Bi-weekly News and Opinion Roundup - May 20, 2021
News from C&SN
C&SN Director Paul Carroll writes for InkStick on the impact of Israel’s assault on Gaza on civil society programs, and on the ways in which these impacts are, in effect, an extension of a more concerted assault on civil society groups working in Palestine. Read the full article in InkStick. (May 19).
Events
On May 25, from 10-11:00 am EDT, Search for Common Ground is hosting a “discussion among frontline peacebuilders who will share insights from their engagement with the diverse communities in Afghanistan, Syria, and Sierra Leone who wish to have a stake in defining peace in their country.” Register for the webinar here. (May 25).

On May 25, at 2:30 pm EDT, the Africa, Global Health, and Global Human Rights Subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee is holding a hearing on the impact of U.S. sanctions in Africa. Witnesses will include John Prendergast, Co-Founder of the Sentry, Bridget Moix, U.S. Senior Representative and Head of Advocacy at Peace Direct, and Noah Gottschalk, Global Policy Lead at Oxfam. Read the hearing notice here, and view the hearing live here. (May 25).
Featured Resources
A new report by Peace Direct, Adeso, the Alliance for Peacebuilding, and Women of Color Advancing Peace and Security offers a deep dive on the ways in which structural racism manifests itself in the development, humanitarian, and peacebuilding sectors, based on a “three-day online consultation with 158 activists, decision-makers, academics, journalists and practitioners across the globe.” Read about the report here, and read the full report here. (May 10).

The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) has released an issue brief on the Global Fragility Act, exploring the opportunities it presents for peace and security, the role of policymakers in Washington, D.C., and recommendations for its implementation in the field. Read the full brief here. (May 6).
Counterterrorism
Jonathan Whittall, the Director of Analysis at Doctors Without Borders (MSF), argues that the focus on counterterrorism operations in Mozambique is both deepening and distracting from humanitarian needs in Cabo Delgado. Read the full article on MSF’s website. (May 11).
Humanitarian Aid
Spokespeople from Oxfam, Doctors Without Borders, The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, and the International Committee for the Red Cross are all quoted on the challenges imposed on their work by Israel’s assault on Gaza and its restrictions on freedom of movement and goods. Antonia Noori Farzan reports in the Washington Post. (May 19).

Recent changes in India’s foreign aid regulations are undermining the ability of NGOs in India to receive foreign aid, threatening their work at a critical time as the nation faces a devastating wave of COVID-19 cases. Amitabh Behar, the head of Oxfam India, is quoted: “Every possible source of help is needed; every individual, every organization, every government agency is needed.” Saumya Kalia reports in the Swaddle. (May 13).
Sanctions
Dan Jasper of the American Friends Services Committee (AFSC) explores the failure of North Korea sanctions in achieving stated goals, as well as the impacts of sanctions on humanitarian programs in North Korea. Read the full article on NK PRO. (May 11).

Justine Walker, the global head of sanctions, compliance and risk at ACAMS, speaks to the important opportunity presented by the Biden administration’s sanctions review to ensure that sanctions are not impeding humanitarian aid. Read the full article in the Financial Times. (May 9).
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