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Guest piece
Dr. Denis Mukwege on the situation in the Eastern DRC: "This is no longer a humanitarian crisis; it is a crisis of our humanity"
– It's time to move from a 'Do No Harm' approach to a 'Do Good' one, urged Nobel Peace Prize laureate in his opening statement of "Business for Peace" a seminar on the obstacles and solutions to building a fair and sustainable mineral trade in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The seminar was arranged in late January 2025 by FUF in collaboration with Friends of Panzi Hospital and took place only days before M3 rebel forces started their assault on Goma, an important node for people and minerals in Eastern DRC.
Dr Mukwege's opening statement has been rendered as delivered below.
Of: Dr. Denis Mukwege, February 10, 2025
Guest analysis, Guest piece
Independence from fossil fuels is crucial for human security
The world's addiction to fossil fuel is the main contributor to the climate crisis, and it impacts peace and security worldwide. This was clearly demonstrated in 2022 by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. But why is it so difficult for nations to move away from fossil fuels? Part of it can be explained by the so-called energy trilemma, according to Marie Stjernquist Desatnik, Senior Climate Policy Advisor at Naturskyddsföreningen (the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation, SSNC).
Of: Marie Stjernquist Desatnik, January 17, 2023
Guest analysis, Opinion
Why conferences on climate change fail
Every conference on climate change creates a great deal of expectation and disappointment. World leaders fly from every corner of the world to make big hopeful statements. Yet, by the end of every conference, the chant is usually the same – more could have been done. However, if political leaders are aware that this is […]
Of: Daniel HB GamezOctober
Guest chronicle, Guest piece
Spring Brings Disappointment for Afghanistan's Women
Eight months after the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, hope is paused as new policies restricting women are confirmed. These include an ongoing ban on secondary school for girls and increasingly stringent male escort requirements. Arzo Bahar, the president of the Female Staff Association of the Swedish Committee for Afghanistan, describes her experience as a working woman and mother, and the fears she has for her daughters.
Of: Arzo Bahar, April 26, 2022
Guest piece
EU external action gives youth a place to raise their voices
Why is youth such a crucial issue when we talk about global development issues? There are currently more than 1.8 billion young people between the ages of 10 and 24 in the world and many of them live in the Global South, where they make up a majority of the population. Many of them grapple […]
Of: Johanna Caminati Engström, March 31, 2022
Interview
How a Rwandan organization enables women, youth and refugees to leave poverty
The 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda left the country behind in all development aspects, but before covid-19, Rwanda had one of the fastest growing economies in Africa. In 2019, the country reported a GDP growth of five percent annually, in comparison to a developed country like Sweden with only two percent growth, according [[]
Of: Hibo Yusuf Ahmed, December 30, 2021
Editorial
Development and Emergencies: Finding Resilient Paths Toward Development
As the world is still struggling to contain the Covid-19 pandemic, complex man-made and natural crises are evolving and causing major setbacks in the living standards and safety of countless people globally. While the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) give a promise of leaving no one behind, a study by the International Rescue Committee […]
Of: Aarne Hakomäki and QUESTIONS & INQUIRIES, December 20, 2021
Chronicle
Beyond the health crisis: Covid-19's impact on human development
The coronavirus pandemic is a systemic crisis that has had huge repercussions on the health, economic and social aspects of human development, warns the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in a report from 2020. As governments strive to contain the spread of the virus and keep mortality rates low, it is becoming increasingly evident that the […]
Of: Ivette Nogués, December 19, 2021
