As the President of the Second High-Level Meeting of the Global Judicial Integrity Network and in my personal capacity, it pains me to see the whole world suffer under the terrible weight of this catastrophic COVID-19 virus. The images on television and in the newspapers show our world valiantly coping with the unknown. Doctors, nurses and health professionals in the world are teaching us all a lesson of sacrifice, solidarity and generosity. Let us be part of the world efforts in this fight for human life.
Judging from current trending subjects on social media platforms as the spread of COVID-19 forces schools to shut around the globe, parents of young children have felt a surge of renewed appreciation for educators. After suddenly becoming de facto teachers themselves, most are trying to follow an approximate schedule and a flexible curriculum, but improvisation is also needed to fill the long days with the right balance between formal learning and fun. The expertise of respected specialists has helped make this unique experience more palatable for both children and parents - especially those who must do their job from home as well. With a wide variety of educational and smart edutainment resources available today, parents are heeding the advice of pedagogists on teaching children through diverse forms by using several ways to drive home a lesson.
With the World Health Organization (WHO) declaring Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) as a pandemic, many countries have opted to implement either full scale or partial lockdowns in an effort to control the spread of the virus. The case of access to the Ugandan justice system is no different from the rest of the world, as even before the confirmation of any COVID-19 cases in the country, the general population was being advised to follow a number of recommended WHO safety precautions, which include self-isolation and social distancing. The above measures invariably affected the general day-to-day functioning of court activities.
Women bear a disproportionate brunt of health crises, environmental disasters and gender-based violence. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 global pandemic could follow this pattern-having devastating implications for women's access to justice. What are courts and governments doing to address these challenges? As the pandemic unfolds, heads of judiciaries are constantly weighing options in order to make the best decisions.
When Belen and her brother Tiago excitedly unwrapped the fancy drone they had ordered, they never imagined they were about to learn that life in the beautiful island of San Servolo was not quite what it seemed. A cry for help, hidden in the packaging, would set them on a brave quest to understand and confront the ravages of human trafficking and migrant smuggling affecting their society, unbeknownst to anyone. They decide to take matters into their own hands, setting in motion a sequence of events that would change life as they knew it in a country which believed it had already eradicated crime. So begins the immensely engaging comic book series San Servolo, enticing teenagers around the world to think about big issues they had never considered before, and to reassess their understanding of - and their role in - just and peaceful societies.
