Social issues

War instead of negotiations?

The story of someone who kills his family, and says he is helping a good friend

by Jakob Wehrli

(22 May 2022) How can we create peace with even more weapons? This question is currently being asked. If you look at the media, the answer is clear: the only way to force the enemy, i.e. Russia, to make peace is to deliver more weapons, more tanks and more warfare. Because this enemy is so evil that only the language of force and only a military victory will lead to peace. To put it bluntly, in these eyes anyone who even talks about or seeks negotiations is a friend of evil. Which also makes any further discussion of this futile.

France Stuck in the Extreme Center

by Diana Johnstone,* France

(21 May 2022) After years of neoliberalism, French politics that venture outside the conformist center’s unshakable loyalty to the Atlantic Alliance are now dangerously “extreme.”
On Sunday, Emmanuel Macron was re-elected for a second five-year term as president of the French Republic with 58.54 percent of the vote. Just as in 2017, the candidate he defeated was Marine Le Pen, who got 41.46 percent. Sounds like déjà vu all over again.
World Press Freedom Day – Resolution

Release Julian Assange! No extradition to the USA!

Resolution of the IPPNW General Assembly in Hamburg on 30 April 2022

(15 May 2022) “As editor-in-chief of Wikileaks and through the publication of whistleblower information on serious war crimes, Julian Assange has the greatest peace policy significance. Already in 2019, Northern Ireland's Mairead Corrigan nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize. This year, further nominations have been added.

Scientists call for an immediate end to ‘gain-of-function’ research

The dangerous experiments with pathogens with pandemic potential should stop

by Professor Roland Wiesendanger

(14 April 2022) The current pandemic has taught us what devastating effects it can have when pathogens become extremely easily transmissible from person to person, even if the mortality rate due to the virus is only in the range of one percent or less.

Selma’s emotional outbursts

The drama of the misunderstood child

by Marita Brune-Koch

(14 April 2022) Selma, 7, doesn't listen to what the teacher says, she has outbursts of anger and frustration, is stubborn and screams, throws pens and other writing utensils around the class room. Persuasion doesn’t work, neither from the teacher nor the parents. The teacher cannot reach her, the school psychologist is called in, diagnosing an early childhood autism disorder. The parents are advised that Selma be referred to a psychiatric institution for in-patient treatment.

“You can do it, Franz!”

About luck that is sometimes life-deciding, of finding a good teacher

by Ludwig Hasler*

(6 April 2022) What does it take for a country lad to study at the ETH Zurich, get a doctorate in biochemistry and successfully run a medical company? It takes good teachers, said Franz Käppeli.