Good
• Dr Krish Kandiah OBE, Director, Sanctuary Foundation
• Tania Bright, Co-CEO, Safe Families and Home for Good
• Very Revd Dr Mark Oakley, Dean of Southwark
• Paul S Williams, Chief Executive, Bible Society
• Ven. Dr Rachel Mann, Archdeacon of Salford and Bolton
• Raymond Friel OBE, CEO, Caritas, the Catholic Social Action Network
• Lord Rees of Easton
• Rt Revd Rob Wickham, Group CEO, Church Urban Fund
• Rt Revd Alastair Cutting, Bishop of Woolwich
• Ross Hendry, CEO of CARE (Christian Action Research and Education)
• Revd Dr Sam Wells, Vicar, St Martin-in-the-Fields
• Rt Revd Dr Martin Gainsborough, Bishop of Kingston
• Revd Canon Steve Chalke MBE, Founder of Oasis Charitable Trust