As countries in the West take steps to kick-start their economies following the devastation of the coronavirus pandemic, it is going to be critical that we do not lose sight of the global nature of this crisis.
Tough decisions will inevitably be made by national governments as they respond to the economic realities of Covid-19 – a precipitous fall of 3.3 per cent in global GDP last year included – but these cannot be made at the expense of the world’s poorest.
The UN Development Programme estimate that over 100 million people have entered the ranks of the extreme poor in the past year, while that figure could double, bringing the total number to more than a billion, before the end of this decade.
Foreign direct investment, a critical source of financing for emerging and developing economies, fell by 42 per cent in 2020, while the debt burden of developing countries soared by an estimated $3 trillion.
By the end of this year, it is expected that remittances – the money sent home by family overseas, and a vital source of income in many rural poor communities in Africa – will decline by more than $20 billion because of Covid-19.
This economic perfect storm is happening across Africa with the continent in the midst of a pandemic surge that has seen an average 28 per cent week-on-week increase in infections for each of the past four weeks.
The World Health Organization say that this surge is driven by a mix of public fatigue, social mixing, ineffective public health measures and the emergence of highly infectious new variants.
With under 2 per cent of people in Africa fully vaccinated, that medical bulwark against the disease doesn’t yet exist.
As we in the West emerge slowly from the most dangerous period in our lifetimes, we shouldn’t forget that the dangers to the health and economic welfare of the world’s poorest, are far from over.
RAY JORDAN
CEO, Self Help Africa
Troubles amnesty
Bernadette Devlin’s attempt to explain democracy in 1972 is as relevant today as it was then. She described it thus: when we break the law, we go to jail; when the government breaks the law, the government changes the law.
Changing inconvenient laws to circumvent illegality has long been a British government tactic. When they unleashed battle hardened combat troops on a civilian population in what they claim as an integral part of their United Kingdom, an inevitable loss of life and rise in violence followed.
The government’s latest plan for a Troubles amnesty appears to be an exercise in closing Pandora’s box without the hope for the victims ever achieving justice.
Their assertion that this approach was merited because of the small number of prosecutions over legacy issues is an insult to all those seeking answers to a policy of state collusion with local militias that has been met with numerous cover-ups, obfuscation, obstruction and outright lies. This has been highlighted by Baroness Nuala O’Loan, an expert panellist in the latest investigation into the activities of the state agent known as ‘Stakeknife’. Under operation Kenova the investigation has sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions more than 28 files relating to 17 murders and 12 abductions. To date there has been no response.
All the victims deserve answers. I fear justice is as far off as it has ever been. Our political leaders are not possessed of the aptitude or acumen - even now, as they are united in their condemnation of the government’s proposal, they are divided as to why. The unionists are outraged as they see it as amnesty for republican violence.
For them, there was only one antagonist, only one guilty party. That is the despairing reality.
If we could have our politicians unite in their condemnation of all the violence and opposition to this policy with genuine conviction and respect for all the victims that would be a start.
LAURENCE TODD
Belfast BT15
Denial of justice
Over recent months the airwaves have been dominated by DUP and LCC representatives protesting about the NI Protocol and talking about street disruption and potentially pulling down Stormont over restrictions to trade. Yet, now that an amnesty has been proposed for those who murdered or tortured many hundreds of our people there is relative quiet and even tacit acceptance from some.
We understand why the LCC is silent on the issue of the amnesty – they represent the UDA and UVF killers who will be among the beneficiaries of this amnesty – but our unionist politicians are supposed to represent ordinary people. Where is their outrage? Remember when Sammy Wilson was posing for photographs with a handful of chilled British sausages to highlight the trade issues, or posing without a mask eating an ice cream to highlight the so-called injustice of asking people to wear masks? But now when British justice is about to be removed from victims there is relative silence. Does the denial of British sausages matter more than the denial of justice?
There is a real danger that we are about to embed injustice and the paramilitary culture permanently in our society.
When the local hard man can let it be known that he killed several people during the Troubles and the police cannot prosecute him, he may become permanently untouchable. His past crimes are deemed ‘Troubles-related’ and the police may be tempted to avoid investigation of any activities he takes to protect his paramilitary empire remaining from the Troubles.
Remember this is not a time-based statute of limitations, there is no end date associated with this amnesty – it is a permanent end to justice.
A CARTON
Belfast BT6
Co-ordinating traffic lights
Travelling from Belfast city centre to Saintfield, it is interesting how often lights turn to red along my route.
In Germany, many routes in towns have coordinated lights so that, driving at a displayed speed, all the lights encountered along the route are green. This has been in operation for more than 40 years, saving fuel, reducing noise for residents and stress for drivers.
Why, in a technologically advanced part of the world, is this not possible here?
PATRIC HARRIS
Kilkeel, Co Down