Ed,

Thanks so much for the letter, the update, and the inquiry in Assisted Living.

I’ve been able to come up with some “shards of wisdom” regarding Independent Living, Assisted Living, and Nursing Homes.  I don’t know if any of this will help you, but here goes.

I find it a problem with a lot of people not know the differences between Independent Living, Assisted Living, and Nursing Homes.  Most people, when they hear any of the three, have in their minds Nursing Homes and an immediate reaction that it should be “avoided at all costs”.  But when the distinction is made, they are able to consider Independent Living and/or Assisted Living as being much more tolerable.  (Smile)

I also have mobility problems (balance) that makes it necessary to use a walker.  I appreciated the Independent Living facility where my meals, my friends, and my activities were all within a “walker’s” distance.  Even with a cane, I was falling almost once a month.  But in an environment where I could use my walker all the time, I never fell down.

My space was spacious.  It was about 1,000 square feet (about the size of my condo at Vista Royale).  I found the food good.  After being here a few weeks, I made a comment at our table (of four) that I liked the food here in that I was afraid it was going to be bland.  A woman, sitting across from me, made a face as if to communicate, “How can anyone like the food here?”  I looked at her said, “Look, for 15 years I have been a bachelor and this food is definitely better than bachelor food.  (Smile)  Your monthly lease here includes weekly “light housekeeping”.  The “housekeeper” comes in and gives a quick sweep of the floors, cleans the bathrooms and kitchen, etc.  I got to know my housekeeper and her military son better than I did the other residents. 

Because I wanted to be on a strict diet, I opted out of the meal plan (3 meals a day) and was given a $400.00 a month credit.  However, I was the last resident able to use that option.  In fact, had I remained under my next lease, I would have had to have paid that $400 and also the amount of the annual lease.  (I’ve lost over 40 pounds since I went there.) 

I was a little disappointed with the activities, though.  I would have preferred a few more activities that were more intellectually challenging.  Most of the activities were for Bingo, or board games (including Mexican Train).  They had, I felt, good professional musicians in here performing to a non-interested crowd.  (I felt sorry for some of the performers.)  One time Virginia and I went to The Villages to consider those places.  I looked at the “daily catalog” of activities and events, and found the same thing. 

One big problem I felt that you probably wouldn’t mind was social.  There were a lot of social activities, but socially, one only dealt with others on a superficial level.  People were friendly, but not to the point of developing a “friend” relationship.  I find this more a product of our society than the problem of one institution.  I found it at UUFVB, I found it at Rotary, and other places.  You would meet people in the halls, greet them, talk about the weather or what you did last week, and then the planned event would begin and so you never conversed more deeply than that. 

If your problem is mobility/walker, I would recommend Independent Living.  I sold my car after being here one month because I realized I wouldn’t need it.  I order my food from WalMart and everything else from Amazon and everything is delivered to my door.  The only thing I miss with not having a car is going to events like concerts, or plays.  (Or Friday mornings at Panera.)  I thought I would develop “friends” who had car and I could go with them.  But that was not to be. 

Discovery Village has both Independent Living and Assisted Living in two separate wings.  Other than that, all activities and events are mixed so you don’t know if someone is Independent or Assisted.  The difference is that the people in Assisted Living require some form of assistance and their rate will be determined by the level of assistance.  One of the most common needs for Assisted Living is bath.  If you require assistance to take a bath/shower, then you would be an AL.  Other assistances would include the taking of your medicines, memory problems, etc.  Some of the people in AL have their own caregivers come in to give them assistance.  (Some people in IL will also have caregivers come in for a few hours now and then.)  jThis might include people who are wheelchair-bound. 

If you were to look into different Independent Living facilities, my regrets would include questions I’d be unable to research.  Like Reserves.  Just as condos need Reserves to handle capital assets like roofing, pavement, pool, etc. Independent Living facilities are not regulated much at all.  As a result, you cannot view their Reserves although you should be able to. 

Discovery Village is having a lot of problems now with their infrastructure – heating, hot water, air conditioners, pool, etc.  I’m sure that when Discovery Village bought it from Isles of Vero three years ago that no on did a Due Diligence.  I’m sure the DV people thought they would save money by not having a DD or by having their paper-pushers from Corporate do it rather than spend money on an engineering firm.  And now, with all their problems, Corporate is expecting the local facility to take care of all of these issues through their annual budget rather than from their Reserves.  As a result, band-aids are being applied where they need surgery.

But as far as I know, there is nothing you can do to spot a problem area like this in your searching. 

I don’t know if these thoughts have been instruction to you at all, but if they raised more questions than they have answered, please feel free to write me back and ask.

 

David

 

 

Compassion

How do you define “Compassion”.  I could give you my definition but then this post would become one of  semantics which is not the intention.  I will allow you to have your own definition of “compassion”.

Do you value compassion?  Is compassion a high value in your system of values?  I would hope so.  If you do not value compassion, then you can stop reading here.  I only want to communicate with others who feel that compassion (and empathy) are important values that we each should have.

How do you express compassion?  Or do you believe that compassion is something to be discussed but not include any action?  Again, if you don’t believe in delivering compassion to others, then you can stop reading.  I only want to communicate with others who believe that compassion should include some kind of action.

With that, let’s proceed.  For this exercise in compassion, let’s say that we do not “show” compassion to dead people.  Even when we go to a funeral, we may be showing respect to the dead person, but not compassion.  But those of us who value showing compassion will look for ways to show compassion to those others at the funeral who are currently alive – like the family and friends of the deceased. 

Now let’s apply this to the situation in Gaza.  Let’s be sorry for the over 45,000 Gazans who have been killed/murdered, but let’s realize that that feeling is not the same as showing compassion on them.  Instead, we need to show compassion on those who are still living in Gaza.

Now we are not talking about 45,000 people, we are talking about millions.  How many people have lost a spouse in Gaza?  How many parents have lost one or more children in Gaza?  How many people are unemployed in Gaza?  (It seems to me that the unemployment number in Gaza is close to 100%.)  How many parents are unable to support their families and children?  How do these people feel knowing that they are helpless in terms of helping their own families.  How many people in Gaza are living in fear every day of their lives?  How many people in Gaza have no hope of things getting better soon? 

Millions.  Millions of people are suffering in Gaza.  And they are suffering on a daily basis.  And yet, we only hear of the 45,000 that are dead.  We can’t do anything for the dead.  But we can do something for the millions of people in Gaza who are suffering every day. 

The first thing we can do for the millions of people who are suffering is to admit that this is wrong and this does not need to be the only situation of life or death.  But when I hear even the progressives here in the States say anything (which is far too seldom) they say that it issue shouldn’t even be discussed.  If it can’t be discussed, then it cannot be admitted that this is terribly wrong.  If we refuse to admit that this is terribly wrong, we are no better than the Germans in the 1930’s who said that the issue of Nazism shouldn’t be discussed.  I’ve been told that the issue is too complex, it’s been an issue of millennia and so it can’t be otherwise.  (Which is false because there wasn’t this issue before 1948.)  I’m told that we might offend some innocent people if we discuss it.  Correct discussion does not lead to offense.  The offense comes in attributing shame, or blame, or guilt onto labels that don’t deserve it. 

The labels of Hamas, or Jew, or Gaza, or Israel should not be used.  The guilty are those people who believe that the destruction of innocent men, women, and children is the appropriate action or reaction to take.  If you want to use a label, then use the label “Zionists” as your label that pretty much fits that category.  But not all Jews or people in Israel are Zionists just as all Muslims in Gaza are terrorists.  But you never hear Zionists argue their case because they would rather hid behind a Label that is meaningless. 

I have found that those who are in favor of war (both Iraq and Gaza are good examples here) are motivated by fear.  And those who are anti-war are motivated by compassion.  If I had a choice, and I thank all the gods that I do have a choice, I would rather be known as one who is motivated by compassion than by fear.

And that is true regardless of your definition of compassion.

David Kimball

 

 

Mellie,

Thanks so much for the “letter”.  I consider it a “letter” -  more than just a Message on Messenger.  And for that reason, I’m responding in an e-mail which, I think, is a better medium for letters.  (Smile)

I belong (?) to a group of people who meet every Monday morning, via Zoom, to discuss “Current Events”.  Much of this is what is going on politically in DC.  I think everyone is a progressive, and most of the people are former Unitarian Universalists, UU’s.  Needless to say, everyone was against Trump before the elections and still are.  But all they can do is talk with labels. 

The Monday before the elections, they were all excited because some famous pollster was “prophesying” a win for Harris.  They can only quote pollsters and pundits and editorials.  No one puts forth what is in their own mind except me.  What’s right for me is because it seems right with my particular World View.  I may read something that resonates with my views but I will only quote it because it resonates with me.  I never quote anyone else because (s)he is “an authority”.

I feel that my ideas are based on critical analysis, compassion and empathy towards others, my personal set of standards for ethics and justice, and based on the principles of conflict management.  I feel secure with my thoughts and ideas.  I enjoy it when someone “with authority” says something that resonates within me, but I won’t quote that person as an authority.  If I quote them, it’s only because I feel the person said something in a way that I wished I had said it that way. 

Everyone else in this intelligent group is afraid to say what they believe.  They will only quote others “in authority”. 

It became obvious to me this day before the election that people were looking for “authorities” to say how they felt.  They weren’t searching for Truth.  They weren’t trying to figure out the “other side”.  They had no idea what “those others” were feeling nor how they would vote.  They didn’t care.  All they cared about was finding an authority that would say what they were looking for. 

The problem with our society and its lack of critical analysis is on both sides – progressives and conservatives.  But they don’t realize it, so they don’t respond when it is brought to their attention. 

For a few weeks, this same group was talking about the “Bonhoeffer Moment” in the 1930’s and 1940’s and comparing it to the Trump era(s).  But when I brought up, like a prophet crying in the wilderness, that the “Bonhoeffer Moment” is today all about the situation in Gaza.  That is where tens of thousands are being massacred.  That is where millions are being displaced with no place to go while their homes are razed.  That is where the entire population now is officially unemployed so parents are unable to care for their own families.  Yet the United States is not only supporting this but is also promoting it.  How can we be concerned about the “sanctity” of our Republic/Nation and not be against this heinous crime.

I have discovered that those who were for in illegal invasion of Iraq (and Afghanistan, and Viet Nam) and now Gaza, are motived by fear.  Those who are against these wars, including Gaza are motivated by compassion and empathy towards others.  The choice in Gaza is not of believing some promise made by an invisible god to a shepherd (who was the father to both the Jews, and the Muslims) thousands of years ago vs the evil of the Muslims:  the choice is allowing ourselves to be motivated by fear or by compassion.  The Christians talk about the Sermon on the Mount, but don’t apply it to Gaza.  The Christians would rather have the 10 Commandments on the walls of schools rather than the Beatitudes.  Christians are still wanting to be led by the Old Testament god rather than the Christ of the Gospels.  (Actually, Christians today want to be directed by the theology of the Apostle Paul rather than the life of Christ.) 

When I bring up the issue of Gaza and what position we should have with it, I am tole (by Christian progressives) that it is a complex issue and we should just leave it alone.  Yet they will want to talk and talk and talk (and get nothing accomplished) about the Evil One in DC.  They do not accomplish anything with that talk either but it’s comfortable for them to talk about it together.

Yes, this is a group I am leaving behind.  They are lacking in my four standards:  1) critical analysis; 2) compassion and empathy; 3) Development of personal values for personal ethics and justice (rather than outsource their ethics to religion and justice to the government); and 4) Conflict Management. 

You asked about our being a Republic rather than Democracy?  You are right.  Technically we are, or should be, a Republic rather than a Democracy.  But everyone is so in love with the ideal of Democracy that they equate the United States with Ideal Democracy.  But in either case, it is not “representational”.  The legislature doesn’t represent the “masses” when it comes to gun control, or Defense spending, or how to count election votes or even if we should change our clocks twice a year. 

The voting today is based on the lobbying groups – a force/factor which didn’t exist at the time of the Constitution.  We have a “check and balance” system for three parts of the government (although none for the Judicial system any more) but the Lobbying groups are recent and so there are not checks and balances for them.  And the powers that be would rather keep it that way because they can control more of the money as long as the Lobbyists are not controlled. 

I see such a difference between US Democracy and Ideal Democracy.  I would fight for Ideal Democracy but I won’t fight to continue US Democracy.  US Democracy is not worth fighting for. 

My retreat, I have come to learn, is not a retreat from everyone.  Rather it is retreat from all that doesn’t matter to me.  I am avoiding all the people who don’t matter to me and where I don’t matter to them.  People are friendly, I have found, but few are desirous of making friends.  I am also withdrawing from activities that don’t matter.  And I’m enjoying this life. 

You are a person who has expressed an interest in me, and I really appreciate that.  I was 120% involved in the local UU church, in the local Rotary group, in the Interfaith Community, and even in the Independent Living facility.  Yet, no one was interested in having lunch or dinner with me, or getting together to just talk.  No one was interested in my thoughts or opinions or the experiences I have had throughout my journey.  I have learned how to be invisible.  And all I’m doing now is becoming involved only with those who are interested in me and I can have an interest in them.

I appreciated what you included in your letter about the goals of the “nationalist megachurches”.  I also resonated with your comments about how our society has become sheep following the advertising directives.  Our society started having their problems knowing what to believe because of the hyperboles of advertising.  We have come so accustomed to our advertisers that political decisions are determined by advertisers making 30 second “spots”.  There is no such thing as using critical analysis with advertisers.  And advertisers are pushing the Gospel of  “everything’s about you” rather than compassion and empathy.  Advertisers are great at dealing with product values of “good, better, best” but terrible in terms of developing any humanistic values.  And for any conflict in your life, you can always “buy” a solution.

You mentioned the fear of Social Security and Medicare getting cut off.  I’m not too worried about that.  It may change, but I don’t see it just disappearing.  That is “motivation by fear – of the unknown”.  If a person is concerned that money will run out, there is a very simple solution – remove the cap so that everyone pays SS regardless of how much money they make a year. 

And yes, the people who voted for Trump voted for him because of his personality, not because of his policies.  (I recognize that when Hillary ran against him.)  So now they have to reap what they has sown in their ignorance.  The problem is, so do we. 

Again, Democracy (or Representational Republic) is good  with two standards: 1) you have an intelligent and informed populace; and 2) you have a populace that will vote for the good of society even at a personal cost.  We have neither.  And of all the people discoursing against Trump, I don’t see anyone effectively changing that sad arrangement.

Again, thanks for writing and showing some appreciation/interest in me as a person with my own thoughts, ideas, and feelings.

Please tell me more about what Willow is doing in Texas and with her life.  It seems that you’ve done a great job of raising her not to be materialistic.  (Smile)

David

 

 Regarding the 2024 Elections:   

Am I surprised?  No.  Disappointed, yes, but not surprised. 

I see all around me people with serious concerns about the political changes of misfortune going on all around us and I almost feel guilty for not feeling in a more sympathetic manner.  The reason I will feel empathy but not sympathy is because I have had over 20 years to prepare for this time.   I sympathize with the feeling, but not the "shock" of the feeling.

Let me explain:

Many people will talk about 9/11 being a “watershed” experience for them.  9/11 didn’t surprise me.  If I was surprised, it was that such an attack didn’t happen before then.  We, the US, had been exhibiting our A/B (Arrogance/Belligerence) for such a long time before then, such an attack was inevitable.  Similarly, we, the US, had been exhibiting a complete lack of Skills of Democracy for such a long time before now that this election was inevitable.

Pure Democracy (as opposed to US Democracy) is based on two principles:  1) that there is an educated and informed populace; and 2) that the populace will vote for the good of society – even at a personal cost.  One doesn’t have to be a social scientist to see that we do not have, nor have we had, either of these two principles as a basis of our US Democracy.

By educated, I’m talking about being educated in the Skills of Democracy – not educated according to STEM or even STEAM subjects. 

My watershed experience happened in 2003 rather than 2000.  I had been participating in several “anti-war” demonstrations and protests against our invading Iraq at that time.  This included the largest protest in the world up to that time with over 5 Million people in the streets all on one day (Saturday).   It was evident that Bush, et al, was chafing at the bit to invade even to the point of sending Colin Powel to fall upon his sword by addressing the United Nations with obvious fabrications.  The only recognition this demonstration received was the sign of the  President’s social finger as a few weeks later he invaded Iraq and murdered/slaughtered well over 100,000 innocent men, women, and children.

Although the invasion was a heinous crime, to me, the bigger crime was that our society allowed this to happen without any repercussions.  Nada.  Nil.  That was when I realized that I did not want to identify with US Democracy any more.  That is when I decided to identify as a Global Citizen rather than a US Citizen.

One of the things I did was instead of blaming or accusing just the administration as being in the wrong, I blamed our society for allowing this to go unchecked.  Just as now I see the election as a manifestation that the problem is NOT with Trump, but with our society.  Just like the televangelist charlatans who draw the sheep up to the front of the alter to be bled of their money and allegiance - how much is that a problem with the charlatans and how much is it a problem of the sheep?

So back in 2003, I made the proverbial “40 day wilderness experience” to try to come up with the “root cause analysis" of what was wrong with our society. Back then I came up with the observation that our society was lacking in the Skills of Democracy in four (at least0 areas.  These were the following:  1) critical analysis; 2) compassion and empathy; 3) outsourcing of ethics and justice; and 4) conflict management.  

Our lacking in critical analysis is largely based on the Age of Marketing where everything is expressed in terms of hyper-hyperbole.  Everything is exaggerated to the point where people don’t even try to “learn to discern” the difference between Truth and Non-Truth.  I could go on, but I’m sure you recognize the problem and don’t need me to elaborate.

I’m also sure that you recognize that our  society is lacking in compassion and empathy towards others, so I won’t elaborate here either.

The problem of “outsourcing of ethics and justice” should be explained.  As a society, we outsource our ethics by listening to and following those ethics of religion, religious leaders, gurus, and even politicians.  As a result, instead of setting up our own standards of ethics, we just accept what we are told by others or by various interpretations of holy books like the Bible, the Koran, or Eastern religions, etc.  We have shed ourselves of our own personal responsibility of ethics.  Instead of developing our own list of ethical standards, we “use” the lists outside of ourselves. 

The same is true with justice:  We outsource our principles of justice to our legal system which is so broken as to be pathetic. 

So in 2003 we didn’t feel personally violated in either our ethics of justice when we invaded Iraq.  So too, now, with Trump.  Trump, the demagogue of the 21^st Century, is more than willing to be outsourced and be the voice of ethics and justice for our society looking for a source.  Instead of individuals developing their own principles of ethics and justice regarding Gaza, we just outsource the responsibility to “our US Democratic Government”. 

Back in 2003, I was so serious about these Democratic Skills that I decided to take a course in Conflict Management.  But I didn’t want to go to a Liberal, Left-Leaning University and be taught the same things I had learned throughout the Peace and Justice movement.  So I investigated and found an on-line course that was sponsored by the US State Department.  (With an Introduction by Henry Kissinger himself.)  This had been designed by the State Department for several countries in Central and South America.  (Evidently the  State Department determined that it would be better to teach them the principles of Conflict Management rather than have them follow our examples of how we responded in Cuba, and Nicaragua, and Chile, ad infinitum.  (smile)  The key takeaways here were “To Listen – Active Listening” and to “Dialogue”. 

I also took a series of courses and became “certified” in “Reconciliation Leadership” through the United Nations.  When I began that series, I didn’t even understand what “Reconciliation” entailed.  But I learned it was actually conflict management - dealing with areas of minor skirmishes such as the Philippines and Kosovo, etc.  And here I learned that the principles of conflict management were not only applicable in international conflicts, but also inter-personal conflicts, and even internal conflicts.  You hear people doing all kinds of training for internal stress, but I have never heard anyone taking any training for internal conflicts.  (Sigh)

Just as we were lacking in Conflict Management in 2003, so too we are lacking in it today.  That is why we are defined by our divisiveness.  That is why a demagogue such as Trump can master the art of creating conflict in order to control. 

Just as I found us lacking in these Democratic Skills in 2003, I’ve been putting up with that lack for these 20 years.  The main principle of American Democracy is that the majority wins.  If the majority is uneducated in critical analysis, compassion and empathy, insistent of outsourcing their ethics and justice principles, and lacking in conflict management, it is only natural that a demagogue such as Trump will be able to coalesce a majority.  It’s only natural that it will happen at some time.  And, lo and behold, that time is Now – just as Pogo’s statement is True:  “We have met the enemy, and the enemy is Us.” 

So this election did not surprise me.  As I mentioned, we have discovered that the problem is not just Trump, but with our uneducated society – uneducated in the Skills of Democracy. 

Note:  for both the Obama/McCain/Palin election and the Trump/Hillary election I performed a correlative analysis showing the States that went to which candidate as a correlation to that State’s ranking educationally - 1 through 50.  Of the top 15 States educationally, all but 2 or 3 went to the Progressive candidates; and of the bottom 15 States educationally, all but 2 or 3 went to the Conservative candidates – for both elections. 

After reading all kinds of analysis by the various politicos, I have yet to see one social critic suggest the long-term solution of trying to educate our society in my list of Democracy Skills.  (Sigh)

Enough. 

Now you know why I was not surprised by the election’s outcome.  I’ve had over 20 years of preparation for this time. 

As a solid example of the need for these skills even today – consider the situation in Gaza.  1)  Lack of critical analysis; 2) lack of compassion and empathy; 3) Lack of personal ethical principles and justice principles; and 4) lack of conflict management skills.  QED.

David

 

 

 

Resiliency Cost

Time, effort, energy, money, and all the other resources that will be necessary to expend in order to bring a community back to its condition before a disaster.  Imagine what the Resiliency Cost will  be for this  community in Spain.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/10/31/world/gallery/flash-flooding-spain/index.html

Note especially the picture of the cars piled up blocking a tunnel.

One type of Resiliency Cost – Gainful employment.  How many people will be out of a job, with no income, because their place of employment is destroyed?  How many people will be unable to work and thus will have no income for an extended period of time while they try to rebound?

What will it take for each individual, with the myriad of individual nuances of problems, to rebount to where they are equal to what they were before the disaster?  What will it take for the community to rebound?  What is the area underneath the curve of the Resiliency Curve from the time of the disaster to the time of the rebound?

Empathy is not a feeling – it is an understanding.  Understand the problems of Resiliency and you will learn empathy.

 

 UN General Assembly condemns the US economic embargo of Cuba for a 32nd year

    

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. General Assembly voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to condemn the American economic embargo of Cuba for a 32nd year after its foreign minister strongly criticized the Biden administration and expressed hope a new president would end it.

The vote in the 193-member world body was 187-2, with only the United States and Israel against the resolution, and one abstention. It tied the record for support for the Caribbean nation first reached in 2019 and again last year.

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez blamed the U.S. government’s “maximum pressure policy” aimed at depriving Cuba of the imported fuel it relies on for a widespread blackout this month, including when Hurricane Oscar lashed the island.

“President Joseph Biden’s administration usually claims that its policy is intended to ‘help and support the Cuban people,’” he said. “Who would believe such an assertion?”

General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding, but they reflect world opinion, and the vote has given Cuba an annual stage to demonstrate that the U.S. stands apart in its decades-old efforts to isolate the Caribbean nation.

Cuba has struggled with one of the worst economic and energy crises in its history. Besides waves of blackouts, citizens are frustrated over food shortages and inflation. Hundreds of thousands have migrated, many headed to the United States.

The embargo was imposed in 1960 following the revolution led by Fidel Castro and the nationalization of properties belonging to U.S. citizens and corporations. Two years later, it was strengthened.

In July 2016, then-Cuban President Raul Castro and then-President Barack Obama officially restored relations, and that year the U.S. abstained on the resolution calling for an end to the embargo for the first time. But Obama’s successor, Donald Trump, sharply criticized Cuba’s human rights record, and in 2017 the U.S. again voted against the resolution, and it has ever since.

U.S. deputy ambassador, Paul Folmsbee, told the assembly that the United States strongly supports the Cuban people’s pursuit of a future that respects human rights and fundamental freedoms.

“Sanctions are one element of our broader effort to advance democracy and promote respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in Cuba,” he said.

He noted that about 1,000 political prisoners have been unjustly detained in Cuba, more than at any point in Cuba’s recent history.

Folmsbee said U.S. sanctions exempt food, medicine and other basic goods and that the U.S. exported nearly $336 million in agricultural products and authorized additional humanitarian exports last year.

In May, the U.S. lifted some financial restrictions against Cuba in an effort to boost private businesses on the island. That included allowing independent entrepreneurs to open and access U.S. bank accounts online to support their businesses as well as steps to open up more internet-based services and expand private companies’ ability to make certain financial transactions.

Rodriguez said that under Biden’s presidency, Cuba has lost more than $16 billion and that measures announced in the last year “as alleged palliatives” to the embargo are not effective.

Noting next week’s U.S. presidential election, the Cuban minister said the winner will have the opportunity to decide whether to continue “the inhumane siege measures of the last six decades” or heed an increasing number of Americans and an overwhelming majority of nations “and allow our country to develop its true potential and capabilities.”

Rodriguez said Cuba will defend its “right to build an independent, socialist future.”

But he also said Cuba is willing “to hold a serious and responsible dialogue and move on towards a constructive and civilized relationship” with the new U.S. administration.

Israel Bans UNRWA When Most Needed

UNRWA's services have expanded over the years to include education, health care, relief, social services, infrastructure, and emergency response. The agency operates in five areas: Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the Gaza Strip, and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem

NOW (10/2024)

The Israeli Knesset has passed a bill banning UNRWA from operating in Israel and another bill that will likely scale back aid distribution across war-ravaged Gaza.

The Knesset passed the laws despite strong international condemnation.

The humanitarian system in Gaza could collapse completely if Israel implements legislation banning the UN Relief and Works Agency from operating there, warns UNICEF spokesperson James Elder, who says the decision "means that a new way has been found to kill children." Gaza's health, education and water systems all rely on UNRWA, and no other humanitarian group can replace the organization, Norwegian Refugee Council Secretary-General Jan Egeland says.

What will the bills do?

One bill makes it illegal for Israeli officials to have any contact with UNRWA. The second prohibits UNRWA from conducting activities within Israel’s borders (which includes Gaza) – a rule that will come into effect in three months.

This will make it impossible for the agency to obtain any entrance permits to operate in the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip – both of which are under Israeli control.

It will also make it impossible for the agency to transport assistance through Israeli territory to Palestinians in need. (Note: Israel controls all access by air, land and water in Palestine)

Why is Israel passing these bills?

This is not the first time UNRWA has come under pressure from Israeli authorities.

In January, Israeli authorities accused UN workers of participating in the October 7, 2023, attacks on southern Israel. This resulted in countries cutting funding to UNRWA, including Australia, Austria, Britain, Canada, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Romania, Switzerland and the United States.

After a UN oversight body investigated UNRWA staff involvement in the attacks, nine UNRWA staff members were fired in August.

At the time, UN spokesperson Farhan Haq stated: “We have sufficient information … to take the actions that we’re taking – which is to say, the termination of these nine individuals.”

What is UNRWA?

UNRWA is the main humanitarian organisation in Gaza and the West Bank and also operates in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.

It was established by the UN General Assembly in 1949 after the 1948 Nakba to protect and assist Palestinians ethnically cleansed from their homes.

It became operational on May 1, 1950, and since then has helped generations of refugees, many of whom still live in camps.

It provides education, healthcare, social services and emergency relief to people living in refugee camps in the Palestinian territory, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon.

How many people does it serve?

In the past 70 years, roughly six million Palestinians have relied on UNRWA’s support.

According to UNRWA’s website: “In 2021, almost 545,000 children were enrolled in UNRWA schools (2021-2022 school year); Social Safety Net Programme assistance reached 398,044 beneficiaries; and 1.7 million received life-saving humanitarian assistance.”

What services does it offer Palestinians?

UNRWA delivers crucial humanitarian aid and protection to millions of registered Palestinian refugees.

Aside from emergency relief and year-round assistance that the impoverished population needs to survive, UNRWA offers primary healthcare and mental health support.

Its services also include schools where more than half a million children were studying before Israel launched its war on Gaza on October 7, 2023.

Among the projects it oversees, UNRWA also tries to provide employment opportunities, microfinance programmes and support to Palestinians who want to develop income-generating initiatives

Many UNRWA operations are in Palestinian refugee camps, but it does not build, own or operate any camps, and it provides humanitarian services both in and outside camps, to any Palestinian in need.

What healthcare facilities does UNRWA oversee?

UNRWA clinics see about 8.5 million patient visits a year to 144 healthcare centres.

It also employs more than 3,300 healthcare staff, which makes it a significant employer in the Palestinian health sector.

What other social services does UNRWA provide?

UNRWA’s social services programmes include schemes from helping women enter the workforce to supporting people with disabilities.

It runs several skills training programmes, both vocational and professional.

Much in the same vein of its employment of Palestinians in the healthcare sector, UNRWA itself provides employment opportunities to the Palestinians who staff its centres, which offer things from training women in traditional crafts, sewing, knitting and embroidery to physical rehabilitation centres for injured Palestinians or Palestinians living with a disability.