United Nations : Decade of action needed to protect indigenous languages   (Kanaga Raja, Geneva) (PRIV)
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Human rights experts at the United Nations have called for a decade of action to protect and promote the use of indigenous languages, many of which have now become endangered.

United Nations : Nuclear weapons must go - lessons of Hiroshima & Nagasaki   (IPS, New York) (PRIV)
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It has been 74 years since a nuclear devastation took place.

Africa : Extreme floods, key to climate change adaptation in drylands   (IPS, Turkana County) (PRIV)
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Extreme rainfall and heavy flooding, often amplified by climate change, causes devastation among communities.

Latin America : Women, power & changing face of political representation   (IPS, New York) (PRIV)
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Gender inequality is about power asymmetries. In the late 1970s, Robert Putnam reflected on the status of women in policy decisions in his comparative study on political elites. Quoting Elizabeth Vallance, he concluded that, "where power is, women aren't."

Opinion : Mediating peace in a complex world   (IPS, New York) (PRIV)
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"It is all about orchestration", was Martin Griffiths', the UN Special Envoy for Yemen, response to the question of what mediation in Yemen looks like today.

Note to Readers : Holiday Notice (PRIV)
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Due to the Eid Al-Adha holiday for the UN offices in Geneva the next issue #8965 will appear on 13 August.