Open Doors – Not Fences and Not Walls, Either – Nutrition and the WHO

In these days when the  American political scene is deeply divided, even when it comes to foreign policy,  there comes along an issue that is often misconstrued because of this divisive atmosphere. And that is the issue of opening the doors to multi-stakeholder collaboration in the area of nutrition. It is regrettable that the US role in advancing this collaboration has been miscronstrued, specifically in the context of US leadership in opposing  a particular resolution at the most recent World Health Assembly that was updating global health policy on infant and young child feeding. As reported by Andrew Jacobs in The New York Times on 8 July, 2018 (available here) and picked up in numerous other media outlets), I believe that the US leadership has been incorrectly described as being opposed to breastfeeding because of its opposition to this resolution. The headline even suggests that the US action “Stuns World Health Officials”.

The article, which was widely circulated, describes US intervention on a resolution that was ultimately adopted at the annual gathering in May 2018 of the World Health Assembly (WHA), the chief governing body of the WHO.  My personal view is that this effort to condemn the US actions has actually been influenced largely by opponents of an inclusive multi-stakeholder platform for infant and young child nutrition. Whatever the rationale might have been for the US to do what it did, I believe that the critics have misrepresented the impact of the US position.

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Picasso and Ardéco in Vallauris

Vallauris has been a favorite haunt of ours for as long as we can remember. Famed for its pottery, the town has had its ups and downs. The walk along its main street, starting with Picasso’s famed statue “L’Homme au Mouton”, his powerful “War and Peace” panorama and a collection of his ceramic works in a museum at the top of the hill, and our personal favorite pottery shop Ardéco owned and operated by Gilbert and Martine Azéma at the bottom of the hill, is a nostalgic one these days. The town seems to be more “down” than “up”.  Without being too disheartening, however, we were “re-inspired” by what we learned from our latest visit (27 June 2018). At the one end, we took in the special exhibit of “Picasso’s Vallauris Years” that is part of a two-year “Picasso-Mediterranée” project running from 2017 to 2019. At the other end, having been saddened last year by the demise of Gilbert Azéma and the closing of his famed Ardéco, we were thrilled to come across the reopened Ardéco under new management.

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The Interplay between Gender and “Genderedness”

Gender equality has been at the forefront of French political debate in recent months, with a series of legislative proposals that reflect a uniquely French approach to both gender and equality.  My musing back in March on gender equality in France was intended to feature the excellent exhibits for International Women’s Day in the nearby village of Peymeinade. One exhibit had a historical perspective of 100 years of the feminist struggle dating back to 1918, while the other exhibit was a delightful mixture of paintings specifically prepared by three local artists for this particular International Women’s Day in Peymeinade. At a reception for this exhibit, Leila Zarif, the lead artist and her artistic daughter and grand-daughter explained their choice of featuring remarkable women whose impact went well beyond feminism per se – Rosa Parks, Simone Weil, Frida Kahlo and others.  The event also included remarks from the mayor about being true to yourself, specifically triggering an appreciation for the “gendered-ness”, as it were, of the French approach to gender equality. Since then, I have been reflecting on my own fixation on the interplay between modesty and provocation that reflects my Anglo-American perspective. Continue reading “The Interplay between Gender and “Genderedness””

Flower Power in Grasse

On the occasion of the 2018 annual Rose Expo on 17 to 20 May in Grasse, celebrating its 2018 theme of “Flower Power”, we took advantage of the four-day event to savor the fragrances and lush floral displays along the cobble-stoned streets within the ramparts of the old town. This was not our first time to the annual Expo, since we had been May-time visitors of the region with my in-laws in years past, but this was the first occasion for us to explore the wide array of rose-oriented celebrations as actual residents of the town. Continue reading “Flower Power in Grasse”

Matisse, Picasso and Villa Ndio

The Cote d’Azur conjures up images of brilliant sunshine, shimmering azure-blue seas, fields of lavender, vineyards and olive trees, cream-coloured villas with red-tiled roofs, and museums filled with the works of famed impressionist and twentieth century artists. Our first exposure to the Riviera was through what we called the “Matisse Room”, the guest bedroom on the top floor of a modest but very charming villa called “Lou Baguié”. But first impressions were also permeated by the visions of Monet and Manet, Cézanne and Renoir, Leger and Gauguin and Van Gogh, and ultimately, too, of Picasso. These impressions have influenced how we have incorporated our worldly possessions from a “globally nomadic life” into a uniquely Provençal environment.

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The IWM Experience

Having been on a family road trip to Normandy a few years ago, the experience has remained a vivid remembrance of the horrors of a war that was fought mostly in France. Well, that is not entirely fair since the Eastern Front in Poland, Ukraine and Russia had far more casualties, and World War II did also involve battles in East and Southeast Asia as well as Northern Africa.

Scene from Normandy 2013

But nonetheless, it is just one example of how the horrors of war are entrenched in the land of this country and in the psyche of its people.  In this “musing”, I build on earlier reflections about the lingering effects of World War II on the Riviera with my impressions of a recent visit to the Imperial War Museum in London.

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Peymeinade au premier plan de la journée internationale de la femme

La Journée internationale de la femme (8 mars) est une journée mondiale célébrant les réalisations sociales, économiques, culturelles et politiques des femmes. Pour moi, ce fut une journée marquée par des événements spéciaux, que ce soit à Genève où j’ai travaillé pendant plus de 20 ans ou à Washington, DC et ailleurs aux États-Unis, pour sensibiliser à l’égalité des sexes. En cette première année de ma retraite dans le sud de la France, j’ai été ravie de découvrir que la petite commune de Peymeinade près de chez moi faisait activement la promotion de toute une série d’événements pour célébrer la journée, pas seulement le 8 mars, mais pendant 2 semaines!

Les expositions sur «100 ans de lutte pour l’égalité» et sur «Les femmes exceptionnelles» sont les traits marquants de l’actualité. Le premier était exposé à la Salle art et culture jusqu’au jeudi 15 mars 2018 et le second était exposé au Hall d’honneur de la Mairie jusqu’au Vendredi 9 mars 2018. Je me suis risqué l’autre jour, une journée relativement douce et ensoleillée après la tempête de neige de trois jours qui avait soufflé sur la Côte d’Azur plus tôt dans la semaine, pour explorer la ville à la recherche de ces expositions.

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Peymeinade in the Forefront on International Women’s Day

International Women’s Day (8 March) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. For me, it has been a day marked by special events, whether in Geneva where I worked for over 20 years or in Washington, DC and elsewhere in the US from my earlier days, to raise awareness of gender equality. In this first year of my retirement living in Southern France, I was delighted to discover that the small commune of Peymeinade near my home was actively promoting a whole series of events to recognize the day – not just on 8 March but for two weeks!

The expositions on « 100 Ans de Combat pour l’égalité » (100 Years of Struggle for Equality) and on “Les Femmes Excetionnelles » (Exceptional Women) are the ongoing features of note. The first was on display at the Salle art et culture (the Art and Culture Room) until Thursday, 15 March 2018, and the second was on display at the Hall d’Acceuil de la Mairie (the Reception Hall of the Town Hall) until Friday, 9 March 2018. I ventured out the other day, a relatively mild and sunny day following the three-day freak snowstorm that had blown through the Cote d’Azur earlier in the week, to explore the town in search of these exhibits.

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Spotlight on Trade, Tariffs and Gender

The commentary for this first week of March was intended to focus on the various controversies and advances on gender that are being featured around International Women’s Day. In spite of the turbulence with which this month has opened (in both weather and trade politics!), it is still timely to touch on a number of these developments – especially since we can cheer the momentum leading to a declaration on gender and trade at the WTO.  See photo below from a panel at the WTO just one year ago.

Setting the Stage for a Declaration on Gender and Trade, 8 March 2017

The theme of this year’s International Women’s Day is also worthy of some attention – “The Time Is Now: Rural and Urban Activists Transforming Women’s Lives”. But this has all been upended by a more fundamental challenge to today’s global rules-based trading system, having to do with a trade war invoking “national security” on steel and aluminum. So first a few words on that – and then back to the gender theme – which includes reflections on the encouraging developments in gender-based activism involving trade policy but also on the burgeoning allegations of sexual harassment that are spilling over into the UN system and major global NGOs. Will they bring a major behavioural change? Read more here. Continue reading “Spotlight on Trade, Tariffs and Gender”

Olives, Cows, Boars and Wolves

In search of a green thumb, but also in search of a wild boar, I was inspired to attend the “premieres assises agricoles du pays Grassois” on Thursday, 22 February (2018), even though I had no formal role in the proceedings. Having settled into a semi-retired state by moving our primary residence from Geneva to Grasse, I had discovered a gaping hole in my skill levels when it came to figuring out what to do with the abundant land attached to our ancient villa and a disastrous first go at a vegetable garden.  This failure was further aggravated by the sudden and unfamiliar appearance of what proved to be the diggings of an invasive wild boar, who left a mess in the grassy areas under the olive trees in our expansive terrain.

 

With some trepidation as a foreigner in a strange land (and unfamiliar about the basics of tilling the same strange land!), I took the bold step to, basically, “crash” this conference since no one responded to my email inquiry about a late registration.  As it turned out, there was no registration desk at the entrance, just a welcoming party that waved me on into a buzzing crowd of farmers and breeders.   In the process, I was surprised to learn a lot more than I had expected to learn.

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