Actually, it is just checking the eggs it laid in a shallow hole! That doesn’t mean that it runs no risks while distracted.
The organisations listed in the Paddle Now Directory have been selected because, at a time of increasing nationalism and attacks on multilateralism, they cannot achieve their aims in isolation. For them, success is entirely dependent on the success of others through international cooperation.
The article below is a wake-up call. At this time of international peril, New Zealanders need to pay attention to global affairs. Unless our political leaders are made aware of concern among their electorate, they are unlikely to give such concerns the attention they so desperately need. This article in the Spinoff is a ‘wake up for goodness sake’ call – as is Nina Hall’s book, which it refers to.
Beyond These Shores 4 minute read.
We should all be asking these questions of electioneering politicians.
Global governance
The Eurasian Century Essential facts for guessing at the future. 4 minute read.
Cell-phone wars Aiming for second best! 5 minute read
Peace & Conflict Resolution
Chinese sins US maintains its aim of global supremacy. 3 minute read.
Nukes for Saudi Nuclear proliferation in Saudi Arabia? 3 minute read
Iran joins Xi Dynasty I don’t know whether this is deliberately inserted fake-news or accurate reporting – either way it is bad news. Either one side in the cold war is taking up the challenge earlier than anticipated, or the other side is looking for a casus belli. If faked, the longer term incentive would be to sell even more munitions, or, in the shorter term, a motive might be to distract attention from electoral woes. 5 minute read
Environment & Climate Change
Digging a pit Guns or butter? The old question – this article could just as well fit under ‘Peace & Conflict Resolution,’ or under ‘Global Governance’ as only by improving/radically reforming global governance systems will humanity escape from the pit it is digging for itself. 5 minute read.
Nature If you appreciated the ‘guns or butter’ article above, you might care to follow its source. 1 minute read
Drawdown The Better Futures Forum and Drawdown. This is as urgent as urgent gets! 5 minute read.
Agrivoltaics Giant agrivoltaic project in China. 3 minute read
Human Rights & Justice
Israel domestics Palestinians are once again collateral damage of Israel’s political dysfunction. (Beware NZ – this is what can happen to countries without a formal constitution. There are only four such – Britain, Israel, Saudi Arabia and NZ.) 3 minute read.
Gagging AssangeRamifications of the need to supress Assange. 1minute read
Gagging selected Journos Caitlin is a passionate reporter of the hypocrisy endemic in the west. 4 minute read.
An excellent introductory statement to this newsletter reminding people that NZers need to be pay attention to global affairs. This is not just the pandemic figures which make us realise how lucky we are to be in our safe well-fed ‘national bubble’. We pull up the drawbridge and thank God for our natural moat. However, we know we cannot stay this way for long and must come back out -not just for economic reasons or to satisfy our lust for travel freedom, but to be a small but potent ‘force for good’ in international affairs and to help the world recover.
Yes, a wonderful fresh young voice and insightful article by Nina Hall ‘Beyond these Shores’