According to school authorities in Oregon (USA), maths is racist ?. Thus, from now on, they must teach it in an anti-racist manner in order to “dismantle white supremacy” (https://equitablemath.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/11/1_STRIDE1.pdf):

In their illogical logic, maths teachers should no longer insist on the “right answer” or on the mistakes that need to be fixed. Can you imagine? We are talking about maths here. How can 1+1 not equal 2 and how can a number be racist because it is the (only) right answer?

It would be naive to think that this is only an Oregon story. Do a quick search of the internet or find out what students are being taught. With this regard, you may also wish to read some titles of our funded Canadian grant applications in scientific fields like physics or medicine. You may have also heard about scholars calling to “decolonize” bookshelves, maths, and science degrees, whatever this means.

To conclude this post on a positive and selfish note, when Bambi watches a video like the one below, she is grateful to life, thanking God: Even if she is sad for our civilizational malaise, as a result of three recurrent miscarriages, she does not have children to worry about their education…

Bambi woke up early in the morning to wonderful news from Lebanon. Despite its destroyed capital, power outages, and challenged healthcare system, this country is managing its vaccination campaign from the best of its capacity. Yes, Bambi’s beloved relatives received their vaccine (75+ following healthcare providers). What a relief and what an ironic contrast with us here in Canada where Bambi’s beloved relatives, friends and senior fellow citizens are still waiting… Yes, look at our performance compared to countries like Morocco or even like Serbia or Roumania, and/or others… Yes, the world is truly upside down :(!

Now, the day is about to end in New Brunswick, Canada (in 10 minutes). Well, Bambi just toured the news and read the disappointing news about the “Lebanese judge removed from Beirut blast probe, according to a judicial source” to France 24. Remember this huge explosion of August 4, 2020 that destroyed Beirut, killed over 206 people (including at least two toddlers), injured 6500+, and made over 300/400,000 families homeless? Yes, this one. It was one of the largest non-nuclear blasts of the world (as per L’Orient Today). Well, families of the victims are upset. Many took the streets, despite the coronavirus pandemic:

https://today.lorientlejour.com/article/1252441/the-beirut-port-blast-investigation-is-on-hold-indefinitely-after-a-court-decision-to-remove-the-judge-in-charge-of-the-probe.html

https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20210218-lebanon-judge-removed-from-beirut-blast-probe-judicial-source

Bambi will not spend time talking about political interference, mafia-like players/politicians who seem to only care about protecting each other. She does not understand how all this operates. Plus, she did not have faith in this process from day 1. Mind you, she does not even trust international investigations, even if six months ago she joined her voice to all those demanding it.

Did Bambi give up on justice then? No, of course not, despite its imperfections, it remains the wisest, most brilliant, and logical tool human beings have ever created to bring a form of accountability. It is just a shame to see this happening in a capital with a long history of aspirations for justice. For those who do not know it, Beirut hosted the “Law School of Berytus” (= Beirut), teaching Roman law, in the classical antiquity era. When will impunity end in the wounded and traumatized Lebanon? Doesn’t it deserve better than this circus? Don’t Beirut citizens deserve respect by their so-called public servants?

May God give Lebanon’s people patience whilst awaiting to see the light of truth and justice at the end of the tunnel. Even if it seems far away now, one day this light will shine again on you Beirut!

To conclude this post with tenderness, here is a re-posted beautiful artistic gesture, along with Feiruz’s famous “Li Beirut” song. It is a tribute to the surrealistic Beirut port explosion’s victims, those in heaven… and victimized again today.

Yesterday, we heard Mr. Trudeau struggling to pronounce the word “genocide” to refer to the Chinese mistreatment of the Uighurs.

Today, we read about Mr. Biden telling us that the Chinese authorities’ behaviour is due to “cultural differences” or “a cultural norm”. Does that make any sense? Perhaps it does when you seem to have sold your soul to the other side and you want to justify their behaviours to your supporters? With all due respect to Mr. Biden, this is reminding Bambi of some of the Lebanese politicians’ apparent loyalty to foreign countries over their own.

https://www.irishpost.com/news/joe-biden-defends-china-on-human-rights-record-and-accusations-of-genocide-and-torture-citing-cultural-differences-204074

https://thepostmillennial.com/watch-biden-excuses-genocide-of-uyghur-muslims-in-china-as-a-cultural-norm

Perhaps more specifically related to cultural relativism, this story is reminding Bambi of an awful one that took place in 1994 and shocked Bambi (as well as her sisters) at the time… it involved a Québec judge, called Ms. Raymonde Verreault (a woman on top of that!), who reduced the sentence of a father who raped his 9-year-old step-daughter from the maximum punishment of 10 years to 23 months only (with 1 year probation). Why? Listen well to this… because he sodomized his young victim, thus preserving her virginity, which is very important in his Muslim religion (the man is of Algerian origins)!! Can you imagine? Her argument was the following: This “seems to be a very important value in their respective religion. So, we can say that in a way, the accused spared his victim …

To conclude this post, Mr. Biden and Mr. Trudeau seem to have the same lover (China). Bambi wonders if Mr. Biden will use the same excuse (cultural norm) to justify his relationship with Iran? Sadly, when the latter is justified and empowered, Lebanon pays the direct price (by strengthening the Hezbollah’s hegemony on it).

https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2011/11/26/une-tragedie-evitable

Google translate of the article above from the Journal de Montréal (2011):

https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&u=https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2011/11/26/une-tragedie-evitable

Can someone explain to Bambi what our federal government is trying to achieve with this?! Look at what it is doing with our PRIVATE companies using the Statistics Canada agency (mission, channels, platform, infrastructure!)!! The government “wants to know everything” about us indeed, Mr. Martineau is right!

Even the Catholic church of Québec before its “Quiet Revolution” did not resort to this level of interference in people’s private lives. Well, even Lebanon’s Hezbollah with its Iranian-based hegemony, did not think of doing this… to the best of Bambi’s knowledge (Oups, Bambi should not give them ideas now!).

Before translating M. Martineau’s article for you, please keep in mind the following:

“Statistics Canada is the national statistical office. The agency ensures Canadians have the key information on Canada’s economy, society and environment that they require to function effectively as citizens and decision makers” :

https://www.statcan.gc.ca/eng/start

This means that Statistics Canada is supposed to serve citizens allowing them access to public information to “function effectively as citizens and decision makers” . It is not supposed to be used, like the mainstream media have being instrumentalized by our government through public funding. It is not supposed to be politicized or religiosized (i.e., the ideology of wokeism). Can our government tell us why they are trying to achieve with our own tax money?!

Keeping this in mind, now is the time for Bambi to shut up (hard to do, as she is upset). Below you an find a quick translation of Mr. Martineau’s informatively shocking article…. but first, here is a link to his original French piece. Thankfully, the Journal de Montréal still publishes independent writers like Mr. Martineau, Dr. Facal, Ms. Durocher, Mr. Bock-Côté, and others:

(https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2021/02/16/on-veut-tout-savoir

“To find out how Canadian businesses are doing during the pandemic, Statistics Canada sent a long questionnaire to several entrepreneurs across the country.

The large-scale survey, which ran from January 11 to February 11, aims to measure the impact of COVID-19 on businesses in Canada.

“By participating in this survey, you bring invaluable perspective to governments, chambers of commerce and business associations by providing them with up-to-date information to design strategies that will support the survival and sustainability of Canadian businesses. “

EACH IN HIS CASE

Here is what you can read at the end of the questionnaire …

“Question 28: What percentage of this business is owned by women?

Question 29: What percentage of this business is owned by First Nations, Métis or Inuit?

Question 30: What percentage of this business is owned by immigrants to Canada?

Question 31: What percentage of this business is owned by people with disabilities?

(Include visible and non-visible disabilities)

Question 32: What percentage of this business is owned by LGBTQ2 individuals?

(The term LGBTQ2 refers to people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or two-spirit)

Question 33: What percentage of this business is owned by visible minorities?

(In Canada, a visible minority person is a person, other than an indigenous person, who is not of white race or colour, regardless of his/her place of birth) “

“WITH WHOM ARE YOU SLEEPING?”

I imagine the owner of the company behaving like a good citizen and who wants to fill out his questionnaire correctly…

“Hey, Pedro…

– Yes?

– I have, uh, a question for you.

– Yes what?

– Where are you from?

– What do you mean, where am I from? Because my name is Pedro, I’m not a real Canadian, is that it?

– No, no, I just want to know…

– I was born here and my father was born here, OK? I’m as Canadian as you are!

Okay, Pedro, okay, don’t get upset… Uh, I have another question.

– What?

– Uh… do you have an invisible disability?

– Why ? Do you think I’m doing my job badly?

– No, no, but… Aren’t you dyslexic? Or deaf in one ear?

– No, I’m doing great!!!!

– OK, last question, my Pedro … Uh … Hmm … I don’t know how to ask you that…

– Go ahead, I’m in a hurry!

– Are you gay or bisexual?

– WHAT???? How does that concern you, who do I sleep with?

– Uh, I’m sorry, it’s the government that wants to know, not me…

– It’s none of your business, okay?

– You’re right … But … Are you allosexual, by any chance?

– What is that?

– Do you think I would know that myself?”

WE WANT TO KNOW EVERYTHING

There was a time when we didn’t care where you came from, if you were disabled, who you slept with.

Now we are compiling these data. The society is cut into small, thin slices.

What percentage of black blood is in your veins? What are your sexual practices?

We’re there, folks.

And something tells me that this is just the start.“

According to Mr. Trudeau, the term “genocide” is “extremely loaded“, so serious international standards must be met before it can formally be used in describing China’s (mis)treatment of the Uighurs (as per the Gravitas video below).

https://globalnews.ca/video/7643720/trudeau-asked-about-use-of-genocide-to-describe-chinas-actions-against-ugighur-minority/

Of course, he is right, it is heavily loaded and it should not be used lightly. Many of Bambi’s friends lost relatives to genocides during civil war. So, her own definitions or points of reference are like Mr. Romeo Dallaire’s tragic experience in Rwanda. To come back to Mr. Trudeau now, why does he use words like genocide or like systemic racism or white supremacy, etc. lightly? Mind you, he does it only when it is his own country… or our neighbours, but never when it is about China?

Indeed, in contrast, he seems to always walk on eggshells when it comes to China. He does not do it with his own fellow citizens, namely with regard to the tragedy of deaths and disappearances of indigenous women and girls.

Every day and every night, Canadians self-flagellate because they are so bad as a country with our ongoing “genocide” of indigenous people. Yes, there has been a cultural genocide sadly for sure :(…. but ongoing? And we are guilty, but not China? Does that make any sense? Perhaps it does if we call Mr. Trudeau the Governor-in-Chief of China in Canada?

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trudeau-mmiwg-genocide-1.5161681

The title of this post is about Mr. Gibran Khalil Gibran’s Garden of the Prophet, specifically his wise words about the sadness of countries divided by tribes instead of being unified.

Keeping this in mind, look at the new woke logic of some Canadian intellectuals, like Mr. Allen Alexandre (“a veteran federal Liberal political organizer who has served many Trudeau cabinet ministers in a senior capacity”). In an article published in the Toronto Star, we can read his article (https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/2021/02/16/trudeau-george-floyd-and-the-emergence-of-black-canadian-identity.html), entitled “Trudeau, George Floyd, and the emergence of Black Canadian identity”. Here are some extracts:

“…But squeezed into the French/English language divide, these disparate groups’ integration defaulted along the fault lines of Canada’s two solitudes. And absent a clear common cause or issue to bring them together, their interactions ended up largely mirroring the dynamics of Canadian dualism in the decades that followed.

Until September 2019…”

“… At the social level, a number of influential Black-founded and Black-mandated organizations have burst onto the national stage. They are led by a legion of young, pragmatic, and media savvy torchbearers who are not hampered by the cultural, linguistic, and technological constraints that limited their parents’ capacity to co-operate. Combined with movements, such as Black Lives Matter, these organizations represent a disruptive force that is accelerating the cohesion of 1.2 million Black Canadians at an unforgiving pace.

“… In the end, history likely will regard Justin Trudeau as the most consequential prime minister for Black Canadians. But ultimately, it will be his ability to absorb and embody the nascent Black Canadian collective consciousness that will determine whether, like his father, he secures for his party the loyalty of yet another generation of Black Canadians”.

Look at how the author is insinuating that a skin colour (or so called-black Canadian identity, to use his own words) is more noble and more meaningful than being Canadian or being Québecker.

In other parts of his article, he seems to be telling us how much younger generations know better than their parents’ and grand-parents’ who immigrated to our beautiful country and contributed to building it. For him, the patriotic project around their adoptive county is the meaningless “two solitudes” of Canada. How sad and how out of touch his vision is from an immigrant point of view. Is he telling us that a Haitian has more in common with a Nigerian than a Haitian has in common with another francophone?

Like Bambi and her parents, those parents he is referring to left disrupted or literally destroyed birth countries dreaming of this welcoming Canada, with its imperfections and stories/histories. They love their adoptive country more than he can imagine. Bambi bets that most of them do not want to adhere to radical movements, like wokeism. They want to respect everyone and be respected by everyone. Not because they are from a so called “racialized” (= victimized) group, but because they are actually like everyone else. Of course, like everyone else, they are whom they are uniquely, that is whole individuals who are creative, resilient, and hard-working members of society.

The multiculturalism of Mr Trudeau dad he is referring is of course interesting, but only up to a certain point… precisely, when more than ever, we need to remain united in order not to lose our soul or common points of reference as a nation or a country still in infancy. Not as a “post-national” hotel or tent where tribes live (contrary to what Mr. Trudeau Junior said about Canada being a post-national country). This multiculturalism has no choice but to be reasonable and flexible. Else, it will keep lending itself to radical movements like the wokeism the author is describing. To cite one politician he did not mention in his article, namely Mr. Maxime Bernier, it is perhaps about time to “promote what unites us”.

Ask any immigrant, whether from an African country, from Haiti, or from war-torn Lebanon, he or she will tell you about how much they thrive to work hard, earn a living whilst raising their children in a unified country, that treats them with dignity without using them in empty yet potentially dangerous ideologies. If Mr. Trudeau can sincerely offer or still offer them this vision of Canada to them, they will vote for him. If not, like Bambi did the last time, they will look elsewhere, even after having been a historical liberal voter and remaining a Classical Liberal believing in free thinking, free speech, and free love of one’s country (even when the head of this party does not seem to still believe in all this….).   

To conclude this post, this author may be wrong. It is the children or new generation he is talking about who may surprise him by refusing this neo-radicalim empty of substance (a type of neo-marxism) and eventually destructive. The majority of people, younger and more senior (even if it is silent) is not into radicalism, whether the latter comes from the left or the right (nowadays it is the left that seems to have gone crazy)… and even if such radical movements seem to be sanctioned by our state (or our institutions and brains taken over by them).

With regard to the Covid-19 vaccination, Canada is lagging behind MANY countries like Israel, the United Arab Emirates, the UK, the USA, even the heavily bureaucratic European Union, etc.

Our mainstream media (especially the CBC), an extension of our government, tends to ignore (= hide) such information.

Of course, there are supply-chain and other logistical obstacles worldwide (well explained in the Gravitas video below). Bambi still wants to trust that our government officials have been working HARD to secure vaccines since the earliest days of the pandemic.

Yes, Mr. Trudeau may have made the mistake of putting too much faith in China (all his eggs in the same basket), but luckily, he did well by trying to secure vaccines from more than one company since then.

More recently, Mr. Trudeau approached Mr. Modi, the PM of India to ask for help. More vaccines will arrive to us from India within a month. Sadly, Mr. Trudeau’s good move came after having made a diplomatic faux pas with India by interfering in its conflict with its farmers. Mind you, he was on the same page as Mr. Greta Thunberg ? on this one (or at least with those who manipulate her… or her Twitter account).

Anyhow, Mr. Trudeau finally woke up. He came to his diplomatic wisdom. It is nice to see him putting his Canadian fellow citizens’ public safety first (thank you). To appear more genuinely caring to us, it would be perhaps wise to also put aside any arrogance about our country’s performance. We can refrain from giving lessons to the world, especially when Canada seems like the third world of the developed countries.

Related to our domestic affairs, it would be perhaps also helpful if our federal government does not put blame on the provinces and territories… at least in the media. Of course, it is great to see our federal government strategizing the scaling up process with the provinces/territories. Sadly, it is once again a delayed response (but it is never too late). In this crisis and in former ones, Bambi has the impression sometimes that whenever the Feds seem to be stuck or paralyzed by inaction (Trudeau’s typical reaction when overwhelmed), they rely on their best brains, namely Mr. Dominic Leblanc. So, thanks to him for his latest intervention about the vaccines ((https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/feds-meeting-with-provinces-to-strategize-on-scaling-up-domestic-vaccine-capacity-leblanc-1.530731).

Let’s be clear here. Bambi’s issue is not about all the above. Bambi is specifically upset about the use of identity politics to hide the inefficiency thus far. Indeed, instead of using a scientifically-based approach to determine our priority target groups of first vaccination (strictly based on health-related needs), we now seem to be relying on political calculations (ahead of elections? Or out of conviction?). We read about target groups like indigenous people. Why? Is there a logic like remoteness? Age? High comorbidity like obesity or diabetes mellitus, etc.? We also hear about black Canadians. Why? As part of an-at-risk group like healthcare providers or other? For instance, knowing that healthcare providers are the first target group because they are at an increased risk of being exposed to the coronavirus. We need to protect them first as they take care of us. Another target group are perhaps senior citizens. Maybe first those in nursing homes and then those living in their community (some being more remote than others or far from vaccine centres, etc.). Yes, we also think of other vulnerable groups like taxi drivers/bus drivers or the senior inmates or the inmates with underlying health conditions (then the rest of inmates, etc.), etc.

Well, instead of this, we are reading about “black Canadians” or “Indigenous people” or BIPOCS (the silly acronym meaning Black, Indigenous, or People—or deer–of colour ?), etc. If we focus on healthcare providers in a cosmopolitan city like Toronto, chances are they would resemble their city in their diversity. Who cares about their skin colour or where their grand-parents are buried or their religion, etc. We care to protect them ALL. So for sure, the strategy will be naturally equitable then. Same for cab drivers, even those from recent or older immigration in Toronto or Montreal (mind you, in Montreal, chances are they would be of Lebanese or Haitian origins). In contrast, in Sackville, NB, our dear taxi drivers would likely be from the local community (some from other Canadian cities). This means non-immigrants or to use the fancy awful language of our time: non-BIPOC or non-people of colour or non-blacks or… plain boring white in the mind of the woke radicals who are obsessed with race (e.g., Toronto has a task force of black scientists on vaccine equity, imagine: https://www.toronto.ca/news/black-scientists-task-force-on-vaccine-equity/).

https://www.cbc.ca/radio/thehouse/racialized-canadians-vaccine-priority-1.5911952

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/indigenous-vaccinations-priority-marc-miller-1.5889826

In other terms, why are we playing a “racial” game now? Bambi even read articles that seem to play the “religious” card (making an analogy with the UK). Well, thus far thankfully, even Lebanon did not seem to fall for this silly trap of identity politics, despite the legitimate concerns of citizens about any cheating about the roll out of the vaccination (e.g., corrupt politicians or connected/richer people, etc.).  

To conclude this post, why can’t Canada just focus on target groups truly based on the science and not on identity politics. Eventually, when more vaccine are administered and if depending on new data about the safety of vaccines or the coronavirus mutation, we can perhaps consider adding other target groups vaccine (e.g. pregnant women as their immune system is compromised, etc.).

 

It is funny because this morning (or was it yesterday night :)?), Bambi shared the following personal thought with her spouse: “I so much wish to see a wise, courageous politician, perhaps Mr. Legault, doing something about this problem… It is about time“. Well, Mr. Legault seems to have listened to Bambi’s wish :).

It is true that education is a provincial responsibility in Canada. However, according to Bambi (not mentioned by Québec PM), there is sadly a negative influence from our federal government (through funding of ideas/programs, perhaps based more on US-imported ideologies, which are becoming like our orthodoxies). Despite the good intentions of course, our federal government (without realizing it) may actually be contributing to the problem described below.

Of course, to this we add the increased intolerance of different opinions. In other places like Lebanon sadly, people/activists can be killed because of their different opinions. In our country, people/activists can be cancelled (or silenced). In both countries, there is fear and this leads to self-censorship.

Well, Québec, the “belle” province (or distinct society) of our beautiful Canada, has a tradition of public debates. It is not afraid of discussions and arguments (it even had two referendums on sovereignty and, more recently, a debate on reasonable accommodations). Perhaps because of that, and to keep preserving its unique culture (being a minority in North America), Québec may be perhaps more talented in pushing back against non-sense when it sees it. Who knows? Ironically, perhaps it would be Québec that could help save the rest of Canada from the potentially toxic influence of this US civilizational malaise (or by extension, the malaise of the Western world in general, which seems to be increasingly losing its points of reference).

This being said, thank you, Mr. Legault for suggesting “a serious chat” (or public debate) on academic freedom and freedom of expression in Québec. Bambi hopes it would be an inspiration to all of us.

Without further due, here is Mr. Legault’s tweet, followed by a quick translation of his beautiful Facebook message (https://www.facebook.com/400223946701308/posts/3855424881181180/?d=n). “Merci bien Monsieur le Premier Ministre du Québec”!

“We hear a lot about academic freedom and free speech these days. I am thinking in particular of the story of the University of Ottawa which shocked a lot of people, myself included.

We see that a handful of radical activists who are trying to censor certain words and works. We see a movement coming here from the United States and frankly, I find that it does not resemble us.

What is really worrying is that more and more people are feeling intimidated. They feel forced to censor themselves for fear of being insulted and reported in the public arena.

Professors are being asked to erase the works of some of our great writers, such as Anne Hébert, Réjean Ducharme, Dany Laferrière or Pierre Vallières. It’s absurd. It goes against the whole idea of ​​the university.

And then it’s not limited to campuses. In the fall, I experienced it myself when activists tried to censor my reading suggestions because I recommended a book by Mathieu Bock-Côté, which dealt precisely with the excesses of political correctness.

Recently, a university lecturer testified in a newspaper that she had been denounced and harassed for using the words “man” and “woman”!

It goes too far. The situation is getting out of hand. I think this is the time to have a serious discussion all together.

The use of certain words can hurt, and the pain of those who feel it should be recognized. On the other hand, their just cause must not be hijacked by radicals who want to censor, muzzle, intimidate and restrict our freedom of speech.

Between injury and censorship, we have to draw a line.

While it may be healthy to question certain conceptions or behaviours and avoid offending or hurting, we should not sacrifice our freedom of expression. We need to stand up so that intimidated people know they have the right to present facts and ideas, and that we will be there to defend them.

The same goes for people who are victims of racism. They need to know that we will not ignore hate speech, racist acts or discrimination.

Freedom of expression is one of the pillars of our democracy. If we start making compromises on this, we risk seeing the same censorship spill over into our media, into our political debates. We will stop wanting to say anything anymore. No one will dare to talk about immigration, for example, if every time you bring it up, you get shouted nonsense. Nobody wants that. Not me anyway.

This problem started with our universities, and I think this is where we are going to have to fix it first. Higher Education Minister Danielle McCann is working on this with academic environments to act quickly.

Our universities should be places of respectful debate, uncensored debate and the search for truth, even when the truth may shock or provoke. We will do what it takes to help our universities protect our freedom of expression.

But we also have a responsibility there. We all have a duty to stand up for our fundamental principles in the face of bullying attempts.

If you start to censor yourself out of fear of being insulted, or if you don’t stand up for someone who is the victim of this, you are playing the radical game. I understand it can be scary, but we have to stand up, stay firm. The more people who refuse to give in to the intimidation of a minority of radicals, the more fear will recede.

Happy Saturday everyone.

Your prime minister”

First, here is the CBC article:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/who-coronavirus-investigation-1.5906617

Second, below you can find the Gravitas‘ short news documentary (out of India).

According to Gravitas, China seems to have obstructed access to raw data of waste water as well as blood samples prior to December, 2019 (citing internal laws or appearing to perhaps having destroying the needed evidence?). One must add that the WHO investigators were provided with “analyzed data” only, instead of “raw data”. Furthermore, China still has the nerve to blame the USA. As Ms. Sharma concluded, “the worst part of all this is that the world is putting up with it.”

Although it is likely not China’s problem that this coronavirus started in this country (it could have happened anywhere else…), the behaviour of the Chinese authorities, at the start of the pandemic and now, is problematic to all of us worldwide.

So, please China, can you learn to be more considerate and genuinely collaborative? It would be a good fresh start on the day following this lunar (New) Year [Happy New Year, by the way!]. After all, it is the year of the Ox, if Bambi understands well. Can you please be like the Ox, that is honest and reliable, whilst being determined“? Thank you.

What a moving AND inspiring interview with Ms. Sarah Copeland… Ouf. Thank you Ms. Melissa Fleming, the United Nations’ Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications, for your “Awake at Night” interview.

From the UN website, we can read the following:

This week’s guest is Sarah Copland. Sarah first joined the UN as part of the Young Professionals Programme in Political Affairs. In 2015, along with husband Craig, Sarah moved to NYC for her first UN post with the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) in the Policy and Best Practices Service. They were in NYC for 4 years, where Isaac was born. The family then moved to Beirut for Sarah’s work on women’s rights and gender equality in the ESCWA Centre for Women.

On August 4th 2020, as Sarah was working and simultaneously preparing for the arrival of her second child, Ethan, she and her family were tragically caught in the vast explosion that caused devastation across Beirut. Isaac, Sarah’s first born son, was killed. Trying to understand her grief, Sarah started writing a blog, and in the process, her words have resonated with others experiencing loss.

“Writing helps me organize my thoughts because it’s, it’s a mess up here. There’s just so much going on in my head and it helps others relate to me, I think which in turn helps me because I found in these past few months, I’ve shut down a lot. And it’s through writing that I’m able to connect again. Because once if people can read how I feel, then that sort of opens up a door to be able to connect and talk.”

Here is the interview, both as a podcast (S3-Episode 16: Isaac) and a full transcript:

https://www.un.org/en/awake-at-night/S3-E16-isaac

To Ms. Sarah Copeland, to her spouse Mr. Craig, and their beautiful family (Isaac in heaven and baby Ethan born in October, 2021), Bambi sends her heart… Thank you Ms. Copeland for sharing your story and for all what you did to Beirut and the Arab world (women’s rights/gender equality). Bambi is TERRIBLY sorry for your loss (your adorable Isaac is Beirut’s and our world’s loss too…).

To conclude this post, this Beirut man-made tragedy is still unaccountable, six months after the tragedy. Doesn’t Isaac deserve justice?! As a reminder, a female engineer is still jailed (scapegoat?) whilst all the Lebanese politicians, up to the high levels (President’s office) who knew about the ammonium nitrate for years are enjoying their freedom. The underlying tragedy of Lebanon is that its justice system is both corrupt and politicized. Of course, no other country is immune to this, including us here… and including UN tribunals (i.e., the disappointing verdict about the assassination of former PM Mr. Hariri). Anyhow, Lebanon is sadly a world leader now with regard to systemic corruption. Perhaps related to this, it is also sadly at the end of the bottom list when it comes to quality of life ranking (Bambi thanks Paul for sharing, https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/quality-of-life-rankings). Of note, perhaps Bambi’s eyes missed it, but Venezuela does not appear to be among the list of countries in the link above. Regardless, we know how bad its situation is from its 2020 reported inflation of 3000 percent (https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/02/12/21/venezuela-reports-2020-inflation-of-3000-percent). The question is which country is worse when it comes to hyperinflation, Venezuela or Lebanon? Perhaps it is still Venezuela’s economic model fiasco (yes, extreme socialism can kill entrepreneurship, destroying economies)? However, Venezuelans of Lebanese origins who escaped to Beirut are unsure of the answer, still wondering which is worse than which (https://www.ft.com/content/a7137fa5-0ff4-4248-8814-deb0b5a9e4dd)… One thing is sure: Lebanon seems to be doomed when it comes to intellectual and military sovereignty on its own land (Iran’s hegemony regionally and its related Hezbollah’s influence internally).