Posts
2021
When it was illegal for me to be alive
“Disaster… it could happen to anyone.” Think about it too much and you will go mad: that endless list of slings and arrows. Yes, it could happen to anyone, but it is best to plod along as though it could never happen to us.
The UN is failing to eradicate poverty
Poverty, to put it simply, is one of humankind’s greatest ills and despite various ways to quantify, analyse or measure it, the problem remains unsolved. With the world finding itself in unprecedented straits owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has not only claimed the lives of 4,000,000, but has revealed ominous and record-breaking poverty worldwide, humanity more than ever needs its leaders to come together and work towards effective solutions.
"There is too much stupidity around": The UN's Climate Change Report
The Sixth Assessment Report of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change was published on August 9, 2021. The Report paints a grim picture of the planet’s health owing to human induced climate change and rising temperatures.
Samuel Beckett & Harold Pinter: 2 Giants of the Theatre of the Absurd
In the last issue we saw how some 20th century writers envisioned a dystopian future in reaction to the two world wars and to the dwindling human values. Protesting against society and the situation of man, but in a different way, were the giants of the Theatre of the Absurd Samuel Beckett and Harold Pinter.
Unveiling the Mystery of the Veiled Christ: A Look into the Sansevero Chapel and its Creator
Discover the story of the Veiled Christ, a sculpture by Giuseppe Sanmartino housed in the Sansevero Chapel in Naples.
News in August 2021 you may have missed
AFRICA 07.08.21: Egypt. Egyptian actress Dalal Abdel Aziz died aged 61 as a result of having contracted COVID-19.
The Titulus as a safe haven: Case Romane del Celio
If talking about what you don’t know well is frightening, trying to convey to others what you have studied for a long time with enthusiasm and passion is disorienting, because you proceed with the constant feeling of not saying everything or at least not saying enough. Years ago, when I was still a university student, I was deeply impressed by Christian archeology not only as a matter of faith, but because when art is placed at the service of any kind of religion or religious thought, it generates artistic phenomena that involve social edification.
The Dystopian Novel: "Beyond Utopia"!
The dystopian novel developed during the 20th century when the reality of humanity’s volatile condition became evident after both the first and second world wars. The word, dystopia, refers to Utopia, the fictitious name of an ideal country, coined by Thomas More in his famous book Libellus … de optimo reipublicae statu deque nova Insula Utopia (1516).
Security Council Arria-Formula meeting on Myanmar
On July 29, the UN had a Security Council Arria-Formula meeting on the deteriorating situation in Myanmar. US ambassador and senior advisor for political affairs, Jeffrey DeLaurentis, summarised the dire situation, stating: “Humanitarian aid workers inside Burma are sounding the alarm.
UN is failing to combat Climate Change
Climate change is the world’s biggest collective enemy, which threatens to destroy the very planet that we all live on. Whether it be rising sea levels, global warming, record-breaking temperatures, melting ice caps or an overall shift in severity of natural disasters, we as humankind need to strategise together for immediate solutions.
5 Reasons Why You Should Not Trust The United Nations
The United Nations: the devil you know I met someone from a peculiar land with a completely messed up political system yielding a society that was plagued with poverty, oppression, corruption and strife. I commiserated until I found out that there actually was an alternative party that, given the chance, would put things right, yet nobody seemed to care about it.
The Gordian Magazine introduces new series about “social issues”
This month marks the last issue of the 4th Volume of the Gordian Magazine. Although it may not seem like much, to date we have published more than 25 issues of the Gordian, all of which can be accessed for free. Words cannot express how grateful we are to the generous support of our writers, contributors and, you, our readers.
News in July 2021 you may have missed
AFRICA 01.07.21: DR Congo. At least 10 people were killed in a terrorist raid on the city of Beni in the east of the country.
Portraits along the way - in Pictures
Travelling around China and India has provided me with memories of fantastic nature and beautiful cities and towns, all of which have their own unique charm and sights. The most memorable moments of visiting new places, however, are the encounters with friendly and warmhearted locals. I still remember, years after, the kind people who stopped to pose for a stranger with a camera. This gallery presents some of the beautiful portraits along the way.
UNESCO’s 44th Session: 27 sites that made it into the World Heritage List - in Pictures
The 44th session of the World Heritage Committee saw Liverpool stripped of its heritage status due to development concerns, while Venice and the Great Barrier Reef narrowly avoided being added to the list of endangered sites.
10 books, movies and music UN-aligneders want you to dive in!
Last month we asked our readers to tell us about their favourite books, TV shows & music. This is a list of some their suggestions.
Standing up to The Dystopian Tide
The United Nations is the devil. It has had the top job of securing world peace for over three quarters of a century and for a host of reasons it has made an absolute mess of it. And yet, most of us are happy to be represented by this organisation. We say enough is enough. In this issue of The Gordian, we talk about why the UN cannot be trusted to represent, let alone advance, humanity’s ideals and aspirations and why simple reform will not resolve its inherent problems. This issue contains more exclusive reports by, our literary editor, Alex Liberto, and other UN-aligned members, namely Jay Davis, Jonna Lappalainen and Carla Pietrobattista. The editors are Adrian Liberto and Ariana Yekrangi.
The Perfected Thought: Michelangelo Buonarroti
The search for perfection, albeit in different ways and forms, has always accompanied man throughout his growth and impacted his socio-historical imprint . Starting from ideas for the improvement and evolution of the most basic aspects of life, such as the perfecting of agricultural or construction techniques, his ambition stretched to the creation of increasingly perfect buildings and works of art.
'Why are you talking like that?': How politicians use words to influence and mislead
Have you ever found yourself agreeing with a politician for no apparent reason? Have you ever thought why many people support a certain politician even though they hold a ‘foolish’ standpoint? Have you ever thought of how language influences people’s decisions in a political environment? While it is true that humans are complex creatures and clear linear relationships rarely apply in the real world, language usage and perception undoubtedly plays a significant role in the world of politics, especially today where social factors such as gender and ethnicity are gaining more attention. In this brief article, I will look at the use of language in political discourse. More specifically, we will also look at the phenomenon known as code-switching, how and why it occurs and some of the effects it bears.
The new UN-peacekeeping budget: pun intended!
At the end of June, the budget for peacekeeping operations for the period from 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2022 was approved by the United Nations. Eye-watering sums have been allocated in order to maintain buffers between hostilities that have been stewing for decades.
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