Jef Vanhamel is a medical doctor and ONE Youth Ambassador in Belgium.
The COVID-19 pandemic is changing the lives of billions of people worldwide. The rapid spread of the new virus has caused devastating health effects. In addition, the measures taken to contain its spread are severely affecting the global economy and our daily lives.
Because this crisis is so deeply rooted in almost every aspect of life, it is also painfully exposing and exacerbating the existent inequalities on multiple levels...
Health
Dear G20 Finance Ministers,
It’s been over three months since the first COVID-19 case was reported in China. Since then, the health, economic, and geopolitical impacts of the pandemic have brought the world to a standstill.
Two weeks ago, leaders pledged to do “whatever it takes” to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic. As we await to see your action plan ahead of the next G20 financing meeting on 15 April, it’s imperative that you spell out your commitments to the most vulnerable...
COVID-19 is impacting our lives, our communities, and our economies. While the virus is affecting everyone, it will have the most significant impact on those most vulnerable, whether they live across the street or across the ocean.
Viruses don’t pay attention to borders — and neither can the world’s response plan. We need to mobilise resources for a humanitarian response not seen in decades. We need to make sure that new medicines and a vaccine, once available, are distributed equitably....
Podcasts have exploded into popularity in recent years. In fact, there’s over 800,000 podcasts out there, and about 62 million listeners in the U.S. every week.
Whether you’re a long-time listener or looking for a place to start, we’ve got a great list of podcast episodes for you. As a bonus, each one of the episodes listed below covers an important issue, so you can learn something new while you listen.
Cry Power
The Cry Power podcast — hosted by artist Hozier...
A video was recently circulated showing people in overcrowded slums in Lagos, Nigeria resisting lockdown. In the video, people expressed their dissatisfaction with the lockdown, citing their inability to meet their food and energy needs as a major concern.
In Kenya, commuters at a ferry received a bout of tear gas as the police tried to disperse a crowd of ferry commuters in Mombasa trying to escape the impending curfew the next day. We should expect to see more of...
If you’re an activist staying at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, you’re probably looking for a way to continue your advocacy. Luckily, our Youth Ambassadors are here to give you advice on how to take action, brush up on some knowledge, and make the best out of being at home. Here’s some of our favourite pieces of advice from Youth Ambassadors: Francesca Memmi, UK, Youth Ambassador 2020 Let’s take this opportunity to use our voice for the most...
During the COVID-19 pandemic, people all over the world are increasingly standing in solidarity with each other to beat the virus. But as we live through this, the cold hard fact about the COVID-19 pandemic is clear – it will inevitably wreak its worst on the people, communities, and countries that are least able to withstand the shock. Where you live shouldn’t determine whether you live.
If the virus is moving faster than we are, it’s winning. But, the good...
We’re experiencing a shared moment unlike any in living memory. COVID-19 is affecting our lives, our local communities, and the whole global community simultaneously. However, despite the challenges facing us all, there are countless examples that give us hope.
People at all levels of society are coming together, proving that they can and will do whatever it takes to curb a crisis that threatens us all. Even though we are all at home, we can still share our voice. Together,...
There’s no doubt these are difficult times, but throughout Ireland, we’ve seen people from across communities come together to face this global pandemic. From doctors returning home from around the world to support our hospitals, to scouts making sure food and medicine gets delivered to the doorstep of older neighbors, and volunteers in soup kitchens continuing to serve up hot meals, it’s clear we’re in this together.
And together we can make sure no one is left behind in this...
The current pandemic affects every person on the planet. It doesn’t matter where you come from, what language you speak, or which cultural background you come from: the virus does not know borders, nor social or racial distinctions. We are affected as one large community and we must face this challenge united, as one.
COVID-19 reminds us that we all deserve to be treated equally and that now more than ever we need solidarity, hope, and political will to ensure...