Latest news of Europe and the world.

The Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate
Christianity under threat of suffocation in Turkey
The Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church, security in Europe and the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople
A window of opportunity for the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople
Conclusions

The Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate

From 26 to 29 May, the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of America, Australia, Canada and Europe organized their 4^th International Conference on Religious Freedom in Athens, with a special focus on the situation in Turkey. The previous ones since 2010 had been held in Brussels, Berlin and Washington.

Anthony J. Limberakis who has been the National Commander of the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate since 1998, had invited prestigious speakers, such as

Michael R. Pompeo, Former U.S. Secretary of State
Despina Chatzivassiliou-Tsovilis, Secretary General of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE)
Evangelos Venizelos, Former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs (2013-2015), Professor of Constitutional Law at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
U.S. Ambassador to the Hellenic Republic, George J. Tsunis
Mayor of Athens Haris Doukas
Roman Catholic Archbishop of Vilnius Gintaras Grusas (Lithuania)

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, elected in October 1991 as the 270th Archbishop of the 2000-year-old Church, addressed the audience in Athens by video from Istanbul. A wide range of hierarchs, archbishops and metropolitans from various EU countries, the UK and the United States also contributed to the debates about religious freedom with the audience.

ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw== The EU and the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, a fortress under siege — The EU and the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, a fortress under siege 5

The Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate is a devoted group of passionate leaders, relentlessly focused on protecting religious freedom for everyone and ensuring the future of the Ecumenical Patriarchate – the historical spiritual center of the world’s 300+ million Orthodox Christians. Most archons are Greek-American and constitute a sort of Praetorian Guard committed to the defence of the Ecumenical Patriarch and the Greek Orthodox Churches in Turkey against President Erdogan. Their number is voluntarily limited to dedicated influential philanthropist leaders: currently about 290 members from 22 countries.

The Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate was founded on the Sunday of Orthodoxy, 10 March 1966 to support the Ecumenical Patriarchate as well as to contribute to its advancement and welfare.

Christianity under threat of suffocation in Turkey

During the conference in Athens, the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE) in Brussels condemned the recent decision by the Turkish authorities to convert the Church of Saint Savior in Chora, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Istanbul, into a mosque, saying in a statement “This step further dilutes the historical roots of the Christian presence in the country. Any interreligious dialogue initiative promoted by Turkish authorities loses credibility.”

The Church of Saint Savior in Chora, built in the fourth century, is an emblem of Eastern Christianity and a significant historical marker of the Christian presence in Turkey. It was converted into a mosque in the 16th century during the Ottoman Empire. It was designated a museum in 1945 and reopened for public display in 1958 after extensive restoration efforts by American art historians.

The inauguration ceremony of the Chora church as a mosque, held remotely by President Erdogan from Ankara, was broadcasted nationally. The event included prayers led by local worshipers and speeches by prominent religious figures, such as Istanbul’s mufti, Safi Arpaguş.

The U.S. State Department expressed deep concern about this new stroke of strength.

In 2020, President Erdogan and hundreds of worshipers participated in the first Muslim prayers held at the Hagia Sophia in 86 years, marking its redesignation as a mosque despite widespread international disapproval.

The COMECE in Brussels had then called the change of status of the Hagia Sophia “a blow to interreligious dialogue.” On that occasion, the bishops also pointed out Turkey’s ongoing issues with hate speech and threats against national, ethnic and religious minorities.

The conversions of churches into Islamic places of worship are viewed as strategic efforts by the Turkish president to consolidate support from his conservative and religious base amid the country’s ongoing economic challenges.

For more than 50 years, the Halki seminary, formally the Theological School of Halki, has been closed by the Turkish authorities. Founded on 1 October 1844 on the island of Halki (Heybeliada in Turkish), it was the main school of theology of the Eastern Orthodox Church’s Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople until the Turkish parliament enacted a law banning private higher education institutions in 1971. An international campaign to reopen this theological school is ongoing but has remained unsuccessful.

The Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church, security in Europe and the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople

Three religious capitals in Europe compete for leadership of Christianity: Rome (Holy See of the Roman Catholic Church), Moscow (Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church) and Istanbul (Ecumenical Patriarchate of the Eastern Orthodox Church/ Constantinople).

At the Archons’ Conference in Athens, Anthony J. Limberakis, the National Commander of the Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in America, vividly condemned Putin’s war of aggression on Ukraine, deplored that Orthodox fight against Orthodox and that Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church has blessed it as a holy war. “Nothing can justify a call to kill. Moscow Patriarchate violates God’s law and gravely discredits the Russian Orthodox Church in the eyes of the whole world and in history,” he said.

The Russian Orthodox Church is an accomplice of President Putin in the perpetration of war crimes and crimes against humanity, in the dismantling of the international order and the security architecture in Europe.

A collateral impact of such a policy is that a number of Orthodox churches in neighboring countries of Russia are trying to keep away from Moscow Patriarchate in various ways, though without breaking their canonical links, because they disagree with Patriarch Kirill or because their official status in other European states is under threat of being degraded or worse.

A window of opportunity for the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople

In Ukraine, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) was established by a council under the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople that convened in Kyiv on 15 December 2018 to sever all links with the Moscow Patriarchate. On 5 January 2019, Patriarch Bartholomew granted the OCU a tomos of autocephaly.

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church still in communion with the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC/ MP) has institutionally distanced itself as much as it could from Patriarch Kirill but without making secession. The UOC/MP continues its activities but more and more parishes are joining the OCU and draft laws have been tabled in parliament for reducing its status and even banning it.

In Latvia, the Orthodox Church of Latvia (OCL) seceded from the Patriarchate of Moscow and the Latvian parliament approved the full independence of the Church in September 2022 for security reasons.

“The state established the status of our Church as autocephalous. The state has determined that the Latvian Orthodox Church is legally independent from any ecclesiastical center located outside of Latvia, maintaining spiritual, prayerful and liturgical communion with all canonical Orthodox churches of the world,” the Orthodox Church of Latvia said.

As to the Latvian Orthodox Autonomous Church (LOAC), it had declared itself a part of the Patriarchate of Constantinople in 2011.

In Lithuania, Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine has caused some stormy reverberations. Many priests have found adherence to Patriarch Kirill’s position in Russia’s war on Ukraine an impossible task.

A so-called “exarchate” is being created for the Orthodox Church of the Patriarchate of Constantinople so that dissenting clerics can be integrated in this structure. This will act as an alternative to the existing Lithuanian Archdiocese of Vilnius, which is subordinate to the Russian Orthodox Church in Moscow. A scenario similar to the one in Ukraine.

In Estonia, the authorities decided in January 2024 not to renew the residence permit of Metropolitan Eugene, head of the Estonian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate. His expulsion was justified by national security concerns as the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church had consistently supported the Kremlin’s aggression against Ukraine.

In April, Estonian Interior Minister Lauri Lääenemets and leader of the Social Democratic Party, announced on the ETV channel his intention to invite the parliament to recognize the Russian Orthodox Church as a terrorist organization in order to eventually ban its activities in the country.

Orthodox parishes will have the opportunity to join the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, as it happened in Ukraine after creating the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.

Under Estonian law, the Orthodox Church of Estonia (independent from Moscow) is already under the jurisdiction of the Patriarchate of Constantinople as on 20 February 1996, Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople had formally reactivated its 1923 canonical subordination.

Conclusions

The Orthodox Churches under the jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Church/ Moscow Patriarchate are increasingly losing ground and influence in a number of countries along the Eastern EU border due both to deep internal theological disagreements with the support of Patriarch Kirill to Russia’s war on Ukraine and security issues by the concerned states.

While the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople is under pressure in its historical lands, Turkey, it is expanding along the borders of the European Union as an increasing number of Orthodox Churches are severing their links with Russian Patriarch Kirill and looking for a safe haven in another Orthodox family. The geopolitical situation in Eastern Europe is providing a unique window of opportunity for the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople to attract more international attention and support.

Footnote: The author attended the 4th Archon International Conference on Religious Freedom” in Athens (26-29 May 2024)

Gaza: Children are starving amid persistent aid access obstacles, warn UN agencies

United Nations News

4 June 2024

Gaza: Children are starving amid persistent aid access obstacles, warn UN agencies

The alert from the World Health Organization (WHO) follows the finding that more than four in five children “did not eat for a whole day at least once in the three days” ahead of a food insecurity survey.

Table of Contents

Hunger snapshot
Preventable horrors
Floating dock setback

Hunger snapshot

“These are children under five who are not getting food all day,” said WHO spokesperson Dr. Margaret Harris. “So, you ask, ‘Are the supplies getting through?’ No, children are starving.”

Additional worrying data from the food insecurity snapshot survey indicated that almost all of the youngsters surveyed in Gaza now eat just two different food groups per day, when the WHO recommendation is at least five.

According to an update this week from the UN aid coordination office, OCHA, since mid-January, more than 93,400 children under five have been screened for malnutrition in Gaza; 7,280 were found to have acute malnutrition, including 5,604 with moderate acute malnutrition and 1,676 with severe acute malnutrition.

Preventable horrors

Echoing those concerns, OCHA highlighted the risk of deadly malnutrition and famine among Gaza’s most vulnerable individuals.

“I would say they are certainly not getting the amount that they desperately need to prevent a famine, to prevent all kind of horrors that we see. It’s very, very little that is going around at the moment,” said OCHA spokesperson Jens Laerke.

Responding to questions about aid access obstacles, he reiterated that the Israeli authorities’ obligations under international humanitarian law to facilitate the delivery of aid “does not stop at the border. It does not stop when you drop off just a few metres across the border and then drive away and then leave it to humanitarians to drive through active combat zones – which they cannot do – to pick it up. So, to answer your question, no, the aid that is getting in, is not getting to the people.”

Amid ongoing reports of deadly Israeli bombardment across Gaza on Friday, humanitarians continued to stress that land crossings for aid convoys remain “the only way to get (aid) in at scale and at speed…We need more of these land crossings and we need them open and we need them safe for use to pick up the aid when it’s dropped off,” the OCHA spokesperson said.

Floating dock setback

Asked about the US military-built floating dock moored off Gaza’s coastline that has reportedly partially broken up in high seas, Mr. Laerke noted that “any and all ways of getting aid in is welcome, so when that reality is not working, that’s of course bad news…It was never realistic to be a major or the major pipeline of aid in. It could have been an addition, and we keep emphasising that.”

As part of its ongoing efforts to prevent life-threatening hunger in Gaza, the WHO reported that alongside partners and the local health authority, it continues to offer stabilization services for children suffering from the most life-threatening form of malnutrition.

To date, 68 children have received treatment, it said, but owing to the recent escalation of hostilities, the nutrition stabilization centre in Kamal Adwan Hospital in north Gaza is out of service.

Since 1 May, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) and partners reported that they had reached around 60,000 children under the age of five and 22,820 pregnant and breastfeeding women with 15 days’ worth of nutrient supplements to help stave off malnutrition.

More than 500 Palestinians killed in occupied West Bank: UN rights chief

United Nations News

4 June 2024

More than 500 Palestinians killed in occupied West Bank: UN rights chief

Two of the latest fatalities were 16-year-old Ahmed Ashraf Hamidat and 17-year-old Mohammed Musa Al Bitar, both shot “at a distance of about 70 metres while running away after throwing stones and/or Molotov cocktails towards a[n Israeli] military post outside a settlement near Aqabat Jaber, CCTV footage shows”, said the High Commissioner’s Office, OHCHR.

The youngsters’ deaths, along with the killings of four more Palestinians by the Israeli army on Monday, brings the Palestinian toll to 505, since Hamas-led terror attacks in southern Israel sparked the war in Gaza, OHCHR said.

In the same period, 24 Israelis including eight who were Israeli Security Forces members, were killed in the West Bank and Israel in clashes or alleged attacks by Palestinians from the West Bank.

Table of Contents

‘Unprecedented bloodshed’
Lethal force, the first resort

‘Unprecedented bloodshed’

“As if the tragic events in Israel and then Gaza over the past eight months were not enough, the people of the occupied West Bank are also being subjected to day-after-day of unprecedented bloodshed. It is unfathomable that so many lives have been taken in such a wanton fashion,” the High Commissioner said.

“The killing, destruction and widespread human rights violations are unacceptable, and must cease immediately. Israel must not only adopt but enforce rules of engagement that are fully in line with applicable human rights norms and standards,” Mr. Türk continued. “Any allegation of unlawful killings must be thoroughly and independently investigated and those responsible held to account.”

Lethal force, the first resort

The UN rights chief noted that the killing of Palestinians had already reached a “record high” in the first nine months of last year, only to rise “sharply” after the 7 October attacks by Hamas-led fighters that left some 1,250 dead and more than 250 taken hostage.

“Since the start of 2024, almost 200 Palestinians have been killed by the ISF, compared with 113 and 50 killed in the same periods in 2023 and 2022 respectively,” the statement from the UN rights chief’s office said.

And despite the absence of armed hostilities in the occupied West Bank, the ISF carried out at least 29 operations “involving airstrikes by unmanned aerial vehicles or planes and the firing of ground-to-ground missiles on refugee camps and other densely populated areas”, it continued.

During these operations, 164 Palestinians were killed, including 35 children, according to OHCHR, which pointed to a “prevalence” of Palestinian victims shot in the upper part of the body and denied medical assistance.

This suggests “intent to kill in violation of the right to life, rather than a graduated application of force and an attempt to de-escalate tense situations…in cases where those shot clearly did not represent an imminent threat to life”, the UN rights office said.

Data Centers Predicted to Consume 9% of US Electricity by 2030

4 June 2024

Data Centers Predicted to Consume 9% of US Electricity by 2030

According to the Electric Power Research Institute’s recent findings, data centers in the United States could consume as much as 9% of the nation’s total electricity by the end of the decade, which is a significant increase compared to today’s levels.

Servers in a data center - illustrative photo. — Servers in a data center – illustrative photo. Image credit: imgix via Unsplash, free license

This surge in energy usage is attributed to the substantial investments made by technology companies in expanding their computing facilities. The institute’s analysis indicates that the annual growth rate of electricity consumption by data centers could range from 3.7% to 15% through 2030, depending on factors such as the adoption rate of technologies like generative artificial intelligence (AI) and the energy efficiency measures implemented in new data centers.

The escalating demand for electricity by data centers, coupled with the expansion of domestic manufacturing and the electrification of transportation, is driving growth in the US electricity industry after two decades of stagnant growth. These facilities use large amounts of power to support high-intensity computing operations and cooling systems. For instance, the electricity consumption of a single large data center is equivalent to that required to power 750,000 homes, while even relatively small data centers consume the equivalent electricity of 50,000 homes.

The projected doubling of power consumption by data centers raises concerns about the strain it may place on the country’s electric grid, potentially resulting in higher electricity bills and increased risk of power outages.

With the rapid adoption of generative AI applications, such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which debuted in 2022, the energy demands of data centers are expected to escalate further. While initial estimates suggested that ChatGPT searches consumed roughly ten times more electricity than typical Google searches, the proliferation of generative AI for creating multimedia content like movies and music could exponentially increase power requirements.

The Electric Power Research Institute emphasizes the importance of enhancing energy efficiency measures in data centers and investing in grid infrastructure to accommodate the growing power demands. The concentration of 80% of the 2023 US data center load in just 15 states, notably Virginia and Texas, signifies the need for strategic planning and resource allocation to address the rapidly changing energy consumption patterns.

For comparison, in 2022, data centres in the European Union consumed an estimated 45–65 TWh of electricity, which corresponds to approximately 1.8–2.6% of the total regional electricity consumption. Interestingly, the top four data centre markets – Germany, France, the Netherlands, and Ireland – accounted for nearly two-thirds of the entire region’s data centre energy use, despite representing less than 40% of the population.

Written by Vytautas Valinskas

Experts at conference held at the Church of Scientology of Rome, make the point on the state of freedom of belief in Italy and the world

4 June 2024

University professors, government officials, parliamentarians and religious representatives participated in a day-long conference where they discussed the current challenges to religious freedom.

KingNewsWire // Brussels, Brussels, Belgium, 3rd Jun 2024 – On Thursday, May 30th, the international conference on freedom of religion in Italy and the world, titled “Freedom of Belief and Religious Recognition: Current State and Perspectives,” was held in the auditorium of the Church of Scientology in Rome. It was organized with the collaboration of the Observatory on Religious Entities, Ecclesiastical Heritage, and Non-Profit Organizations of the University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli.”

ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw== Experts at conference held at the Church of Scientology of Rome, make the point on the state of freedom of belief in Italy and the world

The conference consisted of two international roundtables in the morning moderated by Prof. Alfonso Celotto, professor of constitutional law at the University of Roma Tre, and two national ones moderated by Prof. Antonio Fuccillo, professor of ecclesiastical and intercultural law at the University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli.”

Table of Contents

International examples of religious freedom
Italian situation of religious freedom under analysis

International examples of religious freedom

The first panel had as speakers Senator Lorena Rios Cuéllar, former director of religious affairs of the Colombian government; Prof. José Daniel Pelayo Olmedo, deputy director general for the coordination and promotion of religious freedom of the Spanish government; and Dr. Gary Vachicouras, Orthodox Christian theologian (Chambésy, Geneva).

This panel outlined the situation in Colombia, a secular but not atheist state with a constitution that guarantees freedom of religion both individually and collectively. It then covered that of Spain, where there are 26,000 religious groups registered in the Register of Religious Bodies. For the Greek-born Prof. Vachicouras, societies are increasingly facing religious plurality and the resulting problems. The solution to conflicts, he stated, is acceptance of the principle of freedom of belief. The panel showed how three countries with different traditions (Colombia, Spain, and Greece) have recognized their religious entities, including Scientology, within a framework of great freedom and inclusion.

The second panel included U.S. attorney and constitutional expert Austin Hepworth; Prof. Juan Ferreiro Galguera, professor of church law at the University of Oviedo, Spain; and Prof. Vincent Berger, former jurisconsult at the European Court of Human Rights.

Attorney Hepworth explained how the principle of religious freedom is applied in the U.S., also recalling the 1948 U.S.-Italy Friendship Treaty on automatic mutual recognition of entities, including religious ones. Prof. Ferreiro Galguera explained the difference between the secular state that respects religious phenomena and the cooperation with it as it happens in Spain, and the secularist state that instead prevents it, as it happens in France.

Prof. Berger asserted that the state’s tolerance of a religious denomination should not replace its full recognition, and he recalled the remedies offered by the ECHR on limitations of religious freedom, with the possibility of recourse to the Strasbourg Court as well.

Italian situation of religious freedom under analysis

The speakers at the first section of this panel were Prof. Maria D’Arienzo, professor of ecclesiastical, canonical, and confessional law at the University “Federico II” of Naples; Prof. Gianfranco Macrì, professor of intercultural law at the University of Salerno; and Prof. Francesco Sorvillo, associate professor of Law and Religions at the University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli.”

The peculiarity of the Italian normative situation emerged, in that the Constitution addresses religious freedom in 4 specific articles and in 5 with a more general approach, yet it still lacks a law on religious denominations, still having to refer to Law No. 1159, which dates back to 1929, and which concerns “admitted denominations” in the “Kingdom of Italy”, a law that predates the republican democracy that is Italy today.

The second section of this panel featured the editor-in-chief of “bitterwinter.org” and journalist for the “Journal of CESNUR,” Dr. Marco Respinti; Dr. Nader Akkad, religious affairs advisor of the Grand Mosque of Rome; and Mother Anastasia, legal advisor of the Romanian Orthodox Diocese.

Dr. Respinti explained how the media perceive religiosity and their own responsibility on how it is perceived in society. Dr. Akkad emphasized the importance of dialogue between members of different faiths, while Mother Anastasia spoke about the difficulty of the Romanian Orthodox Church working on recognition in Italy for over 13 years.

What emerged overall was the need for greater attention to the religious phenomenon for accomplished regulation not only at the level of individuals but also of organizations in their relations with states.

“Freedom of religion and respect for the beliefs of others have always been principles of fundamental importance to the Church of Scientology,” recalled Lina Pirotta, representative of the Church of Scientology Italy, in her welcome address to the conference participants.

The Creed of the Church of Scientology itself, written in 1954 by the religion’s founder, L. Ron Hubbard, among other points states, “We of the Church believe that all men have inalienable rights to their own religious practices and their performance.”

It is within this framework that the Church of Scientology has strongly supported this conference, collaborating with domestic and foreign experts to make it happen in order to provide a clearer picture of the state of freedom of belief in Italy and other countries, and the possible solutions that could help make, of this fundamental right, a fulfilled reality, favoring its development.

Russia and sexual violence as a weapon of war in Ukraine

Gabriel Carrion Lopez

4 June 2024

man in orange crew neck shirt — Photo by Mika Baumeister on Unsplash

One of the fundamental human rights is the right to the sexual use of one’s own body, without being subjected to humiliation for reasons of trafficking, prostitution, religious, political or war conflicts.

In March 2024, Sofi Oksanen, a Finnish author born in Jyväskylä in 1977, stated in her book “Twice in the same river” that her great-aunt was not born mute, but that she lost her voice at the beginning of the second Soviet occupation of Estonia, after being interrogated and tortured, after being savagely raped all night long, she never said anything but Yes, let me. She never married, never had children, never had a love affair. She lived as her mother until the end of her days…It’s not marginal, it’s not something that is happening once in a while: Russia has normalized sexual violence as a weapon of war in Ukraine.(1)

Amnesty International in March 23 issued a report in which its Secretary General Agnés Callamard commented: “Time and again, women suffer the worst consequences of the brutality of war. They are permanently on the front lines of conflict, as soldiers and combatants, doctors and nurses, volunteers, peace activists, caretakers of their communities and families, internally displaced persons, refugees and, all too often, victims and survivors… Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine is no exception. Women are at greater risk of sexual and gender-based violence and serious health problems, yet they are forced to make life-and-death decisions for their families. At the same time, women are often excluded from decision-making processes, and their needs remain unmet and their rights unprotected.” (2)

In the same report, a Hispanic aid worker named Marina also commented that …sexual abuse is a serious problem for women. I received training, and we were told that there were cases in which [also] children, after evacuation, showed signs of having suffered sexual abuse.

In an interesting study by Diego Alberto Zapata Gonzales, Professor of Law at San Ignacio de Loyola University of Peru (USIL) and Stephani Violeta Paliza Obando, Licentiate in International Relations at the same University, entitled: Sexual Violence as an International Crime in the Russian-Ukrainian Conflict, 2014-2022, makes a detailed study of which crimes are committed in such conflicts and considering them as war crimes against vulnerable persons, citing some of the conclusions of the International Criminal Court.

Likewise, this study clearly cites a study by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) published on March 16, 2017, where 31 emblematic cases related to sexual assaults are specified. The study is entitled: Sexual Violence in Eastern Ukraine from 2014 to 2020: Crimea and Donbas.

Some of the findings of the study leave no room for doubt: Thus, during the period under study, Russian armed forces illegally confined large numbers of civilians of all ages, including local authorities, government personnel, veterans of the Ukrainian forces, volunteers and random civilians. The report identified that, Russian forces implemented long interrogation sessions, sometimes lasting days, which were mixed with threats, intimidation, ill-treatment, sexual violence and torture, in order to obtain information about Ukrainian forces and their positions, or to identify collaborators of Ukrainian forces, many of these acts were witnessed by children forced to witness these heinous crimes (Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine 2022, 14).

…Similarly, the Commission documented cases of rape against victims between the ages of 4 and 80 committed by Russian forces in territories under their control, these persons were assaulted in their own homes or abducted and raped in unoccupied dwellings, mostly involving torture, cruel and inhuman treatment, and even war crimes, and the Commission continues to investigate to determine the extent to which such crimes constitute widespread patterns (Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine 2022, 16). (3)

An article by EuroEFE (Euroactiv), also conducted in March 2023 and entitled: War rapes threaten women in occupied Ukraine, states that… Ukraine remains under threat from the use of rape as a weapon of war in the territories occupied by Russian forces in the east and south of the country, where the invading army is at large and could be repeating abuses like those Kiev has been discovering with the liberation of its territories.(4)

171 cases of sexual violence

In a report of the Prosecutor’s Office of the country, the case of 171 rapes occurred in a certain period of time. This document was made public in March 2023 by the Ukrainian First Lady Olama Zelenska. It included cases of women, children and men.

The difficulty of collecting cases, especially from some areas already completely controlled by the Russian army, is very difficult. It is believed by international organizations and NGOs that the cases of sexual assault are exponentially higher than those that have been collected. And returning to the Finnish writer who gave rise to this article, Sofi Oksanen, one could argue in her own words, published in this 2024, that …sexual violence traumatizes and tears apart families and entire communities, which is why it is such a popular instrument of conquest and why Russia continues to use it.

Can rape be planned as a weapon of war? For this writer, yes. She also argues that rape can become a tool for committing genocide. Many of the interviewees, victims of sexual assault, were told by Russian soldiers that they would continue to be raped until they no longer wanted to have sex with Ukrainian men or that they would be deprived of the desire to have children with these men. Words comparable to those of many Russian politicians when they claim that Ukraine is not a nation, that it is not a country, and that they do not even exist. When someone does not exist, they can certainly be exterminated without any problem. Another question is why the International Criminal Court does not initiate with the same haste a case against RUSSIA, as it is doing against Israel. Perhaps the sexual violations in Ukraine are only a lesser evil.

Bibliography:

(1) ABC, Culture, March 15, 2024, p. 42-43.
(2) https://www.amnesty.org/es/latest/news/2023/03/ukraine-women-face-grave-risks-as-russias-full-scale-invasion-enters-its-second-year/
(3) https://revista-estudios.revistas.deusto.es/article/view/2796/3453
(4) https://euroefe.euractiv.es/section/exteriores-y-defensa/news/las-violaciones-de-guerra-amenazan-a-las-mujeres-en-la-ucrania-ocupada/

Top UN relief official in Ukraine deplores deadly strikes in Kharkiv

United Nations News

3 June 2024

Top UN relief official in Ukraine deplores deadly strikes in Kharkiv

The attacks occurred in the city’s Novobovarskyi district late on Thursday. At least three people were killed and a further 16 injured, according to media reports.

The repeated missile strikes caused significant damage to residential buildings. They also affected rescue workers rushing to the scene.

In a statement issued on Friday, UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine, Denise Brown extended her deepest condolences “to the families impacted by the non-stop attacks by the Russian Federation’s Armed Forces.”

Table of Contents

Humanitarian response hampered
Violations against children
Young lives ended
Education and healthcare disrupted
Commitment to deliver

Humanitarian response hampered

Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city, has come under relentless shelling in recent weeks. UN agencies have been assisting in evacuating people from other areas of the wider Kharkiv region that have come under attack.

Ms. Brown said the escalation of hostilities in Kharkiv and elsewhere in Ukraine continues to devastate the lives of families, making humanitarian response efforts even more critical and difficult.

“International humanitarian law strictly prohibits attacks on civilians or civilian infrastructure,” she said.

“Living in fear of air strikes at home, at work or while shopping is not normal.”

Violations against children

Ms. Brown heads the UN Office in Ukraine which issued a separate statement on Friday condemning the severe violations of children’s rights in the wake of the full-scale Russian invasion in February 2022.

Heavy hostilities continue to inflict immense physical, psychological, and emotional harm on children, disrupting their lives and jeopardizing their future.

“The most recent wave of Russian attacks in the Kharkiv Region underscores the dreadful cost of the war, and the horrors that the children of Ukraine are facing,” Ms. Brown said.

“Many have been killed or injured, and thousands forced to flee from their homes with nothing but the clothes on their backs and the profound stress from having witnessed a truly terrifying situation.”

Young lives ended

Over 600 children have been killed, and more than 1,420 injured, since the escalation, according to the UN human rights office, OHCHR, though the actual toll is likely much higher.

The statement said children spend countless hours in bomb shelters due to indiscriminate attacks. Boys and girls in frontline communities have spent between 3,000 and 5,000 hours underground – equivalent to four to seven months – making their lives stressful and extremely difficult.

Forced displacement further compounds dangers they face, including separation from their families and increased risks of trafficking, exploitation and abuse.

A four-year-old girl shelters at her kindergarten in the Kharkiv region of Ukraine.

Education and healthcare disrupted

The war has also severely affected education, and many schools have adopted online or underground classes. The UN Office in Ukraine expressed particular concern over the situation of children in frontline regions.

Currently, nearly a million boys and girls – a quarter of all Ukrainian children enrolled in school – have been unable to attend in-person learning, particularly those with disabilities and special educational needs.

Children’s health is another casualty of the war. Damage to health facilities, together with the displacement of personnel, mean that access to healthcare services is limited.

The statement noted that displaced families and those living close to the front line struggle to obtain necessary medical care, particularly for pregnant women and newborns, while vaccination campaigns have been disrupted, thus increasing the risk of outbreaks of some preventable diseases.

Commitment to deliver

The UN and partners in Ukraine are working to assist the country’s children, the statement concluded.

Last year, the UN provided vital primary healthcare to more than 5.1 million children and mothers, and education services to more than 2.5 million students and teachers.

Ms. Brown underlined the UN’s commitment to support the people of Ukraine but noted that “no amount of aid will bring back what a generation of children is losing because of Russia’s invasion.”

European elections 2024: practical details for media on election days and night | News

3 June 2024

European elections 2024: practical details for media on election days and night | News

Daily media briefings from Thursday 6 June to Monday 10 June

Parliament’s press service will organise briefings for media, in physical presence and remotely via interactio, to provide background information about the European elections, including useful facts and figures about the Parliament.

Journalists will also get details on the methodology used by Parliament’s services to estimate the results, on measures to guarantee the elections’ integrity and the key political moments after the elections. The EP press service will also provide information on the transition to the next parliamentary term, including on pending legislative work, on the election of the Commission President and on the procedure to appoint the next College of Commissioners.

The schedule for these briefings is as follows:

Thursday 6 June at 11.00: European elections at a glance
Friday 7 June at 11.00: All you need to know about Parliament
Saturday 8 June at 11.00: Election night
Sunday 9 June at 11.00: All you need to know about the Parliament and the election night (only physical presence)
Sunday 9 June at 17.30: On-the-record last-minute briefing on useful information for election night
Monday 10 June at 11.00: Election provisional results and next steps (only physical presence).

Publication of provisional election results on Sunday 9 June

Provisional European election results can only be published after 23.00 CEST, when the last voting polls in Italy have closed. Before then, Parliament will issue estimations, based on exit polls.

The plenary chamber in Brussels will be turned into a press room with a stage area and live positions for TV stations, where information will be disseminated. Access will be limited to accredited media representatives and essential EP staff. Live audio-visual stand-up positions will also be located on the Karamanlis walkway, the SPINELLI third floor and outside on rue Wiertz.

On election night, there will be a special programme on EbS, as well as streaming on Parliament’s Multimedia Centre starting at 17.30. The planned scheduled includes:

a first set of available national estimates to be published around 18.15 CEST,
the first projection of the new Parliament, expected around 20.15-20.30 CEST (indicative time), also based on national estimates, and
the first provisional results from some EU member states with estimates for the rest as well as a second seat projection, to be published at around 23.15-23.30 CEST (indicative time).

Updated projections will follow, as Parliament’s services receive information from national authorities. The last updated projection is expected at around 01.00 CEST on Monday 10 June.

A detailed schedule of estimates and provisional results will be published in the coming days.

All data will be available on the official election results website.

Leaders of the EP political groups and lead candidates for the position of Commission President will speak to the media during the evening. Political groups will also have their press teams available to respond to media requests and facilitate contacts. Find their contact details here.

Audiovisual material on voting from all EU member states will be available on EBS and the EP’s Multimedia Centre as of Thursday 6 June, including statements from the lead candidates and group leaders voting in their constituencies.

Country-by-country information on the European elections

You can find individual pages on each of the EU member states with details on how the European elections are organised, lists, candidates, including MEPs who are running again for election and previous elections results, via this link.

Accreditation and access on election night

All EU inter-institutional accredited media and EP annual media pass holders will have access to Parliament on election night upon presentation of their passes without having to request separate accreditation.

All other journalists wishing to attend election night will have to register a request for short-term media access via the online accreditation system (JOUREG). If they are already in possession of an EP media pass, the pass will be activated remotely once approved in the registrations portal. If they do not have an EP media pass, once the request is approved in JOUREG, they will be able to collect it from Monday 3 June and until Sunday 9 June from the Accreditation Centre in front of Parliament (Esplanade Solidarność, office 01F035).

Only those journalists who were assigned a place in the hemicycle will be able to work from there. The meeting room in front of the plenary chamber (3C050 in the SPAAK building) will also be set up as a press working area, and journalists may also work from the press room in the SPAAK building, on the ground floor.

New EP Events mobile app

All journalists covering the European elections on site are encouraged to download the new “EP events” app (available in Google Play and App Store) to get timely information on their phones about everything happening in the Parliament before, during and after the elections, as well as practical information, including passcodes for Wi-Fi connection, opening hours, maps, contacts, links and technical information for audio-visual media.

Parking facilities

Parliament’s carpark will be free for media to use on election night – on presentation of valid media accreditation at the entrance. There will be no need to use the IZIX App that is used during normal parliamentary weeks.

Catering services

The cafeteria next to the hemicycle (SPAAK building, third floor) will be open on Saturday 8 June from 10.00 to 21.00. On Sunday 9 June, it will be open from 11.00 until the closure of the EP premises (kitchen closes at 22.00).

The press bar on SPAAK’s ground floor will be open on Sunday 9 June from 17.00 to 23.00.

Parliament’s self-service restaurant in the SPAAK building, twelfth floor, will also be open on Sunday 9 June between 12.00 and 23.00, offering sandwiches, salads and warm meals.

Background – European elections 2024: country sheets

3 June 2024

Find here information on electoral rules, poll opening and closing times and candidates for the 2024 European election in EU member states, as well as useful figures.

Boosting Employee Engagement with Interactive Technology

3 June 2024

Boosting Employee Engagement with Interactive Technology

Employee engagement is pivotal in creating a productive and satisfying work environment. Engaged employees are often more motivated, productive, and committed to their employer’s goals, directly contributing to an organization’s overall success. However, employers often struggle with implementing it effectively in the workplace — even going so far as gamifying employee engagement, which can have the opposite effect. It’s a delicate balance, but with the help of interactive technologies such as panel PCs, touch-screen displays, and mobile apps, you can improve employee engagement while solving workplace problems.

This article explores how these technologies can improve engagement through innovative training sessions, comprehensive health programs, and effective feedback mechanisms.

A modern computer workplace - illustrative photo. — A modern computer workplace – illustrative photo. Image credit:
Linus Mimietz via Unsplash, free license

Table of Contents

Interactive Whiteboards and Smart Boards: These tools facilitate collaborative sessions, allowing trainers and trainees to interact dynamically with content, share ideas in real-time, and focus more on active listening.

Interactive Technologies Transforming the Workplace
Revolutionizing Staff Training with Interactive Tools
Promoting Health and Wellness Through Technology
Enhancing Communication with Real-Time Feedback Tools
Addressing Implementation Challenges

Interactive Technologies Transforming the Workplace

Interactive technology encompasses any technology that allows for dynamic interaction between the user and the system, facilitating real-time engagement and feedback. This includes devices like panel PCs, smart boards, augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) systems, and sophisticated mobile applications in the modern workplace. These technologies are reshaping how work is done, enhancing collaboration, and making the workplace more adaptable to the needs of today’s dynamic workforce.

For example, a report might show that companies incorporating interactive technologies into their operations have seen a measurable increase in employee productivity and satisfaction. Such statistics underscore the transformative power of these tools in fostering an engaging and responsive work environment.

Revolutionizing Staff Training with Interactive Tools

Training and development are critical components of employee engagement. Interactive technologies offer diverse and dynamic methods to make training sessions more participatory and impactful. For instance:

VR Simulations: Virtual reality can simulate real-world scenarios within a controlled environment, providing employees with immersive learning experiences that are both engaging and educational.

Panel PCs: These can be used to administer interactive quizzes and display real-time results, making learning more engaging and allowing for immediate feedback.

The benefits of employing these diverse interactive training methods are manifold. They include enhanced learning retention, as employees are more likely to remember information presented in an interactive and engaging format. Moreover, these technologies create adaptive learning environments tailored to various learning styles, ensuring that all employees can benefit from training sessions tailored to their individual needs.

Promoting Health and Wellness Through Technology

Integrating technology into workplace wellness programs has become increasingly important in promoting a healthy work environment. These technologies facilitate easy access to health-related information and engage employees in maintaining their wellness goals.

For example, employees can use fitness apps to track their fitness achievements, set wellness goals, and monitor their health progress. These apps often include activity tracking, nutrition logging, and personalized health tips.

Incorporating this kind of technology into wellness programs has shown significant positive effects on employee well-being and job satisfaction. Employees who are healthy and satisfied with their work environment are more likely to be productive and engaged.

Enhancing Communication with Real-Time Feedback Tools

Real-time feedback tools are transforming communication in the workplace by providing immediate data on performance and facilitating quicker responses. Some of these technologies include:

Feedback Apps: These apps, accessible via smartphones and tablets, allow for continuous feedback, enabling employees to receive real-time insights into their performance and areas for improvement.
Interactive Displays: These are used in common areas to show performance metrics and updates in real-time, helping teams stay aware of their progress and areas needing attention.

The advantages of real-time feedback are substantial. It provides immediate opportunities for improvement and recognition, enhances transparency, and maintains open lines of communication, all of which contribute to a more engaged and responsive workforce.

Addressing Implementation Challenges

Integrating new technologies into the workplace comes with challenges that can impact the effectiveness of their adoption. One common issue is the technical complexities and cost considerations of developing and maintaining advanced technological systems. The financial burden may be significant, and the technical setup may require specialized knowledge that not all businesses possess in-house.

Another challenge is user resistance. Employees often have varying levels of comfort and expertise with new technologies; some may prefer traditional methods. Resistance can stem from a need to understand how these new tools benefit them personally and professionally.

Security is also another concern. If the technology you’re hoping to integrate uses employee data, many employees may be concerned about a potential data leak that compromises their financial and personal security.

Businesses can adopt several strategies to address these challenges effectively. Comprehensive training sessions are crucial to helping employees become comfortable and proficient with new technologies. Demonstrating these tools’ personal and professional benefits can alleviate fears and resistance. You can also illustrate your compliance standards in your IT department to ensure the safety of any data you use.

Phased technology rollouts can also be beneficial. By introducing new technologies gradually, businesses can manage the transition more smoothly and adjust based on employee feedback and the specific needs observed during early phases.

Interactive technologies have the potential to boost employee engagement. As workplaces evolve, staying ahead of emerging trends and innovations in these technologies is crucial. Businesses are encouraged to explore various interactive tools to enhance employee interaction and overall satisfaction and productivity. This approach promises to pave the way for more dynamic, inclusive, and engaging workplaces.