csmonitor--2020-09-24--Could plant-based meat open up space for lab-grown varieties?

In a vast , illuminated greenhouse set among Iceland ’ s otherworldly lava fields , genetically modified shoots of an ancient cereal crop may hold the key to the food of the future .
Using abundant geothermal waters for heating , and volcanic ash instead of soil , biotech company ORF Genetics is growing barley here to produce “ growth factors ” – one of the most important , and costly , ingredients in laboratory-grown meat .
Sales of plant-based meats have soared during the pandemic as customers shift diets due to growing unease about factory farming , working conditions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a possible link between wild animal meat and COVID-19 .
ORF and other firms hope that means more people will want to try their lab-grown , cell-cultured meat when it becomes available in the next year or so , though high costs and doubtful consumers could mean “ clean meats ” – as the nascent industry calls them – take longer to gain acceptance .
“ This technology – taking a stem cell and turning it into meat – will have a huge impact on the environment , ” Bjorn Orvar , co-founder @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in Iceland ’ s capital , Reykjavik .
“ Because then you will reduce land use so much .
And you will really reduce the emissions and water consumption .
...
This will also make local food production much easier , ” he said .
Greater concern about such issues may have fueled demand for soy sausages , bean burgers , and other plant-based meats during global coronavirus lockdowns .
Between March 21 and June 20 , sales of fresh plant-based meat in the United States were up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last year , according to non-profit The Good Food Institute ( GFI ) , which analyzed data from market research firm Nielsen .
Sales of fresh traditional meat also grew during the same period , although at a much lower rate .
The emergence of the coronavirus and The Game Changers , a documentary about athletes who follow plant-based diets , encouraged British teacher Melanie Devaney to return to her vegetarian roots .
“ There are enough alternatives to meat and my kids enjoy these alternatives too , ” said Ms. Devaney , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Asia too , market researcher Euromonitor is expecting the region ’ s market for plant-based options – typically based on soybeans or other grains or pulses – to grow by 11.6 % this year .
China , whose 1.4 billion population could sway global demand , is set to have a “ phenomenal year ” with both local and international plant-based products entering the market , said Elaine Siu , managing director for GFI in Asia Pacific .
The trend bodes well for the whole alternative protein sector , she said , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , poultry , and seafood by nurturing animal cells in a petri-dish and then in large bioreactors resembling beer-brewing vats .
Still , for many consumers , moving from soy- or mung bean-based burgers to steak or seafood grown from animal cells is too big a leap .
Consumer reluctance is not the only hurdle ahead for the cultured meat pioneers .
They will also need approval from regulators , and production costs remain high .
At ORF ’ s space-age greenhouse , the scientists chose barley – one of the first cultivated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tough conditions and does not cross-pollinate , meaning strains genetically modified for different uses can grow side by side .
The barley seeds have been bio-engineered to produce growth factors , proteins that stimulate the growth of specific tissues including those needed to recreate animal muscle and fat cells .
Mr. Orvar said the technique is more cost-effective and makes it easier to ramp up production of cell-cultured meat compared with using growth factors from more conventional sources such as E.coli bacteria or human tissue .
“ Our goal is to make these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , adding the company is focusing initially on growth factors for beef and pork .
While the costs of producing meat in a lab have fallen dramatically , they remain a major hurdle to mass production .
In 2013 , when the world ’ s first lab-grown burger was unveiled , it had a hefty price tag of about $ 300,000 .
Since then , production costs have fallen dramatically to around $ 50 a pound – still far more than top-quality Argentine beef .
Proponents of cell-cultured meat often highlight the enormous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with intensive livestock farming .
Others , however , caution that cultured-meat production would need to minimize energy use and avoid fossil fuels in order to be a truly climate-friendly alternative .
Globally , rearing livestock accounts for about 14.5 % of planet-warming emissions , according to the United Nations , and land used for agriculture is a major driver of deforestation .
Ruminants such as cattle , buffalo , sheep , and goats produce nitrous oxide , carbon dioxide , and methane , which is the main gas they release , mostly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ encourages people to pay more attention to what they eat and how it is produced , there could be greater pressure for consumers in rich countries who currently eat more meat than necessary to cut their intake .
“ If immediate changes in eating patterns as a result of COVID-19 are retained in the longer-term , one possible opportunity to emerge ... may be a shift away from over-consumption of meat , ” said a recent Cambridge University Press paper .
Despite signs of a shift in consumer consciousness , Daniel Vennard , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the World Resources Institute , an environmental think-tank , cautioned against looking only at the rosy picture painted by rising sales of plant-based meats .
GFI data showed meat sales also grew and because meat has a much higher base , it reduced plant-based meat ’ s market share from 1.5 % in early March to 1.27 % in early May , he said .
Richard Horsey , the co-author of “ Ugly Food : Overlooked and Undercooked , ” a book about tasty , cheap , and sustainable foods , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for alternative meats will pave the way to a greener global diet .
“ It would be better if everyone got more in touch with their food , or ate much less meat.
” This story was reported by the Thomson Reuters Foundation .

In a vast, illuminated greenhouse set among Iceland’s otherworldly lava fields, genetically modified shoots of an ancient cereal crop may hold the key to the food of the future.
Using abundant geothermal waters for heating, and volcanic ash instead of soil, biotech company ORF Genetics is growing barley here to produce “growth factors” – one of the most important, and costly, ingredients in laboratory-grown meat.
Sales of plant-based meats have soared during the pandemic as customers shift diets due to growing unease about factory farming, working conditions in meat-packing plants, and suspicion over a possible link between wild animal meat and COVID-19.
ORF and other firms hope that means more people will want to try their lab-grown, cell-cultured meat when it becomes available in the next year or so, though high costs and doubtful consumers could mean “clean meats” – as the nascent industry calls them – take longer to gain acceptance.
“This technology – taking a stem cell and turning it into meat – will have a huge impact on the environment,” Bjorn Orvar, co-founder and chief scientific officer of ORF, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in Iceland’s capital, Reykjavik.
“Because then you will reduce land use so much. And you will really reduce the emissions and water consumption. ... This will also make local food production much easier,” he said.
Greater concern about such issues may have fueled demand for soy sausages, bean burgers, and other plant-based meats during global coronavirus lockdowns.
Between March 21 and June 20, sales of fresh plant-based meat in the United States were up by triple digits every week compared to last year, according to non-profit The Good Food Institute (GFI), which analyzed data from market research firm Nielsen.
Sales of fresh traditional meat also grew during the same period, although at a much lower rate.
The emergence of the coronavirus and The Game Changers, a documentary about athletes who follow plant-based diets, encouraged British teacher Melanie Devaney to return to her vegetarian roots.
“There are enough alternatives to meat and my kids enjoy these alternatives too,” said Ms. Devaney, who lives in New Zealand.
A wake-up call
In Asia too, market researcher Euromonitor is expecting the region’s market for plant-based options – typically based on soybeans or other grains or pulses – to grow by 11.6% this year.
China, whose 1.4 billion population could sway global demand, is set to have a “phenomenal year” with both local and international plant-based products entering the market, said Elaine Siu, managing director for GFI in Asia Pacific.
The trend bodes well for the whole alternative protein sector, she said, including companies trying to produce beef, pork, poultry, and seafood by nurturing animal cells in a petri-dish and then in large bioreactors resembling beer-brewing vats.
Still, for many consumers, moving from soy- or mung bean-based burgers to steak or seafood grown from animal cells is too big a leap.
Consumer reluctance is not the only hurdle ahead for the cultured meat pioneers. They will also need approval from regulators, and production costs remain high.
At ORF’s space-age greenhouse, the scientists chose barley – one of the first cultivated grains – because it can grow under tough conditions and does not cross-pollinate, meaning strains genetically modified for different uses can grow side by side.
The barley seeds have been bio-engineered to produce growth factors, proteins that stimulate the growth of specific tissues including those needed to recreate animal muscle and fat cells.
Mr. Orvar said the technique is more cost-effective and makes it easier to ramp up production of cell-cultured meat compared with using growth factors from more conventional sources such as E.coli bacteria or human tissue.
“Our goal is to make these growth factors affordable,” he said, adding the company is focusing initially on growth factors for beef and pork.
While the costs of producing meat in a lab have fallen dramatically, they remain a major hurdle to mass production.
In 2013, when the world’s first lab-grown burger was unveiled, it had a hefty price tag of about $300,000. Since then, production costs have fallen dramatically to around $50 a pound – still far more than top-quality Argentine beef.
Opportunity for long-term change
Proponents of cell-cultured meat often highlight the enormous potential reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared with intensive livestock farming.
Others, however, caution that cultured-meat production would need to minimize energy use and avoid fossil fuels in order to be a truly climate-friendly alternative.
Globally, rearing livestock accounts for about 14.5% of planet-warming emissions, according to the United Nations, and land used for agriculture is a major driver of deforestation.
Ruminants such as cattle, buffalo, sheep, and goats produce nitrous oxide, carbon dioxide, and methane, which is the main gas they release, mostly through belching.
And as the pandemic encourages people to pay more attention to what they eat and how it is produced, there could be greater pressure for consumers in rich countries who currently eat more meat than necessary to cut their intake.
“If immediate changes in eating patterns as a result of COVID-19 are retained in the longer-term, one possible opportunity to emerge ... may be a shift away from over-consumption of meat,” said a recent Cambridge University Press paper.
Despite signs of a shift in consumer consciousness, Daniel Vennard, the London-based head of Better Buying Lab at the World Resources Institute, an environmental think-tank, cautioned against looking only at the rosy picture painted by rising sales of plant-based meats.
GFI data showed meat sales also grew and because meat has a much higher base, it reduced plant-based meat’s market share from 1.5% in early March to 1.27% in early May, he said.
Richard Horsey, the co-author of “Ugly Food: Overlooked and Undercooked,” a book about tasty, cheap, and sustainable foods, said he had doubts about whether the search for alternative meats will pave the way to a greener global diet.
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empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
“It would be better if everyone got more in touch with their food, or ate much less meat.”
This story was reported by the Thomson Reuters Foundation.


csmonitor--2020-09-24--Trump says he won't concede. Is he bluffing?

President Donald Trump again declined to commit to a peaceful transfer of power if he loses the Nov. 3 presidential election .
“ We ’ re going to have to see what happens , ” Mr. Trump said Wednesday at a news conference , responding to a question about whether he ’ d commit to a peaceful transfer of power .
“ You know that I ’ ve been complaining very strongly about the ballots , and the ballots are a disaster.
” It is highly unusual that a sitting president would express less than complete confidence in the American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he also declined four years ago to commit to honoring the election results if his Democratic opponent , Hillary Clinton , won .
His current Democratic challenger , Joe Biden , was asked about Mr. Trump ’ s comments after landing in Wilmington , Delaware , on Wednesday night .
“ What country are we in ?
” Mr. Biden asked incredulously , adding , “ I ’ m being facetious .
Look , he says the most irrational things .
I don ’ t know what to say about it .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sen. Lindsey Graham , a Trump ally and chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee , told “ Fox & Friends ” on Thursday , “ If Republicans lose we will accept the result .
If the Supreme Court rules in favor of Joe Biden , I will accept that result.
” Rep. Liz Cheney , of Wyoming , a member of the House GOP leadership , tweeted , “ The peaceful transfer of power is enshrined in our Constitution and fundamental to the survival of our Republic .
America ’ s leaders swear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will uphold that oath.
” Mr. Trump has been pressing a months-long campaign against mail-in voting this November by tweeting and speaking out critically about the practice .
More states are encouraging mail-in voting to keep voters safe during the coronavirus pandemic .
The president , who uses mail-in voting himself , has tried to distinguish between states that automatically send mail ballots to all registered voters and those , like Florida , that send them only to voters who request a mail ballot .
Mr. Trump has baselessly claimed widespread mail voting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ five states that routinely send mail ballots to all voters have seen no significant fraud .
Mr. Trump ’ s latest comments were widely denounced by Democrats as threatening the very nature of the nation ’ s democracy .
Several Republicans came forward , as well .
“ Regardless of how divided our country is right now , when elections are over and winners are declared , we must all commit ourselves to the Constitution and accept the results , ” tweeted Ohio 's Rep. Steve Stivers , a former chair of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Romney referred to an electoral crisis in Europe , tweeting , “ Fundamental to democracy is the peaceful transition of power ; without that , there is Belarus .
Any suggestion that a president might not respect this Constitutional guarantee is both unthinkable and unacceptable.
” But Mr. Graham ’ s repeated suggestion on Fox that the Supreme Court could – when acting upon seemingly inevitable legal challenges to the election – end up all but declaring the winner came with an unspoken subtext : that the Senate was moving to confirm a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Ruth Bader Ginsburg ’ s death before the election , potentially stacking the deck for Republicans .
Mr. Trump on Wednesday had appeared to suggest that if states got “ rid of ” the unsolicited mailing of ballots there would be no concern about fraud or peaceful transfers of power .
“ You ’ ll have a very peaceful – there won ’ t be a transfer frankly , ” Mr. Trump said .
“ There ’ ll be a continuation .
The ballots are out of control , you know it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it better than anybody else ?
The Democrats know it better than anybody else.
” In a July interview , Mr. Trump similarly refused to commit to accepting the results .
“ I have to see .
Look ...
I have to see , ” Mr. Trump told Chris Wallace during a wide-ranging July interview on “ Fox News Sunday.
” “ No , I ’ m not going to just say yes .
I ’ m not going to say no , and I didn ’ t last time either.
” The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American people will decide this election .
And the United States government is perfectly capable of escorting trespassers out of the White House.
” The American Civil Liberties Union also protested Mr. Trump ’ s remarks .
“ The peaceful transfer of power is essential to a functioning democracy , ” National Legal Director David Cole said .
“ This statement from the president of the United States should trouble every American.
” Mr. Trump made similar comments ahead of the 2016 election .
When asked during an October debate whether he would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr. Trump responded that he would “ keep you in suspense.
” It ’ s unlikely that any chaos in states with universal mail-in voting will cause the election result to be inaccurately tabulated , as Mr. Trump has suggested .
The five states that already have such balloting have had time to ramp up their systems , while four states newly adopting it – California , New Jersey , Nevada , and Vermont – have not .
Washington , D.C. is also newly adopting it .
Of those nine states , only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ electoral votes and likely to be pivotal only in a national presidential deadlock .
California , New Jersey , Vermont , and D.C. are overwhelmingly Democratic and likely to be won by Mr. Biden .
This story was reported by The Associated Press .

President Donald Trump again declined to commit to a peaceful transfer of power if he loses the Nov. 3 presidential election.
“We’re going to have to see what happens,” Mr. Trump said Wednesday at a news conference, responding to a question about whether he’d commit to a peaceful transfer of power. “You know that I’ve been complaining very strongly about the ballots, and the ballots are a disaster.”
It is highly unusual that a sitting president would express less than complete confidence in the American democracy’s electoral process. But he also declined four years ago to commit to honoring the election results if his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton, won.
His current Democratic challenger, Joe Biden, was asked about Mr. Trump’s comments after landing in Wilmington, Delaware, on Wednesday night.
“What country are we in?” Mr. Biden asked incredulously, adding, “I’m being facetious. Look, he says the most irrational things. I don’t know what to say about it. But it doesn’t surprise me.”
Congressional Republicans pushed back on Mr. Trump's comments on Thursday.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Trump ally and chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, told “Fox & Friends” on Thursday, “If Republicans lose we will accept the result. If the Supreme Court rules in favor of Joe Biden, I will accept that result.”
Rep. Liz Cheney, of Wyoming, a member of the House GOP leadership, tweeted, “The peaceful transfer of power is enshrined in our Constitution and fundamental to the survival of our Republic. America’s leaders swear an oath to the Constitution. We will uphold that oath.”
Mr. Trump has been pressing a months-long campaign against mail-in voting this November by tweeting and speaking out critically about the practice. More states are encouraging mail-in voting to keep voters safe during the coronavirus pandemic.
The president, who uses mail-in voting himself, has tried to distinguish between states that automatically send mail ballots to all registered voters and those, like Florida, that send them only to voters who request a mail ballot.
Mr. Trump has baselessly claimed widespread mail voting will lead to massive fraud. The five states that routinely send mail ballots to all voters have seen no significant fraud.
Mr. Trump’s latest comments were widely denounced by Democrats as threatening the very nature of the nation’s democracy. Several Republicans came forward, as well.
“Regardless of how divided our country is right now, when elections are over and winners are declared, we must all commit ourselves to the Constitution and accept the results,” tweeted Ohio's Rep. Steve Stivers, a former chair of the House Republican campaign arm.
Sen. Mitt Romney referred to an electoral crisis in Europe, tweeting, “Fundamental to democracy is the peaceful transition of power; without that, there is Belarus. Any suggestion that a president might not respect this Constitutional guarantee is both unthinkable and unacceptable.”
But Mr. Graham’s repeated suggestion on Fox that the Supreme Court could – when acting upon seemingly inevitable legal challenges to the election – end up all but declaring the winner came with an unspoken subtext: that the Senate was moving to confirm a Trump-appointed jurist to fill the vacancy left by Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death before the election, potentially stacking the deck for Republicans.
Mr. Trump on Wednesday had appeared to suggest that if states got “rid of” the unsolicited mailing of ballots there would be no concern about fraud or peaceful transfers of power.
“You’ll have a very peaceful – there won’t be a transfer frankly,” Mr. Trump said. “There’ll be a continuation. The ballots are out of control, you know it, and you know, who knows it better than anybody else? The Democrats know it better than anybody else.”
In a July interview, Mr. Trump similarly refused to commit to accepting the results.
“I have to see. Look ... I have to see,” Mr. Trump told Chris Wallace during a wide-ranging July interview on “Fox News Sunday.” “No, I’m not going to just say yes. I’m not going to say no, and I didn’t last time either.”
The Biden campaign responded Wednesday: “The American people will decide this election. And the United States government is perfectly capable of escorting trespassers out of the White House.”
The American Civil Liberties Union also protested Mr. Trump’s remarks. “The peaceful transfer of power is essential to a functioning democracy,” National Legal Director David Cole said. “This statement from the president of the United States should trouble every American.”
Mr. Trump made similar comments ahead of the 2016 election. When asked during an October debate whether he would abide by the voters’ will, Mr. Trump responded that he would “keep you in suspense.”
It’s unlikely that any chaos in states with universal mail-in voting will cause the election result to be inaccurately tabulated, as Mr. Trump has suggested.
The five states that already have such balloting have had time to ramp up their systems, while four states newly adopting it – California, New Jersey, Nevada, and Vermont – have not. Washington, D.C. is also newly adopting it.
Of those nine states, only Nevada is a battleground, worth six electoral votes and likely to be pivotal only in a national presidential deadlock.
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California, New Jersey, Vermont, and D.C. are overwhelmingly Democratic and likely to be won by Mr. Biden.
This story was reported by The Associated Press.


csmonitor--2020-09-24--Black women learn homeownership – from tool belt to closing the deal

As with other communities in the United States , Black homeownership in Baltimore has a history of being suppressed by law and practice .
Ms. Henderson , a graduate student working toward her second master ’ s degree , has examined old redlining maps and finds not much has changed .
She says it can be heartbreaking to hear stories of disenfranchisement , asking , “ What have we done collectively to address that ?
I see [ Black Women Build ] as a form of resistance to what has been … happening for generations in a neighborhood.
” In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the result of decades of job losses and population declines – founder Shelley Halstead says , “ The cost to stabilize these houses is basically the same cost to tear them down .
So let ’ s get into preservation instead of demolition.
” Buying your first house is a milestone for anyone .
Quanshay Henderson not only worked through the financial part of the process , but also restored the house herself – all with the help of the nonprofit Black Women Build-Baltimore .
The group trains women in the skilled trades @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enable homeownership .
Quanshay Henderson purchased a home in March – the first person in her family to do so .
She ’ d been hesitant until then because it seemed like a financial trap .
But not only does Ms. Henderson now own her home ; she ’ s also learned the practical skills to care for it and can help guide her eight siblings through financing , should any of them wish to buy a house .
“ I know a lot about it now , ” she says , particularly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the appraisal and the title company .
Ms. Henderson is the first “ graduate ” of Black Women Build-Baltimore , a homeownership and wealth-building nonprofit that trains women in the skilled trades through the process of restoring vacant houses .
Founded in 2017 by Shelley Halstead , Black Women Build instructs trainees in the carpentry , electrical , and plumbing trades , while they work on homes they may later purchase .
Financing can come through lenders that have established relationships with Black Women Build .
Trainees don ’ t finish the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but they are equipped with skills that they can parlay into a construction job .
The organization is on schedule to complete three homes with its trainees this year .
It ’ s a seemingly incremental but deliberate step to address the problem of empty buildings in the city .
“ In Baltimore they really love to demolish houses , ” says Ms. Halstead , explaining that vast areas are being gutted , and much of it is historic architecture .
Decades of job losses and population declines have left 16,000 vacant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so much beauty being lost , ” says Ms. Halstead .
In Baltimore , as with other communities in the United States , Black homeownership has a history of being suppressed by law and practice .
Yet “ housing is seen as a platform for every other kind of programmatic path forward , ” says Robert Fischer , co-director of the Center on Urban Poverty and Community Development at Case Western Reserve University .
Where old homes are not torn down , a common strategy for neighborhoods with a high proportion of unused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new people to move in , says Professor Fischer .
“ That has further disenfranchised the people that have been the long-standing residents of these neighborhoods.
” As a result , there ’ s a growing interest in redeveloping neighborhoods in such a way that the current residents can remain and thrive , he says .
Urban renewal has played an important – and at times , controversial – role in the U.S. , explains Marc Morial , president and CEO of the National Urban League .
But “ replacement housing – particularly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ low-income tenants – has not been successful.
” These “ structures might in themselves be dehumanizing , ” he writes in an email .
More promising , he says , are adaptive reuse strategies – like Black Women Build-Baltimore – that “ bring life back to an area , financial resources back to the local marketplace , and safety back to the neighborhood.
” Such strategies allow old homes “ to become critical components of urban regeneration.
” Black Women Build was the culmination of Ms. Halstead ’ s winding path through a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Oregon , to living in a commune in Belgium and on an ashram in India .
She found her way back to the U.S. , wanting to create communal living space for her friends , but she didn ’ t know how to build .
So she took a carpentry class at a community college , and then got a job as an electrician in Antarctica .
After more than a decade as a union carpenter back in the U.S. , she went to law school and had a brief stint working @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ms. Halstead still found herself seeking ways to feel fulfilled .
She finally landed in Baltimore .
“ I really just found it a perfect place to put my skills together and begin Black Women Build , ” she says .
” All those various experiences I ’ ve had really shaped how I think about building community , and the way that I wanted to do it.
” Spending time with people , sharing space , and learning together are integral to the Black Women Build approach .
It “ deepens a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ things , ” she says .
This begins with conversations as she works with trainees .
As they discuss life experiences and challenges they ’ re working through , Ms. Halstead might share a referral to behavioral health therapists , for example , or encourage bringing a lunch from home as a healthier and cheaper option than buying it from the corner store .
But building homes isn ’ t all there is to the work in the neighborhood .
Making the existing buildings livable and available to people already in the community @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Henderson .
In the Old West Baltimore Historic District , that means facing its history as a redlined neighborhood .
A student at the University of Maryland School of Social Work earning her second master ’ s degree , Ms. Henderson has examined redlining maps , and she finds that not much has changed in the area .
She says it can be heartbreaking to hear stories of disenfranchisement , asking , “ What have we done collectively to address that ?
I see [ Black Women Build ] as a form of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for generations.
” Programs like Black Women Build-Baltimore , many with social justice in their platforms , point a path forward , says Dr. Fischer of Case Western Reserve .
“ The idea of finding a way to turn these properties and bring back homeownership in some of these neighborhoods is an antidote to an illness that we created in the 1930s for many distressed neighborhoods.
” Although potential funders always want to know how Black Women Build-Baltimore can be scaled , Ms. Halstead says that ’ s not her focus .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wanted to create .
I want to ensure that the person I ’ m working with understands the house , understands how to take care of it , knows their neighbors , feels a part of ... the community in which they live , and [ knows ] what they want to bring to it.
” By interacting on a personal level with someone , you can find their strengths , she says , and help them channel those strengths into the work at hand .
From learning trades , to modeling healthy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , to financial literacy – Ms. Halstead works alongside each woman in the program , each step of the way .
“ It ’ s ... about [ learning ] how we came to be ” through conversation , but it ’ s not prescribed , she says .
“ It ’ s really organic.
” Trainees work about 32 hours a week , for which Black Women Build provides an hourly stipend .
Most women in the program are wage earners elsewhere ; one leaves an hour early at 3 p.m. to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ p.m.
It ’ s important that the women feel valued for taking the time to learn new skills , showing up , and “ believing in a future where they ’ re going to be a part of something that ’ s actually bigger than themselves , ” says Ms. Halstead .
“ Black women have more to offer ... than our sweat.
” Her own convictions aside , persuading the city to hand over several abandoned houses to begin with rather than razing them was no small feat .
To Ms. Halstead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The cost to stabilize these houses is basically the same cost to tear them down .
So let ’ s get into preservation instead of demolition.
” It helped her credibility that she had received a Baltimore fellowship available to people seeking to use their professional and life skills to aid marginalized communities .
It may be difficult to fathom how people could one day want to live in abandoned neighborhoods again , but Ms. Halstead sees the potential .
“ These aren ’ t just wasted houses and wasted memories , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as the founder of a nonprofit with decades of experience in the trades , Ms. Halstead still faces bias and hostility .
One tradesman told her she “ needs a man around ” the job site because men might not want to listen to her .
She remains unfazed .
If someone doesn ’ t want to listen , she says , then it ’ s not the right job for them .
But the concept of women ’ s empowerment is overused , Ms. Halstead says .
It ’ s a matter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just like , ‘ Why not ?
Why can ’ t she swing a hammer ?
Why can ’ t she tile the bathroom ?
’ ” Being skilled in the trades makes sense for women , she says .
The pay is high , and learning the skills is a way to become self-sufficient .
“ I didn ’ t take a vow of poverty , ” she says , “ just because I am a Black woman .
”

Shelley Halstead sees promise in thousands of vacant homes – and in the Black women she can empower to live in them. Her nonprofit puts tools in the hands of trainees and then helps them buy the refurbished properties.
As with other communities in the United States, Black homeownership in Baltimore has a history of being suppressed by law and practice. Ms. Henderson, a graduate student working toward her second master’s degree, has examined old redlining maps and finds not much has changed. She says it can be heartbreaking to hear stories of disenfranchisement, asking, “What have we done collectively to address that? I see [Black Women Build] as a form of resistance to what has been … happening for generations in a neighborhood.”
In a city of 16,000 vacant homes – the result of decades of job losses and population declines – founder Shelley Halstead says, “The cost to stabilize these houses is basically the same cost to tear them down. So let’s get into preservation instead of demolition.”
Buying your first house is a milestone for anyone. Quanshay Henderson not only worked through the financial part of the process, but also restored the house herself – all with the help of the nonprofit Black Women Build-Baltimore. The group trains women in the skilled trades and guides them to supportive resources to enable homeownership.
Quanshay Henderson purchased a home in March – the first person in her family to do so. She’d been hesitant until then because it seemed like a financial trap.
But not only does Ms. Henderson now own her home; she’s also learned the practical skills to care for it and can help guide her eight siblings through financing, should any of them wish to buy a house. “I know a lot about it now,” she says, particularly since her closing was complicated by issues with the appraisal and the title company.
Ms. Henderson is the first “graduate” of Black Women Build-Baltimore, a homeownership and wealth-building nonprofit that trains women in the skilled trades through the process of restoring vacant houses. Founded in 2017 by Shelley Halstead, Black Women Build instructs trainees in the carpentry, electrical, and plumbing trades, while they work on homes they may later purchase. Financing can come through lenders that have established relationships with Black Women Build. Trainees don’t finish the program with a license in a trade, but they are equipped with skills that they can parlay into a construction job.
Why We Wrote This Shelley Halstead sees promise in thousands of vacant homes – and in the Black women she can empower to live in them. Her nonprofit puts tools in the hands of trainees and then helps them buy the refurbished properties.
The organization is on schedule to complete three homes with its trainees this year. It’s a seemingly incremental but deliberate step to address the problem of empty buildings in the city. “In Baltimore they really love to demolish houses,” says Ms. Halstead, explaining that vast areas are being gutted, and much of it is historic architecture. Decades of job losses and population declines have left 16,000 vacant homes here. “There’s so much beauty being lost,” says Ms. Halstead.
Courtesy of Shelley Halstead/Black Women Build View caption Hide caption With her background in construction, Shelley Halstead was able to identify homes and neighborhoods that had good potential for refurbishing. Black Women Build is currently working on this block in the Druid Heights neighborhood of West Baltimore.
“Critical” to urban regeneration
In Baltimore, as with other communities in the United States, Black homeownership has a history of being suppressed by law and practice. Yet “housing is seen as a platform for every other kind of programmatic path forward,” says Robert Fischer, co-director of the Center on Urban Poverty and Community Development at Case Western Reserve University.
Where old homes are not torn down, a common strategy for neighborhoods with a high proportion of unused buildings has been to redevelop them for new people to move in, says Professor Fischer. “That has further disenfranchised the people that have been the long-standing residents of these neighborhoods.”
As a result, there’s a growing interest in redeveloping neighborhoods in such a way that the current residents can remain and thrive, he says.
Urban renewal has played an important – and at times, controversial – role in the U.S., explains Marc Morial, president and CEO of the National Urban League. But “replacement housing – particularly in the form of high-rise housing for low-income tenants – has not been successful.” These “structures might in themselves be dehumanizing,” he writes in an email.
More promising, he says, are adaptive reuse strategies – like Black Women Build-Baltimore – that “bring life back to an area, financial resources back to the local marketplace, and safety back to the neighborhood.” Such strategies allow old homes “to become critical components of urban regeneration.”
Black Women Build was the culmination of Ms. Halstead’s winding path through a childhood in Iowa, to fighting wildfires in Oregon, to living in a commune in Belgium and on an ashram in India. She found her way back to the U.S., wanting to create communal living space for her friends, but she didn’t know how to build.
So she took a carpentry class at a community college, and then got a job as an electrician’s apprentice in Antarctica. After more than a decade as a union carpenter back in the U.S., she went to law school and had a brief stint working for a nonprofit in Washington, D.C. Ms. Halstead still found herself seeking ways to feel fulfilled.
She finally landed in Baltimore. “I really just found it a perfect place to put my skills together and begin Black Women Build,” she says. ”All those various experiences I’ve had really shaped how I think about building community, and the way that I wanted to do it.”
Spending time with people, sharing space, and learning together are integral to the Black Women Build approach. It “deepens a sense of community and common understanding of things,” she says. This begins with conversations as she works with trainees. As they discuss life experiences and challenges they’re working through, Ms. Halstead might share a referral to behavioral health therapists, for example, or encourage bringing a lunch from home as a healthier and cheaper option than buying it from the corner store.
But building homes isn’t all there is to the work in the neighborhood. Making the existing buildings livable and available to people already in the community is the other half, says Ms. Henderson.
In the Old West Baltimore Historic District, that means facing its history as a redlined neighborhood. A student at the University of Maryland School of Social Work earning her second master’s degree, Ms. Henderson has examined redlining maps, and she finds that not much has changed in the area. She says it can be heartbreaking to hear stories of disenfranchisement, asking, “What have we done collectively to address that? I see [Black Women Build] as a form of resistance to what has been ... happening for generations.”
Programs like Black Women Build-Baltimore, many with social justice in their platforms, point a path forward, says Dr. Fischer of Case Western Reserve. “The idea of finding a way to turn these properties and bring back homeownership in some of these neighborhoods is an antidote to an illness that we created in the 1930s for many distressed neighborhoods.”
Although potential funders always want to know how Black Women Build-Baltimore can be scaled, Ms. Halstead says that’s not her focus. “That’s not what I ever wanted to create. I want to ensure that the person I’m working with understands the house, understands how to take care of it, knows their neighbors, feels a part of ... the community in which they live, and [knows] what they want to bring to it.”
By interacting on a personal level with someone, you can find their strengths, she says, and help them channel those strengths into the work at hand. From learning trades, to modeling healthy eating, to talking about overcoming challenges, to financial literacy – Ms. Halstead works alongside each woman in the program, each step of the way. “It’s ... about [learning] how we came to be” through conversation, but it’s not prescribed, she says. “It’s really organic.”
Trainees work about 32 hours a week, for which Black Women Build provides an hourly stipend. Most women in the program are wage earners elsewhere; one leaves an hour early at 3 p.m. to work her job from 4 to 9 p.m.
It’s important that the women feel valued for taking the time to learn new skills, showing up, and “believing in a future where they’re going to be a part of something that’s actually bigger than themselves,” says Ms. Halstead. “Black women have more to offer ... than our sweat.”
Preservation vs. demolition
Her own convictions aside, persuading the city to hand over several abandoned houses to begin with rather than razing them was no small feat. To Ms. Halstead, it’s a no-brainer: “The cost to stabilize these houses is basically the same cost to tear them down. So let’s get into preservation instead of demolition.” It helped her credibility that she had received a Baltimore fellowship available to people seeking to use their professional and life skills to aid marginalized communities.
It may be difficult to fathom how people could one day want to live in abandoned neighborhoods again, but Ms. Halstead sees the potential. “These aren’t just wasted houses and wasted memories,” she says.
Even today, as the founder of a nonprofit with decades of experience in the trades, Ms. Halstead still faces bias and hostility. One tradesman told her she “needs a man around” the job site because men might not want to listen to her.
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She remains unfazed. If someone doesn’t want to listen, she says, then it’s not the right job for them. But the concept of women’s empowerment is overused, Ms. Halstead says. It’s a matter of practicality. “I’m just like, ‘Why not? Why can’t she swing a hammer? Why can’t she tile the bathroom?’” Being skilled in the trades makes sense for women, she says. The pay is high, and learning the skills is a way to become self-sufficient. “I didn’t take a vow of poverty,” she says, “just because I am a Black woman.”
Editor’s note: This story was updated to correct Ms. Halstead’s apprenticeship and the spelling of Ms. Robertson’s name.


csmonitor--2020-09-25--Points of Progress: Zimbabwe bans mining in parks, and more

Jane Fraser will become the chief executive of Citigroup in February , making her the first woman to lead a major Wall Street bank .
The Scottish American businesswoman currently serves as president of Citigroup and head of its consumer banking division , and will take the reins from Michael Corbat when he retires next year .
Citigroup is the country ’ s third-largest bank and the No .
1 issuer of credit cards globally .
Despite efforts to recruit more women , Wall Street ’ s top offices have always been occupied by men .
When Ms. Fraser moves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ peers at the 10 biggest U.S. banks , but the promotion will make her more visible in the financial world .
( The New York Times ) In a novel conservation funding effort , a 100-mile stretch of the Mesoamerican Reef in Mexico is protected by the world ’ s first natural asset insurance policy .
And the reef is a major asset : Not only does it support the region ’ s ecotourism industry , but a healthy reef also protects coastline communities from erosion and storm damage by reducing up to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ energy .
First established in June 2019 and renewed this summer , the innovative policy mobilizes stakeholders from nongovernmental organizations , the tourism industry , and the scientific community in the event of a catastrophic hurricane .
Hotel owners and local governments pay premiums that provide an immediate cash infusion if winds exceed 115 mph .
The severer the storm , the bigger the overall payout , maxing out at around $ 3.8 million .
A volunteer corps of roughly 60 hospitality workers , marine biologists , and other trained scientists known as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the hands-on repairs of cleaning debris around the reef and reattaching pieces of coral before they die .
While the community hasn ’ t experienced a serious hurricane since the policy ’ s inception , the Guardians have stepped in to fix damage by boats and smaller storms not covered by the plan .
The policy ’ s architects hope to bring this method of conservation to other parts of Mexico and Latin America .
( HuffPost ) The government announced a ban on mining , effective immediately , in all national parks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against plans to mine the famous Hwange National Park .
In a joint venture with a state-owned development corporation , two Chinese firms were allowed to look for coal in the country ’ s largest nature reserve .
Hwange is home to more than 45,000 elephants and many other vulnerable species , including buffaloes , lions , and the endangered black rhino .
Campaigners called on the government to revoke the permits , citing concerns for wildlife and the country ’ s lucrative tourism sector .
The Zimbabwe Environmental Lawyers Association launched a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ saying the park would become a “ site for drilling , land clearance , road building , and geological surveys ” if the deal continued .
ZELA officials welcomed the government ’ s reversal , and are looking for the government to take legal steps to enforce the ban .
( BBC , The Associated Press ) A first-of-its-kind study , captured in the 2017 documentary “ Yasuní Man , ” is helping scientists understand one of the most biodiverse areas of the world : the Yasuní Biosphere Reserve ’ s Intangible Zone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ region is difficult to access and largely unexplored .
Filmmakers teamed up with biologists and members of the local Waorani clans to document the zone ’ s unique culture and wildlife – a process that has resulted in several discoveries , including the first records of the nesting behavior of a particular bird , the confirmation of a new frog species , and the discovery of a new fish species .
Overall , the inventory conducted in the film will result in eight scientific reports : two recently published articles on mammals and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in various stages of production .
( Mongabay ) The Danish government is updating the legal definition of rape to include any sex without explicit consent .
Previously , Denmark had “ a system where there had to be coercion and violence for it to be rape , ” said Justice Minister Nick Hækkerup , but the reforms will bring the country in line with international human rights standards .
In 2018 , Sweden adopted a similar law making consent the determining factor in rape cases .
The number of rape convictions rose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s left-wing party pushed for a similar change in 2018 .
It now has majority support in parliament , and officials expect full adoption by 2021 .
“ This is a historic victory , ” said Anna Błuś , Amnesty International ’ s women ’ s rights researcher , “ not just for the campaigners who have fought long and hard for this day , but for everyone in Denmark.
” ( The Local , Helsinki Times ) Women in India have more places to turn to in domestic abuse situations , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ centers dedicated to supporting abuse survivors .
The first such organization , Gauravi , was established after the 2012 rape and murder of a Delhi woman sparked global outrage and led to tougher anti-rape laws in India .
Gauravi offers domestic abuse survivors legal , financial , social , and even professional support .
The center recently helped survivor Talat Jahan become one of Bhopal ’ s first female rickshaw drivers – a role she uses to check in on women forced to stay home during the pandemic lockdown .
Around the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an uptick of domestic violence amid the pandemic .
In India , governmental bodies have set up dedicated help lines for reporting domestic abuse over the phone and on social media .
Gauravi officials say women who drive tuk-tuks have played a key role in identifying and delivering aid to vulnerable women , and ensuring the center can continue to intervene and support women in dangerous situations .
Pranita Achyut , a director at the International Center for Research on Women in Asia , called projects like Gauravi ’ s “ important and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ must face up to “ violence as a systemic , structural issue ” to see lasting change .
( Thomson Reuters Foundation )

1. United States
Jane Fraser will become the chief executive of Citigroup in February, making her the first woman to lead a major Wall Street bank. The Scottish American businesswoman currently serves as president of Citigroup and head of its consumer banking division, and will take the reins from Michael Corbat when he retires next year. Citigroup is the country’s third-largest bank and the No. 1 issuer of credit cards globally.
Julian Restrepo/Citigroup/AP View caption Hide caption Citigroup announced that Jane Fraser would succeed Michael Corbat as the bank’s next chief executive in February 2021.
Despite efforts to recruit more women, Wall Street’s top offices have always been occupied by men. When Ms. Fraser moves up, she will have no female peers at the 10 biggest U.S. banks, but the promotion will make her more visible in the financial world. (The New York Times)
Why We Wrote This This is more than feel-good news – it's where the world is making concrete progress. A roundup of positive stories to inspire you.
2. Mexico
In a novel conservation funding effort, a 100-mile stretch of the Mesoamerican Reef in Mexico is protected by the world’s first natural asset insurance policy. And the reef is a major asset: Not only does it support the region’s ecotourism industry, but a healthy reef also protects coastline communities from erosion and storm damage by reducing up to 97% of a wave’s energy. First established in June 2019 and renewed this summer, the innovative policy mobilizes stakeholders from nongovernmental organizations, the tourism industry, and the scientific community in the event of a catastrophic hurricane. Hotel owners and local governments pay premiums that provide an immediate cash infusion if winds exceed 115 mph. The severer the storm, the bigger the overall payout, maxing out at around $3.8 million. A volunteer corps of roughly 60 hospitality workers, marine biologists, and other trained scientists known as the Guardians of the Reef would do the hands-on repairs of cleaning debris around the reef and reattaching pieces of coral before they die. While the community hasn’t experienced a serious hurricane since the policy’s inception, the Guardians have stepped in to fix damage by boats and smaller storms not covered by the plan. The policy’s architects hope to bring this method of conservation to other parts of Mexico and Latin America. (HuffPost)
3. Zimbabwe
The government announced a ban on mining, effective immediately, in all national parks and along most riverbeds, following pushback against plans to mine the famous Hwange National Park. In a joint venture with a state-owned development corporation, two Chinese firms were allowed to look for coal in the country’s largest nature reserve. Hwange is home to more than 45,000 elephants and many other vulnerable species, including buffaloes, lions, and the endangered black rhino. Campaigners called on the government to revoke the permits, citing concerns for wildlife and the country’s lucrative tourism sector.
Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi/AP/File View caption Hide caption Zimbabwe’s government has reversed its controversial decision to allow coal mining in the Hwange reserve, which hosts one of Africa’s largest populations of elephants.
The Zimbabwe Environmental Lawyers Association launched a legal fight against the coal explorations, saying the park would become a “site for drilling, land clearance, road building, and geological surveys” if the deal continued. ZELA officials welcomed the government’s reversal, and are looking for the government to take legal steps to enforce the ban. (BBC, The Associated Press)
4. Ecuador
A first-of-its-kind study, captured in the 2017 documentary “Yasuní Man,” is helping scientists understand one of the most biodiverse areas of the world: the Yasuní Biosphere Reserve’s Intangible Zone. As the name suggests, the region is difficult to access and largely unexplored. Filmmakers teamed up with biologists and members of the local Waorani clans to document the zone’s unique culture and wildlife – a process that has resulted in several discoveries, including the first records of the nesting behavior of a particular bird, the confirmation of a new frog species, and the discovery of a new fish species. Overall, the inventory conducted in the film will result in eight scientific reports: two recently published articles on mammals and birds, and six others that are in various stages of production. (Mongabay)
Get stories that
empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
5. Denmark
The Danish government is updating the legal definition of rape to include any sex without explicit consent. Previously, Denmark had “a system where there had to be coercion and violence for it to be rape,” said Justice Minister Nick Hækkerup, but the reforms will bring the country in line with international human rights standards. In 2018, Sweden adopted a similar law making consent the determining factor in rape cases. The number of rape convictions rose by 75% in 2019. Denmark’s left-wing party pushed for a similar change in 2018. It now has majority support in parliament, and officials expect full adoption by 2021. “This is a historic victory,” said Anna Błuś, Amnesty International’s women’s rights researcher, “not just for the campaigners who have fought long and hard for this day, but for everyone in Denmark.” (The Local, Helsinki Times)
6. India
Women in India have more places to turn to in domestic abuse situations, thanks to some compassionate rickshaw drivers and centers dedicated to supporting abuse survivors. The first such organization, Gauravi, was established after the 2012 rape and murder of a Delhi woman sparked global outrage and led to tougher anti-rape laws in India. Gauravi offers domestic abuse survivors legal, financial, social, and even professional support. The center recently helped survivor Talat Jahan become one of Bhopal’s first female rickshaw drivers – a role she uses to check in on women forced to stay home during the pandemic lockdown. Around the world, countries are struggling to respond to an uptick of domestic violence amid the pandemic. In India, governmental bodies have set up dedicated help lines for reporting domestic abuse over the phone and on social media. Gauravi officials say women who drive tuk-tuks have played a key role in identifying and delivering aid to vulnerable women, and ensuring the center can continue to intervene and support women in dangerous situations. Pranita Achyut, a director at the International Center for Research on Women in Asia, called projects like Gauravi’s “important and necessary,” but added that India must face up to “violence as a systemic, structural issue” to see lasting change. (Thomson Reuters Foundation)


csmonitor--2020-09-25--Rising from pandemic, the business success stories of tomorrow?

And amid the pandemic , the economy is on track to produce more startups in 2020 that are likely to hire workers , compared with last year .
Says startup expert Marc Penzel : “ A crisis always begets opportunity in more than one way.
” The pandemic has thrown many startups for a loop .
More than a quarter of small businesses say they won ’ t survive more than three months ; nearly 1 in 6 have considered bankruptcy , according to an August survey .
Yet recessions , which kill off many startups , can also forge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 500 companies were started during an economic contraction .
The couple decided they could at least put their Vietnamese factory partners to work making face masks that they could then donate to U.S. frontline workers .
Then friends began asking for masks .
When Ms. Goldstein put up a message on her website and Facebook page , saying “ We have face masks , ” she got $ 25,000 in orders by the next morning .
Seven months later the firm , Rafi Nova , has 30 employees and is launching new products @ @ @ @ @ @ @ business on Feb. 16 , selling fashionable backpacks to adventure travelers .
Less than a month later , when the pandemic hit , air travel and sales ground to a halt .
On Feb. 16 , Marissa and Adam Goldstein launched Rafi Nova , a company selling backpacks for adventure travelers .
Sustainably sourced , using textiles woven by Hmong women in Vietnam paid at a fair-trade rate , the backpacks might have been a thing .
But the pandemic hit and domestic and international travel ground to a halt .
“ Nobody @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alone buying a $ 230 travel pack , ” says Ms. Goldstein , whose business is in Needham , Massachusetts .
“ We probably launched a travel fashion company at the worst time in history.
” With few sales and no money left , the couple decided they at least could put their Vietnamese factory partners to work making face masks , which they could donate to front-line workers in the United States .
“ It wasn ’ t a business opportunity , ” Ms. Goldstein says .
“ It was out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and friends started asking if they could buy some of the masks .
On a whim , Ms. Goldstein took a selfie of herself with a mask and put up a message on her website and Facebook page , saying , “ We have face masks.
” The next morning , she had $ 25,000 in mask orders and the company has never looked back .
In seven months , the company has 30 employees in the U.S. and four more in Vietnam .
Now expanding into additional products , the company will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1 , boosting capacity by 60 % .
From Boston to Silicon Valley , the pandemic has thrown entrepreneurs a curveball like no other .
Recessions usually crush fragile startups and convince many would-be entrepreneurs to hold off until times get better .
But in the midst of this downturn , the number of new businesses in the U.S. is on the upswing .
It ’ s not entirely clear why : Are entrepreneurs seizing on an opportunity – or just desperate because they just lost their job ?
.
“ The crisis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ve seen before , ” says Marc Penzel , founder and president of Startup Genome , an innovation policy advisory and research firm with offices around the world .
“ We ’ ve never had a situation where the economy had to shut down.
” The result is that entrepreneurs , instead of seeing a general contraction , are experiencing wildly different scenarios .
Many entrepreneurs have found themselves in the wrong industry at the wrong time .
And if Congress doesn ’ t provide additional emergency aid – its Paycheck Protection Program @ @ @ @ @ @ @ month – more than a quarter of small-business owners say they won ’ t survive more than three months , according to Small Business Majority , a national advocacy group that surveyed its network of 70,000 businesses in August .
Another 1 in 5 say they won ’ t make it past the next four to six months .
Nearly 1 in 6 have already considered bankruptcy .
The dark clouds gathering around entrepreneurs are not unique to the U.S .
In its global survey , Startup Genome found 41 % of startups @ @ @ @ @ @ @ left , up from 29 % before the pandemic .
One reason is that downturns tend to accelerate existing trends , such as the move from on-site to online retail .
“ You had businesses that were struggling already , ” says Donna Kelley , professor of entrepreneurship at Babson College in Massachusetts and a member of the oversight board of the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor .
“ This was the final nail in the coffin.
” When he started his tourism company four years ago in eastern Kansas – not exactly a tourist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be an uphill climb .
What he didn ’ t count on was the pandemic .
The lockdowns killed his spring season .
When summer rolled around , he didn ’ t even bother trying to market the nearby Flint Hills and Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve to outsiders .
Part of the reason was that he himself contended with an ailment in January that has hung on for months .
Two tests say it ’ s not the coronavirus , but Mr. Cagle is taking no chances for his family or his clients @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – and home-schooling his daughter .
“ It ’ s definitely a 180 ” turn , he says .
“ My mission before was to boost our local economy by bringing in people from the outside.
” Now , he ’ s urging outsiders to shelter at home and not come – for their sakes as well as for his community .
Typically , business formation doesn ’ t pick up immediately when the economy begins to recover , says Professor Kelley of Babson .
In the Great Recession it lagged for two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in March , the number of “ high-propensity ” business applications surged in May and for the year is running 12 % ahead of last year ’ s pace , according to Economic Innovation Group ( EIG ) , a Washington-based advocacy group .
High-propensity applications are highly likely to become active firms with employees , according to the Census Bureau .
That would tend to rule out one reason for the surge : a flood of applications from suddenly jobless workers desperate to find something else – perhaps hanging out shingles as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the surge is that applications earlier in the year might have been backed up .
But as the numbers have continued above last year ’ s levels , EIG has grown more optimistic : “ Some of the surge may therefore represent the real thing : entrepreneurs finding opportunity in the crisis , ” the group ’ s blog said this week .
The pandemic has actually helped some entrepreneurs .
Already in April , when Startup Genome was surveying entrepreneurs worldwide , it found that 12 % of startups had seen revenue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The paradox of recessions is that while they typically kill more than the usual number of startups , those that survive tend to be remarkably resilient .
During the Great Recession , for example , transit giant Uber and mobile-payment platform Square were formed .
“ A crisis always begets opportunity in more than one way , ” says Mr. Penzel of Startup Genome .
Over half of the Fortune 500 companies were started during a contraction and over 50 of them were created in the Great Recession alone , he says , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 145 billion .
While Bryanne Leeming was earning her MBA from Babson College , she was prototyping her idea of teaching children software coding through play .
In 2018 , she launched Unruly Studios , an education technology company in Boston .
By 2019 , the firm was selling to public schools its floor buttons , called Splats , which students can program to light up , make sounds , or collect points when they are stomped on .
The idea is to teach coding skills through games .
The first quarter of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quarter yet .
When schools began to close in the spring because of the pandemic , the company ’ s team began talking to educators around the country about what they could use to teach online , in class , or in some hybrid model .
As children were more isolated than normal during the summer , the company began focusing on strategies for improving social emotional learning .
This fall , music teachers began to approach the company about using Splats for students to play music on , because the screens are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recorders .
The young company is rapidly approaching profitability .
“ September already has been one of our best months yet , ” says Ms. Leeming .
“ We have plans to accelerate this fall.
” The pandemic may well throw more curveballs .
With the market for masks saturated , the Goldsteins are already steering Rafi Nova into new areas , offering belt bags and other mask accessories and copper-infused anti-microbial gloves .
It will soon launch a line of apparel .
The company gives away products and uses part of its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ never want to take advantage of the pandemic and the hurt and the suffering , ” says Ms. Goldstein .
“ And so we try to create products that really help people like the masks and then take that a step further and make sure that our products can get into everyone ’ s hands , whether they can afford it or not.
” Editor ’ s note : As a public service , all our coronavirus coverage is free .
No paywall .

And amid the pandemic, the economy is on track to produce more startups in 2020 that are likely to hire workers, compared with last year. Says startup expert Marc Penzel: “A crisis always begets opportunity in more than one way.”
The pandemic has thrown many startups for a loop. More than a quarter of small businesses say they won’t survive more than three months; nearly 1 in 6 have considered bankruptcy, according to an August survey. Yet recessions, which kill off many startups, can also forge big winners. Over half of Fortune 500 companies were started during an economic contraction.
Many businesses now struggle near the brink of bankruptcy, yet a surprising countertrend is visible: a faster pace of new-business formation than last year. History suggests that some of these employers may become long-term success stories.
The couple decided they could at least put their Vietnamese factory partners to work making face masks that they could then donate to U.S. frontline workers. Then friends began asking for masks. When Ms. Goldstein put up a message on her website and Facebook page, saying “We have face masks,” she got $25,000 in orders by the next morning. Seven months later the firm, Rafi Nova, has 30 employees and is launching new products.
Marissa and Adam Goldstein launched their business on Feb. 16, selling fashionable backpacks to adventure travelers. Less than a month later, when the pandemic hit, air travel and sales ground to a halt.
On Feb. 16, Marissa and Adam Goldstein launched Rafi Nova, a company selling backpacks for adventure travelers. Sustainably sourced, using textiles woven by Hmong women in Vietnam paid at a fair-trade rate, the backpacks might have been a thing. But the pandemic hit and domestic and international travel ground to a halt.
“Nobody was even leaving their house, let alone buying a $230 travel pack,” says Ms. Goldstein, whose business is in Needham, Massachusetts. “We probably launched a travel fashion company at the worst time in history.”
With few sales and no money left, the couple decided they at least could put their Vietnamese factory partners to work making face masks, which they could donate to front-line workers in the United States. “It wasn’t a business opportunity,” Ms. Goldstein says. “It was out of a sense of service.”
Why We Wrote This Many businesses now struggle near the brink of bankruptcy, yet a surprising countertrend is visible: a faster pace of new-business formation than last year. History suggests that some of these employers may become long-term success stories.
Then family and friends started asking if they could buy some of the masks. On a whim, Ms. Goldstein took a selfie of herself with a mask and put up a message on her website and Facebook page, saying, “We have face masks.” The next morning, she had $25,000 in mask orders and the company has never looked back. In seven months, the company has 30 employees in the U.S. and four more in Vietnam. Now expanding into additional products, the company will move to a new facility on Oct. 1, boosting capacity by 60%.
From Boston to Silicon Valley, the pandemic has thrown entrepreneurs a curveball like no other. Recessions usually crush fragile startups and convince many would-be entrepreneurs to hold off until times get better. But in the midst of this downturn, the number of new businesses in the U.S. is on the upswing. It’s not entirely clear why: Are entrepreneurs seizing on an opportunity – or just desperate because they just lost their job?.
“The crisis is unlike any other crisis we’ve seen before,” says Marc Penzel, founder and president of Startup Genome, an innovation policy advisory and research firm with offices around the world. “We’ve never had a situation where the economy had to shut down.”
The result is that entrepreneurs, instead of seeing a general contraction, are experiencing wildly different scenarios. Many entrepreneurs have found themselves in the wrong industry at the wrong time. And if Congress doesn’t provide additional emergency aid – its Paycheck Protection Program loan option for small businesses expired last month – more than a quarter of small-business owners say they won’t survive more than three months, according to Small Business Majority, a national advocacy group that surveyed its network of 70,000 businesses in August. Another 1 in 5 say they won’t make it past the next four to six months. Nearly 1 in 6 have already considered bankruptcy.
Courtesy of Casey Cagle View caption Hide caption Casey Cagle (right), who opened his own Kansas tourism operation four years ago, shows off a pawpaw, one of North America's large wild fruits, to a tourist. Since the pandemic hit, demand has evaporated and his business is on hiatus.
The dark clouds gathering around entrepreneurs are not unique to the U.S. In its global survey, Startup Genome found 41% of startups have three months or less of cash left, up from 29% before the pandemic. One reason is that downturns tend to accelerate existing trends, such as the move from on-site to online retail.
“You had businesses that were struggling already,” says Donna Kelley, professor of entrepreneurship at Babson College in Massachusetts and a member of the oversight board of the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor. “This was the final nail in the coffin.”
When he started his tourism company four years ago in eastern Kansas – not exactly a tourist mecca – Casey Cagle knew it would be an uphill climb. What he didn’t count on was the pandemic.
The lockdowns killed his spring season. When summer rolled around, he didn’t even bother trying to market the nearby Flint Hills and Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve to outsiders. Part of the reason was that he himself contended with an ailment in January that has hung on for months. Two tests say it’s not the coronavirus, but Mr. Cagle is taking no chances for his family or his clients. He’s staying at home – and home-schooling his daughter.
“It’s definitely a 180” turn, he says. “My mission before was to boost our local economy by bringing in people from the outside.” Now, he’s urging outsiders to shelter at home and not come – for their sakes as well as for his community.
Melanie Stetson Freeman/Staff View caption Hide caption Employees work while wearing face masks at Rafi Nova, which started out making backpacks and purses when the business opened in February and switched to face masks after the COVID-19 pandemic started, on Sept. 24, 2020, in Needham, Massachusetts.
Typically, business formation doesn’t pick up immediately when the economy begins to recover, says Professor Kelley of Babson. In the Great Recession it lagged for two years.
But after an initial plunge in March, the number of “high-propensity” business applications surged in May and for the year is running 12% ahead of last year’s pace, according to Economic Innovation Group (EIG), a Washington-based advocacy group. High-propensity applications are highly likely to become active firms with employees, according to the Census Bureau.
That would tend to rule out one reason for the surge: a flood of applications from suddenly jobless workers desperate to find something else – perhaps hanging out shingles as freelance workers. Another potential reason for the surge is that applications earlier in the year might have been backed up. But as the numbers have continued above last year’s levels, EIG has grown more optimistic: “Some of the surge may therefore represent the real thing: entrepreneurs finding opportunity in the crisis,” the group’s blog said this week.
The pandemic has actually helped some entrepreneurs. Already in April, when Startup Genome was surveying entrepreneurs worldwide, it found that 12% of startups had seen revenue rise by 10% or more. The paradox of recessions is that while they typically kill more than the usual number of startups, those that survive tend to be remarkably resilient. During the Great Recession, for example, transit giant Uber and mobile-payment platform Square were formed.
“A crisis always begets opportunity in more than one way,” says Mr. Penzel of Startup Genome. Over half of the Fortune 500 companies were started during a contraction and over 50 of them were created in the Great Recession alone, he says, and they are collectively valued at $145 billion.
Unruly Studios View caption Hide caption Third graders at Canterbury School in Florida use programmable floor buttons to play different notes. The floor buttons are made and marketed by Unruly Studios, a Boston startup that aims to teach coding skills through games.
While Bryanne Leeming was earning her MBA from Babson College, she was prototyping her idea of teaching children software coding through play. In 2018, she launched Unruly Studios, an education technology company in Boston. By 2019, the firm was selling to public schools its floor buttons, called Splats, which students can program to light up, make sounds, or collect points when they are stomped on. The idea is to teach coding skills through games. The first quarter of 2020 was the company’s best quarter yet.
When schools began to close in the spring because of the pandemic, the company’s team began talking to educators around the country about what they could use to teach online, in class, or in some hybrid model. As children were more isolated than normal during the summer, the company began focusing on strategies for improving social emotional learning. This fall, music teachers began to approach the company about using Splats for students to play music on, because the screens are easier to disinfect than the mouthpieces on recorders. The young company is rapidly approaching profitability.
“September already has been one of our best months yet,” says Ms. Leeming. “We have plans to accelerate this fall.”
The pandemic may well throw more curveballs. With the market for masks saturated, the Goldsteins are already steering Rafi Nova into new areas, offering belt bags and other mask accessories and copper-infused anti-microbial gloves. It will soon launch a line of apparel. The company gives away products and uses part of its profits to fund nonprofits.
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“I never want to take advantage of the pandemic and the hurt and the suffering,” says Ms. Goldstein. “And so we try to create products that really help people like the masks and then take that a step further and make sure that our products can get into everyone’s hands, whether they can afford it or not.”
Editor’s note: As a public service, all our coronavirus coverage is free. No paywall.


csmonitor--2020-09-25--At UN assembly quieted by a pandemic, the US-China clash is loud

“ We have issues to discuss such as human rights .
We are also competitors with China , ” says a European diplomat on condition of anonymity .
“ We also want a level playing field and reciprocity .
But if we want to face global challenges , ” he adds , “ we have to work together.
” Amid talk this year of a new cold war , Europeans readily acknowledge that they too have their differences with China – but they add they prefer dialogue and diplomacy where possible .
In his remote speech , Chinese leader Xi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s preference for cooperation over the go-it-alone , America-first approach espoused by President Donald Trump .
Where Mr. Trump condemned the World Health Organization for helping China cover up the emerging coronavirus , Mr. Xi lauded the WHO ’ s “ essential work ” and pledged to boost China ’ s funding .
What ’ s left was a near-empty green-and-gold auditorium and a hear-a-pin-drop silence in hallways that normally would buzz with diplomatic chatter .
And , more noticeably , the intensifying U.S.-China rivalry .
The global pandemic turned the United @ @ @ @ @ @ @ York into a largely sad and dispiriting affair .
Gone were the myriad bilateral meetings across a gridlocked Manhattan and the conference-room side sessions on the pressing issues of the day , from climate change to food security .
It was supposed to be a grand celebration marking the 75th anniversary of the United Nations .
But the near-empty iconic green-and-gold auditorium , the absence of a parade of world leaders , and the hear-a-pin-drop silence in hallways that normally would be buzzing with diplomatic chatter in dozens of humanity ’ s rich @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and dispiriting U.N. General Assembly this week in New York .
The global pandemic – the first in the U.N. ’ s existence – felled much of what has made “ UNGA ” the preeminent global diplomatic gathering of the year .
Instead of in-person speeches that gave national leaders great and small a turn at the marble dais , there have been prerecorded videos destined for an uncertain audience .
Gone , the myriad bilateral meetings across a gridlocked Manhattan and the conference-room side sessions that indicated to a global audience the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ climate change , nuclear proliferation , and migration to terrorism and food security .
No more intrigue on the order of what obsessed journalists from around the world last year : Would President Donald Trump run into Iranian President Hassan Rouhani ?
( He did not . )
Or who would receive more applause , Mr. Trump or Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg ?
( Answer : Ms .
Thunberg . )
The coronavirus pandemic has clearly dealt a blow to the “ we ’ re all in this together ” spirit that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only grown in importance over recent decades as the world has increasingly globalized and confronted issues that know no borders .
Another blow to the U.N. ’ s multilateral underpinnings was struck by the heightened tensions and caustic rhetoric on display between the United States and China – the former the U.N. ’ s historical leader , the latter the rising superpower and pretender to America ’ s global leadership throne .
President Trump in his taped speech spoke of the “ China virus ” ravaging the globe – and for which he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , China ’ s ambassador to the U.N. , Zhang Jun , rose to the dais in person before Chinese leader Xi Jinping ’ s taped speech to dispute Mr. Trump ’ s accusations and suggest instead that the U.S. president had introduced a “ political virus ” antithetical to the spirit of the U.N. to the global body .
Yet as gloomy and jarring as much of this year ’ s largely remote proceedings have been , there is also a hopeful sense that the world , coming together , can overcome @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as it fashioned a system of global cooperation out of the ashes of World War II .
As U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres noted in his address opening UNGA Tuesday , the world is at “ another 1945 moment , ” referring to the hinge year that saw both the end of World War II and the founding of the U.N. “ I heard that as Guterres being optimistic and aiming for the inspirational , ” says Francine D ’ Amico , a professor of international relations and specialist in the U.N. and international @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think he was saying the international community needs to act as it did in 1945 , when it came together and established the first truly global institution.
” Instead , she adds , “ many believe we are at a 1939 moment , ” when the world fractured and marched off to a world war .
Mr. Guterres reassured his global audience that , provided the nations of the world together dip into the well of international cooperation and reject a resurgent nationalism , the world is up to the task of addressing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ includes the pandemic .
Noting that many of the globe ’ s best minds are racing to produce a COVID-19 vaccine in record time , Mr. Guterres warned against a “ vaccinationalism ” that would narrowly address the needs of some , largely in the world ’ s wealthiest countries , while leaving many in less-developed countries behind .
Yet despite the hopefulness of pandemic-inspired cooperation , this year ’ s UNGA has laid bare the other challenge that very few were talking about a year ago , the rising tensions between the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the United States and China .
New this year is talk of another cold war , which many believe would undermine international cooperation and U.N.-led multilateralism farther into the future than COVID-19 .
As French President Emmanuel Macron warned in his UNGA address , the mounting tensions between the U.S. and China threaten the U.N. with “ impotency ” at a time when multilateral action is essential to addressing global threats – from destabilizing regional conflicts and growing inequalities to the significant and varied impacts of climate change .
What worries many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cause a return to the inertia the international community experienced during the decades of the U.S.-Soviet Union standoff .
“ We ’ re seeing that the U.N. could very much be hamstrung as it was during the Cold War , ” says Professor D ’ Amico .
European leaders in particular appear determined not to let rising U.S.-China tensions derail their efforts at safeguarding and promoting multilateralism despite an increasingly hostile global environment .
Pointing to the Franco-German alliance for multilateralism being advanced by Mr. Macron and Chancellor Angela Merkel , one European @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to do that , whatever the situation is between the U.S. and China .
We have no time to wait .
“ We can not remain in the margins and say , ‘ It ’ s terrible , but we can ’ t do anything because the two big powers are having their discussions , ’ ” adds the diplomat , who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss openly the tensions at UNGA .
Europeans readily acknowledge that they too have their issues with China – but they add they prefer dialogue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We also have our discussions with China , ” says the European diplomat , using a diplomatic replacement for “ differences.
” “ We have issues to discuss such as human rights .
We are also competitors with China .
… We also want a level playing field and reciprocity .
But if we want to face global challenges , ” he adds , “ we have to work together.
” Mr. Xi in his speech deftly appealed to much of the world ’ s preference for cooperation over the go-it-alone , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Where Mr. Trump condemned the World Health Organization for helping China cover up the emerging virus , Mr. Xi lauded the WHO ’ s “ essential work ” and pledged to boost China ’ s funding of the global health organization .
And where Mr. Trump blasted the “ one-sided ” Paris climate accords that he withdrew from in 2017 , Mr. Xi announced a new commitment to make China carbon neutral by 2060 .
Not that the world takes the Chinese word hook , line , and sinker .
Indeed , Mr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ media platforms was generally harsh , a kind of bottom-of-the-screen reality check highlighting China ’ s mass detention of Muslim Uyghurs and its strong-arming of Hong Kong .
But by and large Mr. Xi ’ s solidarity on the coronavirus , commitment to share globally any COVID-19 vaccine China develops , and special shoutout to China ’ s south-south dialogue and “ commitment ” to African partners , were all much more soothing to the U.N. ear than Mr. Trump ’ s nationalist rhetoric and America-first pandemic focus .
Mr. Trump did speak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a peacemaker ” as he referenced the recent U.S.-brokered Serbia-Kosovo accords and normalization of relations between Israel and both the UAE and Bahrain .
But over all , what many observers have heard this week is a China stepping up to the leadership plate , and America pulling back .
“ The U.S. chose multilateralism in 1945 , and we were able to remake the world in our image , and in ways that served our interests , ” says Professor D ’ Amico .
“ But now Trump ’ s theme seems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ partner , but more of an America-focused individualism , ” she says .
One example : The U.S. effort this week to reimpose U.N. sanctions on Iran – a move even America ’ s closest allies have rejected as having no standing since Mr. Trump pulled the U.S. out of the Iran nuclear deal in 2018 .
Indeed , the administration is wearing its loneliness on Iran sanctions as a badge of honor .
As the U.S. ambassador to the U.N. , Kelly Craft , said this week , America does not “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ moral compass.
” But neither can a superpower in withdrawal mode retain its global influence , others say .
“ The problem is that if you ’ re not on the field , you can ’ t play the game , and you leave the field open to China , ” Professor D ’ Amico adds .
“ If you walk away from the table , you have no say in who ’ s going to be calling the shots .
”

“We have issues to discuss such as human rights. We are also competitors with China,” says a European diplomat on condition of anonymity. “We also want a level playing field and reciprocity. But if we want to face global challenges,” he adds, “we have to work together.”
Amid talk this year of a new cold war, Europeans readily acknowledge that they too have their differences with China – but they add they prefer dialogue and diplomacy where possible.
In his remote speech, Chinese leader Xi Jinping appealed to much of the world’s preference for cooperation over the go-it-alone, America-first approach espoused by President Donald Trump. Where Mr. Trump condemned the World Health Organization for helping China cover up the emerging coronavirus, Mr. Xi lauded the WHO’s “essential work” and pledged to boost China’s funding.
The United Nations is multilateralism institutionalized. Its annual General Assembly is one place global issues of common concern are tackled. Normally. What happens to such efforts in a pandemic? What is left?
What’s left was a near-empty green-and-gold auditorium and a hear-a-pin-drop silence in hallways that normally would buzz with diplomatic chatter. And, more noticeably, the intensifying U.S.-China rivalry.
The global pandemic turned the United Nations General Assembly this week in New York into a largely sad and dispiriting affair. Gone were the myriad bilateral meetings across a gridlocked Manhattan and the conference-room side sessions on the pressing issues of the day, from climate change to food security.
It was supposed to be a grand celebration marking the 75th anniversary of the United Nations.
But the near-empty iconic green-and-gold auditorium, the absence of a parade of world leaders, and the hear-a-pin-drop silence in hallways that normally would be buzzing with diplomatic chatter in dozens of humanity’s rich languages – all attest to a sad and dispiriting U.N. General Assembly this week in New York.
The global pandemic – the first in the U.N.’s existence – felled much of what has made “UNGA” the preeminent global diplomatic gathering of the year. Instead of in-person speeches that gave national leaders great and small a turn at the marble dais, there have been prerecorded videos destined for an uncertain audience.
Why We Wrote This The United Nations is multilateralism institutionalized. Its annual General Assembly is one place global issues of common concern are tackled. Normally. What happens to such efforts in a pandemic? What is left?
Gone, the myriad bilateral meetings across a gridlocked Manhattan and the conference-room side sessions that indicated to a global audience the pressing issues of the day, from climate change, nuclear proliferation, and migration to terrorism and food security.
No more intrigue on the order of what obsessed journalists from around the world last year: Would President Donald Trump run into Iranian President Hassan Rouhani? (He did not.) Or who would receive more applause, Mr. Trump or Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg? (Answer: Ms. Thunberg.)
The coronavirus pandemic has clearly dealt a blow to the “we’re all in this together” spirit that animates the U.N., and which has only grown in importance over recent decades as the world has increasingly globalized and confronted issues that know no borders.
Another blow to the U.N.’s multilateral underpinnings was struck by the heightened tensions and caustic rhetoric on display between the United States and China – the former the U.N.’s historical leader, the latter the rising superpower and pretender to America’s global leadership throne.
President Trump in his taped speech spoke of the “China virus” ravaging the globe – and for which he said Beijing must pay. In response, China’s ambassador to the U.N., Zhang Jun, rose to the dais in person before Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s taped speech to dispute Mr. Trump’s accusations and suggest instead that the U.S. president had introduced a “political virus” antithetical to the spirit of the U.N. to the global body.
Another 1945 moment?
Yet as gloomy and jarring as much of this year’s largely remote proceedings have been, there is also a hopeful sense that the world, coming together, can overcome the challenge of the pandemic, just as it fashioned a system of global cooperation out of the ashes of World War II.
As U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres noted in his address opening UNGA Tuesday, the world is at “another 1945 moment,” referring to the hinge year that saw both the end of World War II and the founding of the U.N.
“I heard that as Guterres being optimistic and aiming for the inspirational,” says Francine D’Amico, a professor of international relations and specialist in the U.N. and international institutions at Syracuse University. “I think he was saying the international community needs to act as it did in 1945, when it came together and established the first truly global institution.”
Instead, she adds, “many believe we are at a 1939 moment,” when the world fractured and marched off to a world war.
Eskinder Debebe/United Nations/AP View caption Hide caption United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres (left) and General Assembly President Volkan Bozkir, from Turkey, confer prior to the start of the General Assembly meeting commemorating the 75th anniversary of the United Nations, Sept. 21, 2020.
Mr. Guterres reassured his global audience that, provided the nations of the world together dip into the well of international cooperation and reject a resurgent nationalism, the world is up to the task of addressing the dire threats it faces.
That includes the pandemic. Noting that many of the globe’s best minds are racing to produce a COVID-19 vaccine in record time, Mr. Guterres warned against a “vaccinationalism” that would narrowly address the needs of some, largely in the world’s wealthiest countries, while leaving many in less-developed countries behind.
Talk of another cold war
Yet despite the hopefulness of pandemic-inspired cooperation, this year’s UNGA has laid bare the other challenge that very few were talking about a year ago, the rising tensions between the global body’s two biggest powers, the United States and China.
New this year is talk of another cold war, which many believe would undermine international cooperation and U.N.-led multilateralism farther into the future than COVID-19.
As French President Emmanuel Macron warned in his UNGA address, the mounting tensions between the U.S. and China threaten the U.N. with “impotency” at a time when multilateral action is essential to addressing global threats – from destabilizing regional conflicts and growing inequalities to the significant and varied impacts of climate change.
What worries many is that a U.S.-China cold war could cause a return to the inertia the international community experienced during the decades of the U.S.-Soviet Union standoff. “We’re seeing that the U.N. could very much be hamstrung as it was during the Cold War,” says Professor D’Amico.
European leaders in particular appear determined not to let rising U.S.-China tensions derail their efforts at safeguarding and promoting multilateralism despite an increasingly hostile global environment.
Pointing to the Franco-German alliance for multilateralism being advanced by Mr. Macron and Chancellor Angela Merkel, one European diplomat says, “We will continue to do that, whatever the situation is between the U.S. and China. We have no time to wait.
“We cannot remain in the margins and say, ‘It’s terrible, but we can’t do anything because the two big powers are having their discussions,’” adds the diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss openly the tensions at UNGA.
Europeans readily acknowledge that they too have their issues with China – but they add they prefer dialogue and diplomacy where possible over confrontation.
“We also have our discussions with China,” says the European diplomat, using a diplomatic replacement for “differences.” “We have issues to discuss such as human rights. We are also competitors with China. … We also want a level playing field and reciprocity. But if we want to face global challenges,” he adds, “we have to work together.”
Speaking the U.N.’s language
Mr. Xi in his speech deftly appealed to much of the world’s preference for cooperation over the go-it-alone, America-first approach espoused by President Trump. Where Mr. Trump condemned the World Health Organization for helping China cover up the emerging virus, Mr. Xi lauded the WHO’s “essential work” and pledged to boost China’s funding of the global health organization.
And where Mr. Trump blasted the “one-sided” Paris climate accords that he withdrew from in 2017, Mr. Xi announced a new commitment to make China carbon neutral by 2060.
Not that the world takes the Chinese word hook, line, and sinker. Indeed, Mr. Xi’s virtual audience on social media platforms was generally harsh, a kind of bottom-of-the-screen reality check highlighting China’s mass detention of Muslim Uyghurs and its strong-arming of Hong Kong.
But by and large Mr. Xi’s solidarity on the coronavirus, commitment to share globally any COVID-19 vaccine China develops, and special shoutout to China’s south-south dialogue and “commitment” to African partners, were all much more soothing to the U.N. ear than Mr. Trump’s nationalist rhetoric and America-first pandemic focus.
Mr. Trump did speak of America’s “destiny as a peacemaker” as he referenced the recent U.S.-brokered Serbia-Kosovo accords and normalization of relations between Israel and both the UAE and Bahrain.
But over all, what many observers have heard this week is a China stepping up to the leadership plate, and America pulling back.
“The U.S. chose multilateralism in 1945, and we were able to remake the world in our image, and in ways that served our interests,” says Professor D’Amico. “But now Trump’s theme seems not to be America as leader or partner, but more of an America-focused individualism,” she says.
One example: The U.S. effort this week to reimpose U.N. sanctions on Iran – a move even America’s closest allies have rejected as having no standing since Mr. Trump pulled the U.S. out of the Iran nuclear deal in 2018. Indeed, the administration is wearing its loneliness on Iran sanctions as a badge of honor.
As the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., Kelly Craft, said this week, America does not “need a cheering section to validate our moral compass.”
Get stories that
empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
But neither can a superpower in withdrawal mode retain its global influence, others say.
“The problem is that if you’re not on the field, you can’t play the game, and you leave the field open to China,” Professor D’Amico adds. “If you walk away from the table, you have no say in who’s going to be calling the shots.”