csmonitor--2020-04-21--Muslims work to keep Ramadan community spirit and charity

Every year during Ramadan , the Light of Muhammad Mosque sets up long tables on the street and dishes up free meals at sunset for the poor to break their daily fast .
It 's a charity that many rely on in this impoverished district on the edge of the Egyptian capital .
But it 's too dangerous in this era of the coronavirus – in Egypt and in many Muslim countries , such `` Tables of the Compassionate '' have been barred .
So the mosque , which like others in Egypt had to shut its doors as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the funds that would have gone into the free communal tables to distribute packed meals and cash to those in need .
`` We hope this could ease their suffering , '' said Sheikh Abdel-Rahman , the muezzin of the mosque in the district of Bahtim .
As Ramadan begins with the new moon later this week , Muslims around the world are trying to maintain the cherished rituals of Islam 's holiest month without further spreading the outbreak .
At the heart of Ramadan is the sunrise-to-sunset fast , meant to instill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hardship of abstaining from food and drink for hours every day , the month sweeps everyone up into a communal spirit .
Families and friends gather for large meals at sunset , known as iftars .
In some countries , cafes and cultural events are packed late into the night .
Worshippers go to mosques for hours of evening prayers , or `` taraweeh . ''
Many devote themselves to charity .
Muslims now find themselves cut off from much of what makes the month special as authorities fight the pandemic .
Many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to prevent crowds .
Prominent clerics , including in Saudi Arabia , have urged people to pray at home .
Governments are trying to balance restrictions with traditions .
Lebanon , Iraq , Syria , and Egypt loosened their curfews , moving them back to start anywhere from a half hour to 90 minutes after sunset .
That gives time to get to Iftar , but not much : people ca n't go too far to visit others for the meal unless they 're prepared to stay the night .
Other countries have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people a window of two days this week to move between provinces , then restored its ban .
In Malaysia , Mohamad Fadhil said he was resigned to missing out on the surge in business at the Ramadan bazaar , where he and other sellers hawk food and drinks in crowded open-air markets .
The bazaars have been shut down .
But he hoped the country 's lockdown will be eased so he can bring his 7-year-old daughter home .
She was at his parents about an hour away when the lockdown began @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` I hope we can be together as a family during Ramadan , '' he said .
In Indonesia , the world 's most populous Muslim nation , the government has banned millions of government employees , soldiers , and police from travelling home during the Eid al-Fitr , the holiday marking the end of Ramadan .
`` Fear of coronavirus has blocked us from celebrating Eid with my parents , '' said Rachmad Mardiansyah , a civil servant in Jakarta .
The loss of communal charity meals will particularly hurt as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Some are rushing to fill the void .
In Kashmir , the Muslim-majority territory contested by India and Pakistan , volunteers wearing masks and gloves drop off sacks of rice , flour , lentils , and other staples for Ramadan at the doorsteps of those in need in the city of Srinagar .
They try to do it quietly , so not even the neighbors know they are receiving help .
`` We have to take care of these people 's self-respect , '' said one volunteer , Sajjad Ahmed .
Taïb Socé @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a private radio station in the Senegalese capital , Dakar , said that while the government is taking action , `` the rich must also help the poor . ''
`` Solidarity must be in order .
This is what the Prophet Muhammad did during times of war .
COVID-19 is like a war , '' he said .
Donors ca n't help everywhere when need surges so quickly .
In the Gaza Strip , the group Salam Charitable usually receives donations from Turkey , Malaysia , Jordan , and elsewhere for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it was able to distribute 11,000 food parcels and clothes for children .
Charities are vital in Gaza , which has been under an Israeli-Egyptian blockade for 13 years , leaving more than half the population of 2 million under the poverty line .
This year , giving has dried up .
`` This time last year , we had already three contracts to give food parcels to the poor .
This year we do n't have any , '' said Omar Saad , spokesman for the charity .
`` I think @ @ @ @ @ @ @ starting soon . ''
In Pakistan , powerful Muslim clerics forced the government to leave mosques open throughout Ramadan .
Mullah Abdul Aziz of the Red Mosque in the capital , Islamabad , ordered adherents to pack communal prayers .
Last Friday , worshippers were shoulder-to-shoulder .
Still , calls by influential Saudi clerics to stay home also have an effect .
`` We hear on TV what the big imams say , '' said Zaheer Abbas , an Islamabad resident who has been praying at home .
`` Praying is praying .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
In Somalia , while people lament the loss of community , Mogadishu resident Osman Yusuf tried to find optimism .
The new restrictions `` keep you closer to your loved ones for comfort , '' he said .
Not all Ramadan traditions are rooted in religion .
Egypt is known for the TV comedies and drama series it churns out for the month , which are broadcast between the iftar and the pre-sunrise meal .
A new batch is being produced for this year , despite coronavirus restrictions .
Iraqis have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : tournaments of a game called `` Mheibes . ''
In the game , teams of up to several dozen people each line up and one member hides a ring in his hand .
A member of the other team must guess who has the ring , usually by going up and down the line , trying to read facial tics or other `` tells . ''
The long tournaments are accompanied by sweets and tea and singing .
Health authorities pleaded with Jassim al-Aswad , the longtime Mheibes champion and tournament organizer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sake of public safety – while praising his `` preternatural abilities and unrivaled powers of discernment . ''
`` I feel very sad , '' he said .
`` Ramadan will be devoid of these popular rituals this year ... God wreak vengeance on corona , which deprived us of our most beautiful hobby . ''
This story was reported by The Associated Press .
Mr. Keath reported from Cairo .
AP writers Aijaz Hussain in Srinagar , India ; Babacar Dione in Dakar , Senegal ; Eileen Ng in Kuala Lumpur , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Indonesia ; Abdi Guled in Nairobi , Kenya ; Fares Akram in Gaza City , Gaza Strip ; Qassim Abdul-Zahra in Baghdad ; Kathy Gannon in Islamabad ; Aya Batrawy in Dubai , United Arab Emirates , and Bassem Mroue in Beirut contributed to this report .
Editor ’ s note : As a public service , the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage .
It ’ s free .

Every year during Ramadan, the Light of Muhammad Mosque sets up long tables on the street and dishes up free meals at sunset for the poor to break their daily fast. It's a charity that many rely on in this impoverished district on the edge of the Egyptian capital.
But it's too dangerous in this era of the coronavirus – in Egypt and in many Muslim countries, such "Tables of the Compassionate" have been barred.
So the mosque, which like others in Egypt had to shut its doors as a precaution against the virus, will use the funds that would have gone into the free communal tables to distribute packed meals and cash to those in need.
"We hope this could ease their suffering," said Sheikh Abdel-Rahman, the muezzin of the mosque in the district of Bahtim.
As Ramadan begins with the new moon later this week, Muslims around the world are trying to maintain the cherished rituals of Islam's holiest month without further spreading the outbreak.
At the heart of Ramadan is the sunrise-to-sunset fast, meant to instill contemplation of God. But alongside the hardship of abstaining from food and drink for hours every day, the month sweeps everyone up into a communal spirit. Families and friends gather for large meals at sunset, known as iftars. In some countries, cafes and cultural events are packed late into the night. Worshippers go to mosques for hours of evening prayers, or "taraweeh." Many devote themselves to charity.
Muslims now find themselves cut off from much of what makes the month special as authorities fight the pandemic. Many countries have closed mosques and banned taraweeh to prevent crowds. Prominent clerics, including in Saudi Arabia, have urged people to pray at home.
Governments are trying to balance restrictions with traditions.
Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, and Egypt loosened their curfews, moving them back to start anywhere from a half hour to 90 minutes after sunset. That gives time to get to Iftar, but not much: people can't go too far to visit others for the meal unless they're prepared to stay the night.
Other countries have banned long internal travel. Syria gave people a window of two days this week to move between provinces, then restored its ban.
In Malaysia, Mohamad Fadhil said he was resigned to missing out on the surge in business at the Ramadan bazaar, where he and other sellers hawk food and drinks in crowded open-air markets. The bazaars have been shut down.
But he hoped the country's lockdown will be eased so he can bring his 7-year-old daughter home. She was at his parents about an hour away when the lockdown began six weeks ago, trapping her there.
"I hope we can be together as a family during Ramadan," he said.
In Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, the government has banned millions of government employees, soldiers, and police from travelling home during the Eid al-Fitr, the holiday marking the end of Ramadan.
"Fear of coronavirus has blocked us from celebrating Eid with my parents," said Rachmad Mardiansyah, a civil servant in Jakarta.
The loss of communal charity meals will particularly hurt as people lose jobs under coronavirus restrictions. Some are rushing to fill the void.
In Kashmir, the Muslim-majority territory contested by India and Pakistan, volunteers wearing masks and gloves drop off sacks of rice, flour, lentils, and other staples for Ramadan at the doorsteps of those in need in the city of Srinagar.
They try to do it quietly, so not even the neighbors know they are receiving help.
"We have to take care of these people's self-respect," said one volunteer, Sajjad Ahmed.
Taïb Socé, a famous Muslim preacher on Rfm, a private radio station in the Senegalese capital, Dakar, said that while the government is taking action, "the rich must also help the poor."
"Solidarity must be in order. This is what the Prophet Muhammad did during times of war. COVID-19 is like a war," he said.
Donors can't help everywhere when need surges so quickly.
In the Gaza Strip, the group Salam Charitable usually receives donations from Turkey, Malaysia, Jordan, and elsewhere for its Ramadan relief projects. Last year, it was able to distribute 11,000 food parcels and clothes for children. Charities are vital in Gaza, which has been under an Israeli-Egyptian blockade for 13 years, leaving more than half the population of 2 million under the poverty line.
This year, giving has dried up.
"This time last year, we had already three contracts to give food parcels to the poor. This year we don't have any," said Omar Saad, spokesman for the charity. "I think we missed the opportunity because Ramadan is starting soon."
In Pakistan, powerful Muslim clerics forced the government to leave mosques open throughout Ramadan. Mullah Abdul Aziz of the Red Mosque in the capital, Islamabad, ordered adherents to pack communal prayers. Last Friday, worshippers were shoulder-to-shoulder.
Still, calls by influential Saudi clerics to stay home also have an effect.
"We hear on TV what the big imams say," said Zaheer Abbas, an Islamabad resident who has been praying at home. "Praying is praying. God isn't only in the mosque."
In Somalia, while people lament the loss of community, Mogadishu resident Osman Yusuf tried to find optimism. The new restrictions "keep you closer to your loved ones for comfort," he said.
Not all Ramadan traditions are rooted in religion. Egypt is known for the TV comedies and drama series it churns out for the month, which are broadcast between the iftar and the pre-sunrise meal. A new batch is being produced for this year, despite coronavirus restrictions.
Iraqis have to give up a unique Ramadan tradition: tournaments of a game called "Mheibes." In the game, teams of up to several dozen people each line up and one member hides a ring in his hand. A member of the other team must guess who has the ring, usually by going up and down the line, trying to read facial tics or other "tells." The long tournaments are accompanied by sweets and tea and singing.
Health authorities pleaded with Jassim al-Aswad, the longtime Mheibes champion and tournament organizer, to call it off for the sake of public safety – while praising his "preternatural abilities and unrivaled powers of discernment."
The 65-year-old al-Aswad relented.
"I feel very sad," he said. "Ramadan will be devoid of these popular rituals this year ... God wreak vengeance on corona, which deprived us of our most beautiful hobby."
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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.
This story was reported by The Associated Press. Mr. Keath reported from Cairo. AP writers Aijaz Hussain in Srinagar, India; Babacar Dione in Dakar, Senegal; Eileen Ng in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Niniek Karmini in Jakarta, Indonesia; Abdi Guled in Nairobi, Kenya; Fares Akram in Gaza City, Gaza Strip; Qassim Abdul-Zahra in Baghdad; Kathy Gannon in Islamabad; Aya Batrawy in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Bassem Mroue in Beirut contributed to this report.
Editor’s note: As a public service, the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage. It’s free.


csmonitor--2020-05-21--Africa’s cathartic moment for reform

Africa’s cathartic moment for reform

Just a month ago in Africa ’ s largest economy , a reform that seemed impossible became possible .
Nigeria ended subsidies that kept gasoline prices low .
The government needed the revenue to deal with the COVID-19 emergency .
It also began to make moves to reform its currency exchange rates and diversify its economy from a dependency on oil exports .
Across Africa , long-delayed reforms in governance are suddenly on the table .
Both the challenge of the pandemic and the prospect of the continent ’ s first recession in over 25 years have put leaders on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is over , civic activists and international creditors are demanding deep reforms in badly managed regimes .
In South Africa , this desire for structural change was echoed in a speech by President Cyril Ramaphosa , who also serves as the head of the 53-nation African Union : “ We are resolved not merely to return our economy to where it was before the coronavirus , but to forge a new economy in a new global reality.
” So far , the only major reform being weighed in South Africa is a suggestion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off the country ’ s money-losing public enterprises .
Comprehensive reforms face a formidable obstacle .
It is well-documented that , after 26 years in power , the ruling African National Congress is bloated with corruption and incompetence .
Breaking its inertia will be a challenge even for Mr. Ramaphosa , who carries enormous credibility as a chief architect of South Africa ’ s democracy and for his success in business , but who seems little inclined to buck his party .
And then there are external constraints .
For the first time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aid from the International Monetary Fund to help support a post-COVID-19 stimulus package .
Nigeria has already received the largest IMF package ever for an African country – $ 3.4 billion .
Given the global economic impact of the virus crisis , South Africa and the rest of the continent may not be able to count too much on foreign help .
And it should expect conditions attached to whatever it may obtain .
African nations will need to draw on their previous experiences in making significant reforms .
For South Africa , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – the early post-apartheid years of the late 1990s when new institutions were formed .
“ More than ever we need to be applying that lesson in the current crisis , ” writes a group of South African academics and former officials in the Daily Maverick .
“ We know , moreover , a lot about how to do it .
The challenge is to set this capability free.
” The virus crisis is liberating many Africans to demand greater resilience in their societies .
There is no shortage of ideas from civil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ build a stronger post-pandemic economy .
“ As Africans , we are used to being adaptive and innovative , often driven by necessity , and we do have an indefatigable capacity to stand on our own feet , ” writes Alain Tschudin , executive director of Good Governance Africa .
With the coronavirus exposing weak governance in Africa , its people are also tapping their strength to fix it .

Just a month ago in Africa’s largest economy, a reform that seemed impossible became possible. Nigeria ended subsidies that kept gasoline prices low. The government needed the revenue to deal with the COVID-19 emergency. It also began to make moves to reform its currency exchange rates and diversify its economy from a dependency on oil exports.
Across Africa, long-delayed reforms in governance are suddenly on the table. Both the challenge of the pandemic and the prospect of the continent’s first recession in over 25 years have put leaders on notice. Even before the coronavirus crisis is over, civic activists and international creditors are demanding deep reforms in badly managed regimes.
In South Africa, this desire for structural change was echoed in a speech by President Cyril Ramaphosa, who also serves as the head of the 53-nation African Union: “We are resolved not merely to return our economy to where it was before the coronavirus, but to forge a new economy in a new global reality.”
So far, the only major reform being weighed in South Africa is a suggestion by Finance Minister Tito Mboweni to sell off the country’s money-losing public enterprises. Comprehensive reforms face a formidable obstacle. It is well-documented that, after 26 years in power, the ruling African National Congress is bloated with corruption and incompetence. Breaking its inertia will be a challenge even for Mr. Ramaphosa, who carries enormous credibility as a chief architect of South Africa’s democracy and for his success in business, but who seems little inclined to buck his party.
And then there are external constraints. For the first time, South Africa has asked for financial aid from the International Monetary Fund to help support a post-COVID-19 stimulus package. Nigeria has already received the largest IMF package ever for an African country – $3.4 billion.
Given the global economic impact of the virus crisis, South Africa and the rest of the continent may not be able to count too much on foreign help. And it should expect conditions attached to whatever it may obtain. African nations will need to draw on their previous experiences in making significant reforms. For South Africa, the relevant lesson is a recent one – the early post-apartheid years of the late 1990s when new institutions were formed.
“More than ever we need to be applying that lesson in the current crisis,” writes a group of South African academics and former officials in the Daily Maverick. “We know, moreover, a lot about how to do it. The challenge is to set this capability free.”
The virus crisis is liberating many Africans to demand greater resilience in their societies. There is no shortage of ideas from civil society and financial institutions about how to build a stronger post-pandemic economy.
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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.
“As Africans, we are used to being adaptive and innovative, often driven by necessity, and we do have an indefatigable capacity to stand on our own feet,” writes Alain Tschudin, executive director of Good Governance Africa.
With the coronavirus exposing weak governance in Africa, its people are also tapping their strength to fix it.


csmonitor--2020-05-13--‘In each other’s shadows’: Behind Irish outpouring of relief for Navajo

“ It ’ s been heartbreaking , but it ’ s also been – it feels good to come from a place of strength and compassion and grace for our people , ” Ms. Begay , communications director for the relief team , says through tears .
Cassandra Begay ’ s grandmother is among those living without running water and electricity .
Her best friend contracted the virus .
Unable to see him face to face , she ’ s been leaving meals and flowers near his front door .
“ It ’ s one of those stories that we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for us when we were weak and powerless and alone , ” says Maria Farrell , an Irish writer .
The answer harks back to another tribe ’ s generosity in 1847 .
The Choctaw , still reeling from the Trail of Tears , sent money to Irish families starving during the Potato Famine .
Then donations came pouring in , often accompanied by a Irish proverb : Ar scáth a chéile a mhaireann na daoine , which means , “ In each other ’ s shadows the people live.
” From the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Hopi women were particularly worried about their elders .
The Navajo now have more diagnosed cases per capita than any other state – and the health care situation is so dire that Doctors Without Borders has sent a team to the United States for the first time in history .
Cassandra Begay felt a quiet sense of awe earlier this month when she and other Navajo and Hopi women watched their COVID-19 fundraiser begin to double , inexplicably , in less than a week .
The women ’ s relief effort , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quite successful , she says , raising about $ 1.3 million to provide food and water for the most vulnerable living in their nations ’ remote communities – who have been among those most afflicted by the coronavirus pandemic across the United States .
“ Then one of my teammates , she ’ s like , ‘ Hey , guys , we ’ re all of the sudden receiving a flood of donations from Ireland !
’ ” says Ms. Begay , a Navajo activist who ’ s been handling the team ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re , like , ‘ What ’ s going on ?
Why us ?
Why is a whole country all of the sudden donating to us ?
’ ” There were thousands of unfamiliar names appearing on the team ’ s GoFundMe page – the first names Siobhán , Padraig , and Aoife , or surnames O ’ Leary , McMullen , and Gallagher – each donating small amounts from across the Atlantic .
Many posted a common Irish proverb : Ar scáth a chéile a mhaireann na daoine , which means @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shadows the people live.
” Editor ’ s note : As a public service , all our coronavirus coverage is free .
No paywall .
The women soon learned why the donations , now at more than $ 3.6 million , were pouring in : After hearing about their fundraiser , many people in Ireland recalled a moment from their own history more than 170 years ago .
Another tribe of America ’ s first peoples , the Choctaw , raised $ 170 ( about $ 5,000 in today ’ s dollars ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during the Potato Famine in 1847 .
“ I ’ m sure Ireland received all sorts of donations from around the world back then , but that ’ s the one that has stuck with us , ” says Maria Farrell , an Irish writer living in London .
“ It ’ s one of those stories that we have about a people who were there for us when we were weak and powerless and alone .
They helped us , and now we ’ re friends forever.
” A different people whose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Hopi ’ s and Navajo ’ s , the Choctaw collected their modest donation just a few years after the infamous Trail of Tears , when the U.S. government forcibly removed them from their ancestral lands across the South , killing thousands .
“ I think the gift touched and stayed with Irish people so much , basically because it wasn ’ t charity .
It was an act of solidarity , ” Ms. Farrell says .
“ The Choctaw people , they were giving it to us because they saw us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as being similar to theirs.
” As the Monitor has reported , the COVID-19 crisis has affected Native peoples across the U.S. in disproportionate numbers .
The Navajo Nation in Arizona and New Mexico , with a population of about 330,000 , now has more coronavirus cases per capita than any state , according to the Navajo health agency .
Given how infectious diseases brought over from Europe , such as the measles and smallpox , wiped out large swaths of native populations , many observers say the outsize effects of COVID-19 today @ @ @ @ @ @ @ From the start , the leadership team of Navajo and Hopi women were particularly worried about their elders .
The relief effort began informally by the former Navajo Nation Attorney General Ethel Branch , who knew her people were particularly at risk .
More than a third of their nation ’ s members have no running water or electricity , and many rely on unregulated wells and springs , which are often contaminated by more than 500 abandoned uranium mines .
The area is also considered a food desert , with only 13 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Even before the lockdown , unemployment hovered around 50 % .
But one of the most critical problems on Navajo lands has been the lack of health care infrastructure .
The situation has become so dire that the international relief agency Doctors Without Borders , which serves poverty stricken and war-torn areas throughout the world , sent a delegation of health care workers to the United States for the first time .
“ There are many situations in which we do not intervene in the United States , but this has a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , head of the organization ’ s U.S. COVID-19 Response Team , told CBS News .
” You can ’ t expect people to isolate if they have to drive 100 miles to get food and water.
” Ms. Begay ’ s grandmother is among those living without running water and electricity .
Her best friend contracted the virus , too , she says .
Unable to see him face to face , she ’ s been leaving meals and bouquets of flowers near his front door .
“ It ’ s been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been – it feels good to come from a place of strength and compassion and grace for our people , ” Ms. Begay says through tears .
“ And for me personally – I get emotional about this , because I know this is a dark time for us – but , you know , with the outpouring of support from the Irish people because of what the Choctaw ancestors did 173 years ago – it ’ s so good to be a part of that history , a positive part of that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ similar to that in the Irish proverb appearing on their fundraising site , she says , a spiritual idea called K ’ é .
“ It ’ s about the importance of honoring the sacredness of our relations to each other , ” she says .
“ It ’ s the principal belief that where we come from – our family , our community , our nation , as well as our relations with other people , and not only just humans , but of all things – it ’ s a sacred @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the Irish was memorialized in 2015 when a large stainless steel sculpture of eagle feathers was dedicated in the town of Midleton in Ireland , one reason the memory of the 1847 donation was fresh in the memories of many Irish donors .
“ We are gratified , and perhaps not at all surprised , to learn of the assistance our special friends , the Irish , are giving to the Navajo and Hopi nations , ” said Chief Gary Batton of the Choctaw Nation in Oklahoma in a statement last week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ act is iyyikowa – it means serving those in need , ” said Chief Batton , who traveled with a delegation to Midleton when the sculpture was dedicated .
“ We have become kindred spirits with the Irish in the years since the Irish Potato Famine .
We hope the Irish , Navajo and Hopi peoples develop lasting friendships , as we have .
Sharing our cultures makes the world grow smaller.
” The former president of Ireland , Mary Robinson , and current Prime Minister Leo Varadkar each traveled to Oklahoma to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The potato famine claimed more than 1 million lives from 1845 to 1852 , but 1847 was the most deadly , scholars say , and it is still known as Black ’ 47 .
“ And when you look at it , you know , you can see the suffering of both sets of peoples was a political choice – the Trail of Tears and Black ’ 47 , ” says Ms. Farrell in London .
“ They weren ’ t accidents – they were a tyrannical acts of colonialism , ” noting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Irish people during the famine .
“ Their governments caused just unthinkable hardship to both peoples.
” Just reading the comments from donors has filled members of the leadership with a newfound strength .
“ When it started , we couldn ’ t believe it .
We were just – our hearts were so full , ” Ms. Begay says .
“ And , you know , we were struggling because it ’ s hard doing this work.
” “ But I know that I won ’ t have any regrets from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this time of history , ” she continues .
“ With the outpouring of support from our Irish friends because of what the Choctaw ancestors did 173 years ago ... it ’ s something we ’ ll always remember , and our children will remember , and there will come a day when we will pay it forward , too.
” Editor ’ s note : This story was updated to correct the spelling of Ms. Farrell 's name .

“It’s been heartbreaking, but it’s also been – it feels good to come from a place of strength and compassion and grace for our people,” Ms. Begay, communications director for the relief team, says through tears.
Cassandra Begay’s grandmother is among those living without running water and electricity. Her best friend contracted the virus. Unable to see him face to face, she’s been leaving meals and flowers near his front door.
“It’s one of those stories that we have about a people who were there for us when we were weak and powerless and alone,” says Maria Farrell, an Irish writer.
The answer harks back to another tribe’s generosity in 1847. The Choctaw, still reeling from the Trail of Tears, sent money to Irish families starving during the Potato Famine.
“Why is a whole country all of the sudden donating to us?” the Navajo communications team leader wondered, as donations poured in from Ireland to the hard-hit tribe. The answer has its roots in a long-ago deed of kindness.
Then donations came pouring in, often accompanied by a Irish proverb: Ar scáth a chéile a mhaireann na daoine, which means, “In each other’s shadows the people live.”
From the start, the leadership team of Navajo and Hopi women were particularly worried about their elders. The Navajo now have more diagnosed cases per capita than any other state – and the health care situation is so dire that Doctors Without Borders has sent a team to the United States for the first time in history.
Cassandra Begay felt a quiet sense of awe earlier this month when she and other Navajo and Hopi women watched their COVID-19 fundraiser begin to double, inexplicably, in less than a week.
The women’s relief effort, launched in mid-March, had already been quite successful, she says, raising about $1.3 million to provide food and water for the most vulnerable living in their nations’ remote communities – who have been among those most afflicted by the coronavirus pandemic across the United States.
“Then one of my teammates, she’s like, ‘Hey, guys, we’re all of the sudden receiving a flood of donations from Ireland!’” says Ms. Begay, a Navajo activist who’s been handling the team’s communications. “And so we’re, like, ‘What’s going on? Why us? Why is a whole country all of the sudden donating to us?’”
Why We Wrote This “Why is a whole country all of the sudden donating to us?” the Navajo communications team leader wondered, as donations poured in from Ireland to the hard-hit tribe. The answer has its roots in a long-ago deed of kindness.
There were thousands of unfamiliar names appearing on the team’s GoFundMe page – the first names Siobhán, Padraig, and Aoife, or surnames O’Leary, McMullen, and Gallagher – each donating small amounts from across the Atlantic. Many posted a common Irish proverb: Ar scáth a chéile a mhaireann na daoine, which means, “In each other’s shadows the people live.”
Editor’s note: As a public service, all our coronavirus coverage is free. No paywall.
The women soon learned why the donations, now at more than $3.6 million, were pouring in: After hearing about their fundraiser, many people in Ireland recalled a moment from their own history more than 170 years ago. Another tribe of America’s first peoples, the Choctaw, raised $170 (about $5,000 in today’s dollars) and sent it to starving Irish families during the Potato Famine in 1847.
“I’m sure Ireland received all sorts of donations from around the world back then, but that’s the one that has stuck with us,” says Maria Farrell, an Irish writer living in London. “It’s one of those stories that we have about a people who were there for us when we were weak and powerless and alone. They helped us, and now we’re friends forever.”
A different people whose ancestral lands were over 1,200 miles from the Hopi’s and Navajo’s, the Choctaw collected their modest donation just a few years after the infamous Trail of Tears, when the U.S. government forcibly removed them from their ancestral lands across the South, killing thousands.
“I think the gift touched and stayed with Irish people so much, basically because it wasn’t charity. It was an act of solidarity,” Ms. Farrell says. “The Choctaw people, they were giving it to us because they saw us, they recognized us and our plight as being similar to theirs.”
As the Monitor has reported, the COVID-19 crisis has affected Native peoples across the U.S. in disproportionate numbers. The Navajo Nation in Arizona and New Mexico, with a population of about 330,000, now has more coronavirus cases per capita than any state, according to the Navajo health agency.
Given how infectious diseases brought over from Europe, such as the measles and smallpox, wiped out large swaths of native populations, many observers say the outsize effects of COVID-19 today on Native peoples are particularly poignant.
From the start, the leadership team of Navajo and Hopi women were particularly worried about their elders. The relief effort began informally by the former Navajo Nation Attorney General Ethel Branch, who knew her people were particularly at risk.
More than a third of their nation’s members have no running water or electricity, and many rely on unregulated wells and springs, which are often contaminated by more than 500 abandoned uranium mines. The area is also considered a food desert, with only 13 grocery stores serving more than 180,000 people. Even before the lockdown, unemployment hovered around 50%.
But one of the most critical problems on Navajo lands has been the lack of health care infrastructure. The situation has become so dire that the international relief agency Doctors Without Borders, which serves poverty stricken and war-torn areas throughout the world, sent a delegation of health care workers to the United States for the first time.
“There are many situations in which we do not intervene in the United States, but this has a particular risk profile,” Jean Stowell, head of the organization’s U.S. COVID-19 Response Team, told CBS News. ”You can’t expect people to isolate if they have to drive 100 miles to get food and water.”
Ms. Begay’s grandmother is among those living without running water and electricity. Her best friend contracted the virus, too, she says. Unable to see him face to face, she’s been leaving meals and bouquets of flowers near his front door.
“It’s been heartbreaking, but it’s also been – it feels good to come from a place of strength and compassion and grace for our people,” Ms. Begay says through tears. “And for me personally – I get emotional about this, because I know this is a dark time for us – but, you know, with the outpouring of support from the Irish people because of what the Choctaw ancestors did 173 years ago – it’s so good to be a part of that history, a positive part of that history.”
Her people have a concept similar to that in the Irish proverb appearing on their fundraising site, she says, a spiritual idea called K’é.
“It’s about the importance of honoring the sacredness of our relations to each other,” she says. “It’s the principal belief that where we come from – our family, our community, our nation, as well as our relations with other people, and not only just humans, but of all things – it’s a sacred relationship.”
The relationship between the Choctaw and the Irish was memorialized in 2015 when a large stainless steel sculpture of eagle feathers was dedicated in the town of Midleton in Ireland, one reason the memory of the 1847 donation was fresh in the memories of many Irish donors.
“We are gratified, and perhaps not at all surprised, to learn of the assistance our special friends, the Irish, are giving to the Navajo and Hopi nations,” said Chief Gary Batton of the Choctaw Nation in Oklahoma in a statement last week.
“Our word for their selfless act is iyyikowa – it means serving those in need,” said Chief Batton, who traveled with a delegation to Midleton when the sculpture was dedicated. “We have become kindred spirits with the Irish in the years since the Irish Potato Famine. We hope the Irish, Navajo and Hopi peoples develop lasting friendships, as we have. Sharing our cultures makes the world grow smaller.”
The former president of Ireland, Mary Robinson, and current Prime Minister Leo Varadkar each traveled to Oklahoma to pay a visit to the Choctaws.
The potato famine claimed more than 1 million lives from 1845 to 1852, but 1847 was the most deadly, scholars say, and it is still known as Black ’47.
“And when you look at it, you know, you can see the suffering of both sets of peoples was a political choice – the Trail of Tears and Black ’47,” says Ms. Farrell in London. “They weren’t accidents – they were a tyrannical acts of colonialism,” noting the British government offered scant aid to the Irish people during the famine. “Their governments caused just unthinkable hardship to both peoples.”
Just reading the comments from donors has filled members of the leadership with a newfound strength. “When it started, we couldn’t believe it. We were just – our hearts were so full,” Ms. Begay says. “And, you know, we were struggling because it’s hard doing this work.”
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“But I know that I won’t have any regrets from this part of my life and in this time of history,” she continues. “With the outpouring of support from our Irish friends because of what the Choctaw ancestors did 173 years ago ... it’s something we’ll always remember, and our children will remember, and there will come a day when we will pay it forward, too.”
Editor’s note: This story was updated to correct the spelling of Ms. Farrell's name.


csmonitor--2020-05-18--Democrats cry 'retaliation' as Trump fires federal watchdog

Democrats demanded on Saturday that the White House hand over all records related to President Donald Trump 's latest firing of a federal watchdog , this time at the State Department .
They also suggested Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was responsible , in what “ may be an illegal act of retaliation.
” '' We unalterably oppose the politically-motivated firing of inspectors general and the President 's gutting of these critical positions , '' the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee wrote in a letter to the administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ late Friday that he was firing the inspector general , Steve Linick , an Obama administration appointee whose office was critical of what it saw as political bias in the State Department 's management .
The ouster was one more move by the president against independent executive branch watchdogs who have found fault with his administration .
New York Rep. Eliot Engel and New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez sent letters to the White House , the State Department , and the inspector general ’ s office asking that administration officials preserve all records @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and provide them to the committees by this coming Friday .
They promised to “ look deeply into this matter '' and said they would seek to interview White House officials .
They said they “ trust that the White House will cooperate fully with our investigation . ''
A senior department official said Mr. Trump removed Mr. Linick from his job on Friday but gave no reason for the action .
In a letter to Congress , Mr. Trump said Mr. Linick , who had held the job since 2013 , no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his removal would take effect in 30 days .
Mr. Trump did not mention Mr. Linick by name in his letter .
Democrats soon cried foul .
Mr. Engel suggested Mr. Linick was fired in part in retaliation for opening an unspecified investigation into Mr. Pompeo .
Mr. Engel offered no details .
Two congressional aides said it involved allegations that Mr. Pompeo may have improperly treated staff .
Mr. Linick ’ s office has issued several reports critical of the department ’ s handling of personnel matters during the Trump administration , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against career officials .
Mr. Engel and Mr. Menendez said it was ” their understanding '' that Mr. Pompeo recommended that Mr. Linick be fired because the watchdog was investigating “ wrongdoing ” by the Cabinet officer .
They gave no specifics , but said such a move “ may be an illegal act of retaliation.
” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , D-Calif. , said Mr. Linick was “ punished for honorably performing his duty to protect the Constitution and our national security.
” She said Mr. Trump ” must cease his pattern @ @ @ @ @ @ @ servants who are working to keep Americans safe , particularly during this time of global emergency.
” Mr. Linick , whose office also took issue with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton 's use of a private email server while she served as America 's top diplomat , played a minor role in the Ukraine impeachment investigation into Mr. Trump .
In October , Linick turned over documents to House investigators that he had received from State Department Counselor T. Ulrich Brechbuhl , a close Pompeo associate , which contained information from debunked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the 2016 election .
In the Senate , Republican Chuck Grassley of Iowa on Saturday defended the role of the inspector general in the federal government and noted that Congress requires written reasons to justify removal .
`` A general lack of confidence simply is not sufficient detail to satisfy Congress , ” Mr. Grassley said in a statement that did not mention Mr. Trump or Mr. Pompeo .
On Twitter , Republican Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah wrote Saturday : “ The firings of multiple Inspectors General is unprecedented ; doing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ essential to their purpose .
It is a threat to accountable democracy and a fissure in the constitutional balance of power.
” Sen. Jack Reed , a Rhode Island Democrat , cited both the president and a possible investigation of the secretary of state in his broadside against the firing .
“ I hope Republicans will join us in standing up for taxpayers and getting to the bottom of this .
There must be a bipartisan commitment to upholding our system of checks and balances and ensuring accountability and oversight at the highest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a statement .
Mr. Linick will replaced by Stephen Akard , a former career foreign service officer who has close ties to Vice President Mike Pence , said the official , who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity .
Mr. Akard currently runs the department 's Office of Foreign Missions .
He had been nominated to be the director general of the foreign service but withdrew after objections he was n't experienced enough .
The lawmakers ' request for information from the White House includes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ performance and any assessment of Mr. Akard 's job qualifications .
Mr. Linick , a former assistant U.S. attorney in California and Virginia , had overseen inspector general reports that were highly critical of the department 's management policies during the Trump administration .
His office had criticized several Trump appointees for their treatment of career staff for apparently being insufficiently supportive of Trump and his policies .
Under Mr. Linick , the State Department 's inspector general office was also critical of former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson 's hiring freeze and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its funding and personnel .
Mr. Trump has been taking aim lately at inspectors general .
In April , he fired Michael Atkinson , the inspector general for the intelligence community , for his role in the whistleblower complaint that led to Mr. Trump ’ s impeachment .
Then Mr. Trump removed Glenn Fine as acting inspector general at the Defense Department .
The move stripped him of his post as chairman of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee , which is among those overseeing the vast economic relief law pass in response to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ briefing on COVID-19 , Mr. Trump questioned the independence of an inspector general of the Department of Health and Human Services over a report that said there was a shortage of supplies and testing at hospitals .
Mr. Trump has since moved to replace the HHS official , Christi A. Grimm .
She is a career person who has held the position in an acting capacity , but now Mr. Trump has nominated a permanent replacement .
This story was reported by The Associated Press .
AP writer Deb Riechmann contributed to this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As a public service , the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage .
It ’ s free .

Democrats demanded on Saturday that the White House hand over all records related to President Donald Trump's latest firing of a federal watchdog, this time at the State Department. They also suggested Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was responsible, in what “may be an illegal act of retaliation.”
"We unalterably oppose the politically-motivated firing of inspectors general and the President's gutting of these critical positions," the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee wrote in a letter to the administration announcing their investigation.
Mr. Trump announced late Friday that he was firing the inspector general, Steve Linick, an Obama administration appointee whose office was critical of what it saw as political bias in the State Department's management. The ouster was one more move by the president against independent executive branch watchdogs who have found fault with his administration.
New York Rep. Eliot Engel and New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez sent letters to the White House, the State Department, and the inspector general’s office asking that administration officials preserve all records related to Mr. Linick’s dismissal and provide them to the committees by this coming Friday. They promised to “look deeply into this matter" and said they would seek to interview White House officials. They said they “trust that the White House will cooperate fully with our investigation."
A senior department official said Mr. Trump removed Mr. Linick from his job on Friday but gave no reason for the action. In a letter to Congress, Mr. Trump said Mr. Linick, who had held the job since 2013, no longer had his full confidence and that his removal would take effect in 30 days. Mr. Trump did not mention Mr. Linick by name in his letter.
Democrats soon cried foul. Mr. Engel suggested Mr. Linick was fired in part in retaliation for opening an unspecified investigation into Mr. Pompeo.
Mr. Engel offered no details. Two congressional aides said it involved allegations that Mr. Pompeo may have improperly treated staff. Mr. Linick’s office has issued several reports critical of the department’s handling of personnel matters during the Trump administration, including accusing some political appointees of retaliating against career officials.
Mr. Engel and Mr. Menendez said it was ”their understanding" that Mr. Pompeo recommended that Mr. Linick be fired because the watchdog was investigating “wrongdoing” by the Cabinet officer. They gave no specifics, but said such a move “may be an illegal act of retaliation.”
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said Mr. Linick was “punished for honorably performing his duty to protect the Constitution and our national security.” She said Mr. Trump ”must cease his pattern of reprisal and retaliation against the public servants who are working to keep Americans safe, particularly during this time of global emergency.”
Mr. Linick, whose office also took issue with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server while she served as America's top diplomat, played a minor role in the Ukraine impeachment investigation into Mr. Trump.
In October, Linick turned over documents to House investigators that he had received from State Department Counselor T. Ulrich Brechbuhl, a close Pompeo associate, which contained information from debunked conspiracy theories about Ukraine’s role in the 2016 election.
In the Senate, Republican Chuck Grassley of Iowa on Saturday defended the role of the inspector general in the federal government and noted that Congress requires written reasons to justify removal. "A general lack of confidence simply is not sufficient detail to satisfy Congress,” Mr. Grassley said in a statement that did not mention Mr. Trump or Mr. Pompeo.
On Twitter, Republican Sen. Mitt Romney of Utah wrote Saturday: “The firings of multiple Inspectors General is unprecedented; doing so without good cause chills the independence essential to their purpose. It is a threat to accountable democracy and a fissure in the constitutional balance of power.”
Sen. Jack Reed, a Rhode Island Democrat, cited both the president and a possible investigation of the secretary of state in his broadside against the firing. “I hope Republicans will join us in standing up for taxpayers and getting to the bottom of this. There must be a bipartisan commitment to upholding our system of checks and balances and ensuring accountability and oversight at the highest levels,” Mr. Reed said in a statement.
Mr. Linick will replaced by Stephen Akard, a former career foreign service officer who has close ties to Vice President Mike Pence, said the official, who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. Mr. Akard currently runs the department's Office of Foreign Missions. He had been nominated to be the director general of the foreign service but withdrew after objections he wasn't experienced enough.
The lawmakers' request for information from the White House includes any evaluations of Mr. Linick's job performance and any assessment of Mr. Akard's job qualifications.
Mr. Linick, a former assistant U.S. attorney in California and Virginia, had overseen inspector general reports that were highly critical of the department's management policies during the Trump administration. His office had criticized several Trump appointees for their treatment of career staff for apparently being insufficiently supportive of Trump and his policies.
Under Mr. Linick, the State Department's inspector general office was also critical of former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's hiring freeze and attempts to streamline the agency by slashing its funding and personnel.
Mr. Trump has been taking aim lately at inspectors general.
In April, he fired Michael Atkinson, the inspector general for the intelligence community, for his role in the whistleblower complaint that led to Mr. Trump’s impeachment.
Then Mr. Trump removed Glenn Fine as acting inspector general at the Defense Department. The move stripped him of his post as chairman of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee, which is among those overseeing the vast economic relief law pass in response to the coronavirus.
During a White House briefing on COVID-19, Mr. Trump questioned the independence of an inspector general of the Department of Health and Human Services over a report that said there was a shortage of supplies and testing at hospitals. Mr. Trump has since moved to replace the HHS official, Christi A. Grimm. She is a career person who has held the position in an acting capacity, but now Mr. Trump has nominated a permanent replacement.
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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.
This story was reported by The Associated Press. AP writer Deb Riechmann contributed to this report.
Editor’s note: As a public service, the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage. It’s free.


csmonitor--2020-04-02--Democrats postpone presidential nominating convention to August

Democrats announced Thursday that they were postponing their presidential nominating convention until August , an unprecedented move that shows how the coronavirus is reshaping the battle for the White House .
The party had hoped that a mid-July convention would give them more time to rally behind a nominee and unify against President Donald Trump .
But concerns that large crowds will spread the virus prompted Democrats , including prospective nominee Joe Biden , to press for alternatives .
`` In our current climate of uncertainty , we believe the smartest approach is to take additional time to monitor how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ position our party for a safe and successful convention , '' said Democratic convention CEO Joe Solmonese .
Milwaukee will still host the convention , which is now scheduled for the week of Aug. 17 .
Republicans are sticking with their plan to meet in Charlotte , North Carolina , a week later to renominate Mr. Trump .
The social distancing required to combat the coronavirus has already prompted multiple states to delay their presidential primaries from April and May into June .
But the postponement of the convention is the most significant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ date .
Outside circumstances have affected conventions in the past , including hurricanes that forced relatively minor scheduling changes to Republican gatherings in 2008 and 2012 .
Still , the major political parties have always pressed forward with their conventions , even during times of crisis as severe as the Civil War .
`` Ultimately , the health and safety of our convention attendees and the people of Milwaukee is our top priority , '' Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez said .
Mr. Biden began suggesting this week that changes were likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NBC program on Wednesday , Mr. Biden said he doubted `` whether the Democratic convention is going to be able to be held '' on its original July 13-16 dates .
`` I think it 's going to have to move into August , '' Mr. Biden said .
The announcement on Thursday did n't specify whether the convention will remain a traditional four-night affair or whether all aspects will be held in-person .
There has been discussion of holding parts of the convention virtually and allowing delegates to vote by proxy .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ issues for the tens of thousands of delegates , activists , party leaders and media who planned to descend on Milwaukee in July .
The party said the arena slated to host the convention along with hotels in the area are still available in August .
Neither Democratic nor Republican leaders want to sacrifice the boost that can result from an enthusiastic convention gathering .
Mr. Trump thrives on big rallies and has missed that part of his routine amid the coronavirus outbreak , reluctantly turning the Rose Garden and the White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ convention , with a nationally televised nomination acceptance speech , could be even more critical for Mr. Biden , who has been relegated recently to remote television interviews from his Delaware home , unable to draw the kind of spotlight that a sitting president commands .
Mr. Biden has a commanding delegate lead , but Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders remains in the race and could keep the former vice president from winning the nomination until late June .
That requires Mr. Perez to tread gingerly around any discussions that party leaders have with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ given the skepticism among Mr. Sanders ' supporters of the party establishment .
Mr. Sanders ' campaign did n't comment Thursday on the delay .
Mr. Solmonese and Mr. Perez did n't explicitly mention Mr. Biden in their statement announcing the postponement .
The move could give Democratic officials more flexibility to deal with the changing primary calendar .
More than a dozen states have delayed their primaries , some of them pushing beyond the party 's existing June 9 deadline to hold contests and the June 20 deadline to name convention delegates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state up to half its convention delegates .
The party 's rules and bylaws chairman , Jim Roosevelt , said Thursday that his full committee will consider waivers to the existing deadlines as they are submitted by state Democratic parties .
The move also allows Democrats to avoid another potential conflict : rescheduled NBA playoffs .
It 's not clear whether playoffs will occur , but existing convention plans had called for the party not to have access to prepare the arena until the Milwaukee Bucks had concluded their season .
The NBA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But rescheduled playoffs for July could have forced a renegotiation .
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said Thursday that he 's `` hopeful '' about an overhauled convention , but he did not downplay the logistical challenges of putting on a convention .
`` I would love to say yes , and I hope it 's yes and that we have tens of thousands of visitors , but we can see this is changing on an hourly basis , '' he said , `` and so I think there 's a lot of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the end of this month , not to mention the three months we have following that . ''
Republicans do n't face the same internal party uncertainty as Democrats , though they still must weigh the same public health scenarios .
Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said she thinks `` we should be out of this '' by the end of August .
In an interview , she said Republicans already have raised the money necessary for the convention and have the staff hired and in place .
`` We 're ready @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` This is n't something that 's going to stop us . ''
Still , she added a caveat : `` Obviously , science will dictate that . ''
This story was reported by The Associated Press .
Editor ’ s note : As a public service , the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage .
It ’ s free .

Democrats announced Thursday that they were postponing their presidential nominating convention until August, an unprecedented move that shows how the coronavirus is reshaping the battle for the White House.
The party had hoped that a mid-July convention would give them more time to rally behind a nominee and unify against President Donald Trump. But concerns that large crowds will spread the virus prompted Democrats, including prospective nominee Joe Biden, to press for alternatives.
"In our current climate of uncertainty, we believe the smartest approach is to take additional time to monitor how this situation unfolds so we can best position our party for a safe and successful convention," said Democratic convention CEO Joe Solmonese.
Milwaukee will still host the convention, which is now scheduled for the week of Aug. 17. Republicans are sticking with their plan to meet in Charlotte, North Carolina, a week later to renominate Mr. Trump.
The social distancing required to combat the coronavirus has already prompted multiple states to delay their presidential primaries from April and May into June. But the postponement of the convention is the most significant change to the presidential section process to date.
Outside circumstances have affected conventions in the past, including hurricanes that forced relatively minor scheduling changes to Republican gatherings in 2008 and 2012. Still, the major political parties have always pressed forward with their conventions, even during times of crisis as severe as the Civil War.
"Ultimately, the health and safety of our convention attendees and the people of Milwaukee is our top priority," Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez said.
Mr. Biden began suggesting this week that changes were likely. Appearing on Jimmy Fallon's late-night NBC program on Wednesday, Mr. Biden said he doubted "whether the Democratic convention is going to be able to be held" on its original July 13-16 dates.
"I think it's going to have to move into August," Mr. Biden said.
The announcement on Thursday didn't specify whether the convention will remain a traditional four-night affair or whether all aspects will be held in-person. There has been discussion of holding parts of the convention virtually and allowing delegates to vote by proxy.
Still, the change presents massive logistical issues for the tens of thousands of delegates, activists, party leaders and media who planned to descend on Milwaukee in July. The party said the arena slated to host the convention along with hotels in the area are still available in August.
Neither Democratic nor Republican leaders want to sacrifice the boost that can result from an enthusiastic convention gathering.
Mr. Trump thrives on big rallies and has missed that part of his routine amid the coronavirus outbreak, reluctantly turning the Rose Garden and the White House briefing room into substitutes. A traditional convention, with a nationally televised nomination acceptance speech, could be even more critical for Mr. Biden, who has been relegated recently to remote television interviews from his Delaware home, unable to draw the kind of spotlight that a sitting president commands.
Mr. Biden has a commanding delegate lead, but Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders remains in the race and could keep the former vice president from winning the nomination until late June. That requires Mr. Perez to tread gingerly around any discussions that party leaders have with Mr. Biden or his advisers – especially given the skepticism among Mr. Sanders' supporters of the party establishment.
Mr. Sanders' campaign didn't comment Thursday on the delay. Mr. Solmonese and Mr. Perez didn't explicitly mention Mr. Biden in their statement announcing the postponement.
The move could give Democratic officials more flexibility to deal with the changing primary calendar. More than a dozen states have delayed their primaries, some of them pushing beyond the party's existing June 9 deadline to hold contests and the June 20 deadline to name convention delegates. Violating those deadlines can cost a state up to half its convention delegates. The party's rules and bylaws chairman, Jim Roosevelt, said Thursday that his full committee will consider waivers to the existing deadlines as they are submitted by state Democratic parties.
The move also allows Democrats to avoid another potential conflict: rescheduled NBA playoffs. It's not clear whether playoffs will occur, but existing convention plans had called for the party not to have access to prepare the arena until the Milwaukee Bucks had concluded their season. The NBA's original schedule posed no real threat. But rescheduled playoffs for July could have forced a renegotiation.
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said Thursday that he's "hopeful" about an overhauled convention, but he did not downplay the logistical challenges of putting on a convention. "I would love to say yes, and I hope it's yes and that we have tens of thousands of visitors, but we can see this is changing on an hourly basis," he said, "and so I think there's a lot of twists and turns between now and obviously the end of this month, not to mention the three months we have following that."
Republicans don't face the same internal party uncertainty as Democrats, though they still must weigh the same public health scenarios.
Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said she thinks "we should be out of this" by the end of August. In an interview, she said Republicans already have raised the money necessary for the convention and have the staff hired and in place.
"We're ready to go," she said. "This isn't something that's going to stop us."
Still, she added a caveat: "Obviously, science will dictate that."
Get stories that
empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
This story was reported by The Associated Press.
Editor’s note: As a public service, the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage. It’s free.


csmonitor--2020-05-07--Letters from teens bring warmth to vets 75 years after WWII

French student Marion Nivard started writing last year to a World War II veteran in Britain , thanking him for taking part in the Normandy invasion that freed her country from the Nazis .
As V-E Day approached , Marion and her classmates in the Normandy region thought of 94-year-old Bill Ridgewell and other vets living in isolation because of the COVID-19 pandemic – just as they were .
The teens decided to swap stories with the men about their lives under lockdown .
`` I think we need to be with them even if we 're not with them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Marion , 15 .
`` It 's already something to be there in thoughts and sending them messages .
I 'm sure it makes them happy , and it makes us happy too . ''
The effort to share snippets of lockdown life comes at a time of disappointment for the veterans , most of whom are now in their 90s .
They were looking forward to a grand party on Friday marking the 75th anniversary of the end of the war in Europe .
Nationwide celebrations would have placed them in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been scaled back to mostly broadcast events , including a two-minute moment of silence .
Queen Elizabeth II will deliver a televised message , and there will be a national singalong of `` We 'll Meet Again , '' led by 103-year-old Vera Lynn , who made the song famous during the war .
Writing to the veterans brought home to the teens that they are living through a unique moment in time that will be remembered by future generations , said Mayeul Macé , a history teacher at Saint-Louis Middle School in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announcing the lockdown set the stage .
`` The president 's use of the term 'at war ' really left its mark on the pupils , '' he said .
`` I have students who wonder what history really is , and they realized that they were experiencing something historic . ''
The relationships with the vets began in 2017 , when a group of them spoke at the school .
The teens gave the guests vials of sand or soil , depending on whether they stormed the Normandy beaches or dropped from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Imperial War Museum in London , and the veterans came too .
Ties formed , and letters were exchanged , said Ian Parsons , chairman of the Taxi Charity for Military Veterans , which arranged the school visit .
`` That 's the paramount thing . ''
Mr. Parsons said .
`` They know they are n't on their own when something comes through that letter box . ''
Veterans like hearing the kids talk about lockdown in all its banality .
Snapshots of lunch , happy dogs on walks , and bedrooms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Content is secondary .
A former school headmaster , Mr. Ridgewell was in a trench on the outskirts of Caen on July 5 , 1944 , when he watched Allied planes bomb the city .
He was horrified and feared the French would never forgive the Allies for laying waste to their communities , even though the bombing was part of the effort to crush the Nazis .
He was so concerned about the French reaction that for years he did not want to visit Normandy .
But he finally returned last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 75th anniversary of D-Day .
What he found surprised him : The French treated him like a hero .
`` They gave us freedom , and they fought for our future .
And to be grateful is the least we can do , '' Marion said .
The students did more than stay in touch .
Mr. Ridgewell 's pen pal and another girl from a nearby school traveled to England last year to watch him receive the Legion D'Honneur , France 's highest military and civilian decoration .
He 's quick to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ event .
He keeps his sand vials beside his armchair .
He is even creating a wall of photographs to celebrate his new friendships .
Now the man who was reluctant to go to France ca n't wait to go back and catch up with the teens .
He wishes he could adopt them all .
To show he 's in the spirit of all things lockdown , Mr. Ridgewell had his daughter , Mary , take videos of him around the house .
There 's one in the front garden , another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the kitchen on a rainy day .
In that one , you can see the old schoolteacher at work : He identifies everything – this is the microwave !
– so the kids can work on their English .
Not content to leave it there , Mr. Ridgewell has taken up studying French so he can talk to `` mes amis . ''
The children started writing to express their gratitude .
Now it 's his turn .
The exchanges `` let daylight into this dark time of lockdown , '' he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Shaftesbury , in southern England .
`` It 's been brilliant .
Grateful ?
That 's an understatement really .
I 'm more than grateful !
I 'm delighted . ''
This story was reported by The Associated Press .
Editor ’ s note : As a public service , the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage .
It ’ s free .

French student Marion Nivard started writing last year to a World War II veteran in Britain, thanking him for taking part in the Normandy invasion that freed her country from the Nazis.
As V-E Day approached, Marion and her classmates in the Normandy region thought of 94-year-old Bill Ridgewell and other vets living in isolation because of the COVID-19 pandemic – just as they were. The teens decided to swap stories with the men about their lives under lockdown.
"I think we need to be with them even if we're not with them – if that makes sense!'' said Marion, 15. "It's already something to be there in thoughts and sending them messages. I'm sure it makes them happy, and it makes us happy too."
The effort to share snippets of lockdown life comes at a time of disappointment for the veterans, most of whom are now in their 90s. They were looking forward to a grand party on Friday marking the 75th anniversary of the end of the war in Europe. Nationwide celebrations would have placed them in the spotlight.
But the festivities have been scaled back to mostly broadcast events, including a two-minute moment of silence. Queen Elizabeth II will deliver a televised message, and there will be a national singalong of "We'll Meet Again,'' led by 103-year-old Vera Lynn, who made the song famous during the war.
Writing to the veterans brought home to the teens that they are living through a unique moment in time that will be remembered by future generations, said Mayeul Macé, a history teacher at Saint-Louis Middle School in Cabourg. President Emmanuel Macron's address announcing the lockdown set the stage.
"The president's use of the term 'at war' really left its mark on the pupils," he said. "I have students who wonder what history really is, and they realized that they were experiencing something historic."
The relationships with the vets began in 2017, when a group of them spoke at the school. The teens gave the guests vials of sand or soil, depending on whether they stormed the Normandy beaches or dropped from planes. The students later visited the Imperial War Museum in London, and the veterans came too. Ties formed, and letters were exchanged, said Ian Parsons, chairman of the Taxi Charity for Military Veterans, which arranged the school visit.
"That's the paramount thing.'' Mr. Parsons said. "They know they aren't on their own when something comes through that letter box.''
Veterans like hearing the kids talk about lockdown in all its banality. Snapshots of lunch, happy dogs on walks, and bedrooms tidied briefly for photos are standard fare. Content is secondary.
Just ask Mr. Ridgewell.
A former school headmaster, Mr. Ridgewell was in a trench on the outskirts of Caen on July 5, 1944, when he watched Allied planes bomb the city. He was horrified and feared the French would never forgive the Allies for laying waste to their communities, even though the bombing was part of the effort to crush the Nazis.
He was so concerned about the French reaction that for years he did not want to visit Normandy. But he finally returned last year as part of celebrations marking the 75th anniversary of D-Day. What he found surprised him: The French treated him like a hero.
"They gave us freedom, and they fought for our future. And to be grateful is the least we can do,'' Marion said.
The students did more than stay in touch. Mr. Ridgewell's pen pal and another girl from a nearby school traveled to England last year to watch him receive the Legion D'Honneur, France's highest military and civilian decoration. He's quick to show off a cherished snapshot of the event.
He keeps his sand vials beside his armchair. He is even creating a wall of photographs to celebrate his new friendships.
Now the man who was reluctant to go to France can't wait to go back and catch up with the teens. He wishes he could adopt them all.
To show he's in the spirit of all things lockdown, Mr. Ridgewell had his daughter, Mary, take videos of him around the house. There's one in the front garden, another in the back garden, and one in the kitchen on a rainy day. In that one, you can see the old schoolteacher at work: He identifies everything – this is the microwave! – so the kids can work on their English.
Not content to leave it there, Mr. Ridgewell has taken up studying French so he can talk to "mes amis."
The children started writing to express their gratitude. Now it's his turn.
The exchanges "let daylight into this dark time of lockdown,'' he told The Associated Press from his home in Shaftesbury, in southern England. "It's been brilliant. Grateful? That's an understatement really. I'm more than grateful! I'm delighted."
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This story was reported by The Associated Press.
Editor’s note: As a public service, the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage. It’s free.


csmonitor--2020-05-07--World confronts pandemic shortages. Russians have been here before.

The cataclysm drove people like Maya Melnikova , a Moscow architect , into odd jobs to survive .
“ I had a friend who bought children ’ s denim sundresses at wholesale prices , and I would stand all day in a Moscow market selling them retail , ” she says .
“ I was surrounded by educated people like myself , all doing the same kind of thing .
It wasn ’ t easy , but I came home with food.
” Russia ’ s economy today is heading for its biggest contraction since those days , as unemployment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ near total shutdown to control the spread of the coronavirus .
That is reminding many people of the chaotic 1990s and how they managed to adapt to completely new circumstances .
By the middle of the decade , Russia ’ s economy had shrunk by around half .
About 40 % of the population was in dire poverty , and corrupt elites were laundering what was left of the country ’ s wealth into foreign bank accounts .
The virtual implosion of the state meant people could expect no assistance from that quarter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their separate ways in early 1992 , it wrecked supply lines , separated industries from their traditional markets , and led to economic chaos .
I recall the catastrophic upheaval well .
The economic floor dropped away , destroying the livelihood of millions and forcing individuals to imagine entirely new ways to survive and feed their families .
Old political verities proved worthless , and government largely failed to relieve the disaster .
Today ’ s coronavirus lockdown is a fresh nightmare for much of the world , but in Russia it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a social and economic cataclysm that anyone over the age of 40 knew all too well .
Through hyperinflation and a banking crash I lost my life ’ s savings twice .
But I was spared the crushing , disorienting sensation experienced by millions of Russians as they realized that everything they had relied upon and formerly built their lives upon had collapsed , scrambling the social order and forcing people to face existential challenges they had never imagined .
Russia ’ s economy is heading for its biggest contraction since those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ go underwater amid a near total shutdown that will last until at least May 11 .
So , many people are recalling the hardships they faced in the ’ 90s , and how they managed to adapt to completely new circumstances .
Indeed , it ’ s hard to understand Vladimir Putin ’ s Russia , where polls consistently show that people place an overwhelming priority on political stability , without appreciating that turbulent decade .
Editor ’ s note : As a public service , all our coronavirus coverage is free .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ m afraid all those hardships will return , ” says Anna Abashina , who had a good job as an economist when things fell apart in the early ’ 90s .
“ I had a small child to raise , my job had ceased to exist , and it was really difficult to even obtain food.
” She found a job in a bakery .
The work was hard and the money was sparse .
“ But people always need bread , ” she says .
It wasn ’ t a virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demise of the USSR – that turned Russians ’ lives inside out .
When 15 former Soviet republics went their separate ways in early 1992 , it wrecked supply lines , separated industries from their traditional markets , and led to economic chaos .
By the middle of the decade , Russia ’ s economy had shrunk by around half , about 40 % of the population was in dire poverty , and corrupt elites were laundering what was left of the country ’ s wealth into foreign bank accounts .
The virtual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ expect no assistance from that quarter .
Law and order all but disintegrated .
“ It was a terrible time to be elderly , or without education or skills , ” says Yevgeny Gontmakher , who was deputy minister for social protection in the first post-Soviet government and an official adviser on social policy for much of the decade .
“ But for the young , the most active people , it was a time of unimaginable freedom and opportunities to do things in a totally new way .
“ We inherited a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no reserves in the banks , and few real jobs to be found .
That was because the previous economy , the Soviet system , was completely dysfunctional , ” he says .
“ We had to contend with all that.
” He says the current coronavirus crisis is different from the turmoil of the ’ 90s .
“ In those days , people were thrown on their own resources and had to think of something to do .
Now the state has become very strong , and most people are waiting for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” “ What do you think I do for a living ?
” I recall visiting a coal mine near the city of Shakhti , in southern Russia , during one of the worst years , 1994 .
I had come to find out how they were managing to get by , and I received an education .
A group of miners took me down to the coal face – the shafts are very deep there – and I watched them clawing out coal and sending it up to the surface in big @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their break , which they called tormozok ( coincidentally from the Russian word for “ brake ” ) and we sat there , drinking tea from thermoses and eating bread torn from loaves .
A big fellow with a smudged face leaned over to me and asked , “ What do you think I do for a living ?
” He laughed and said , “ No , not me .
I ’ m a farmer.
” They explained to me that the mine was bankrupt , but since Russia did not yet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a zombielike existence , producing coal and selling it wherever possible .
Even though they had received no cash wages in months , the men kept putting in their regular shifts .
Sometimes they were paid in coal , which they could barter for other goods .
But while the houses they lived in nearby were owned by the former Soviet coal company , they were allowed to stay and work the pieces of land attached to them .
Some raised cows and chickens , or grew vegetables and potatoes .
I recall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to harvest from their small garden plots .
They , and their families , put up huge amounts of preserves for the winter .
Alexei Shishkin , the head of the Union of Gardeners in the central Russian region of Tambov , says that a Soviet-era innovation of handing out rural garden plots to urbanites may have saved the country from starvation in those desperate years .
In the late ’ 90s , a Russian sociologist calculated that about 40 % of all food being consumed in the country was homegrown .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 1992 .
I received mine through the hospital where I worked , ” Mr. Shishkin says .
“ About half of those plots are abandoned today , but in the worst years they were full of people growing potatoes , carrots , tomatoes , cucumbers , etc .
Many of us keep it up , because when you know what you ’ re growing , you know what you ’ re eating.
” “ It was unclear how to go on living ” Maya Melnikova , a Moscow architect , had expected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ career .
But it disappeared , and she ended up doing a wide variety of jobs during the ’ 90s .
“ At first we found ourselves without hope , and it was unclear how to go on living , ” she says .
“ I had a friend who bought children ’ s denim sundresses at wholesale prices , and I would stand all day in a Moscow market selling them retail .
I was surrounded by educated people like myself , all doing the same kind of thing .
It wasn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home with food.
” Ms. Melnikova went on to reinvent herself as a home repair expert , an interior designer , and a teacher in a private school before immigrating , briefly , to the U.S. She ’ s now retired and living in Moscow .
“ I have learned that knowledge isn ’ t just an accumulation of information , but the ability to learn new things and enjoy the process itself , ” she says .
“ I also learned that you don ’ t need a manicure every week , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I really hope that , as a result of this current crisis , a society that found it possible to pay millions to football [ soccer ] players will decide to provide decent salaries to our doctors and medical workers.
” Editor ’ s note : As a public service , all our coronavirus coverage is free .
No paywall .

The cataclysm drove people like Maya Melnikova, a Moscow architect, into odd jobs to survive. “I had a friend who bought children’s denim sundresses at wholesale prices, and I would stand all day in a Moscow market selling them retail,” she says. “I was surrounded by educated people like myself, all doing the same kind of thing. It wasn’t easy, but I came home with food.”
Russia’s economy today is heading for its biggest contraction since those days, as unemployment soars and businesses go underwater amid a near total shutdown to control the spread of the coronavirus. That is reminding many people of the chaotic 1990s and how they managed to adapt to completely new circumstances.
The coronavirus epidemic has raised worries about job security, food supplies, and social stability in many countries. Not long ago, Russia experienced such a trial. Our correspondent lived through it.
By the middle of the decade, Russia’s economy had shrunk by around half. About 40% of the population was in dire poverty, and corrupt elites were laundering what was left of the country’s wealth into foreign bank accounts. The virtual implosion of the state meant people could expect no assistance from that quarter.
When 15 former Soviet republics went their separate ways in early 1992, it wrecked supply lines, separated industries from their traditional markets, and led to economic chaos.
I recall the catastrophic upheaval well. The economic floor dropped away, destroying the livelihood of millions and forcing individuals to imagine entirely new ways to survive and feed their families. Old political verities proved worthless, and government largely failed to relieve the disaster.
Today’s coronavirus lockdown is a fresh nightmare for much of the world, but in Russia it is reviving painful memories of the chaotic 1990s, a social and economic cataclysm that anyone over the age of 40 knew all too well.
Through hyperinflation and a banking crash I lost my life’s savings twice. But I was spared the crushing, disorienting sensation experienced by millions of Russians as they realized that everything they had relied upon and formerly built their lives upon had collapsed, scrambling the social order and forcing people to face existential challenges they had never imagined.
Why We Wrote This The coronavirus epidemic has raised worries about job security, food supplies, and social stability in many countries. Not long ago, Russia experienced such a trial. Our correspondent lived through it.
Russia’s economy is heading for its biggest contraction since those days, as unemployment soars and businesses go underwater amid a near total shutdown that will last until at least May 11. So, many people are recalling the hardships they faced in the ’90s, and how they managed to adapt to completely new circumstances. Indeed, it’s hard to understand Vladimir Putin’s Russia, where polls consistently show that people place an overwhelming priority on political stability, without appreciating that turbulent decade.
Editor’s note: As a public service, all our coronavirus coverage is free. No paywall.
“Yes, I’m afraid all those hardships will return,” says Anna Abashina, who had a good job as an economist when things fell apart in the early ’90s. “I had a small child to raise, my job had ceased to exist, and it was really difficult to even obtain food.” She found a job in a bakery. The work was hard and the money was sparse. “But people always need bread,” she says.
“We inherited a catastrophe”
It wasn’t a virus but a political event – the sudden demise of the USSR – that turned Russians’ lives inside out. When 15 former Soviet republics went their separate ways in early 1992, it wrecked supply lines, separated industries from their traditional markets, and led to economic chaos.
Melanie Stetson Freeman/Staff/File View caption Hide caption A woman holding a toddler begs at a busy intersection in Moscow in July 1999. The 1990s saw a lot of Russians lose their jobs and the safety net that the former Soviet system provided, leaving them desperate to find ways to feed their families.
By the middle of the decade, Russia’s economy had shrunk by around half, about 40% of the population was in dire poverty, and corrupt elites were laundering what was left of the country’s wealth into foreign bank accounts. The virtual implosion of the state meant people could expect no assistance from that quarter. Law and order all but disintegrated.
“It was a terrible time to be elderly, or without education or skills,” says Yevgeny Gontmakher, who was deputy minister for social protection in the first post-Soviet government and an official adviser on social policy for much of the decade. “But for the young, the most active people, it was a time of unimaginable freedom and opportunities to do things in a totally new way.
“We inherited a catastrophe. There were mass shortages, no reserves in the banks, and few real jobs to be found. That was because the previous economy, the Soviet system, was completely dysfunctional,” he says. “We had to contend with all that.”
He says the current coronavirus crisis is different from the turmoil of the ’90s. “In those days, people were thrown on their own resources and had to think of something to do. Now the state has become very strong, and most people are waiting for the government to take care of them.”
“What do you think I do for a living?”
I recall visiting a coal mine near the city of Shakhti, in southern Russia, during one of the worst years, 1994. I had come to find out how they were managing to get by, and I received an education.
A group of miners took me down to the coal face – the shafts are very deep there – and I watched them clawing out coal and sending it up to the surface in big buckets. Then it was time for their break, which they called tormozok (coincidentally from the Russian word for “brake”) and we sat there, drinking tea from thermoses and eating bread torn from loaves.
A big fellow with a smudged face leaned over to me and asked, “What do you think I do for a living?”
I answered, “Well, um, I think you’re a coal miner.”
He laughed and said, “No, not me. I’m a farmer.”
They explained to me that the mine was bankrupt, but since Russia did not yet have any bankruptcy laws, it continued a zombielike existence, producing coal and selling it wherever possible. Even though they had received no cash wages in months, the men kept putting in their regular shifts. Sometimes they were paid in coal, which they could barter for other goods.
Melanie Stetson Freeman/Staff/File View caption Hide caption Women sell children's clothing on the stairs leading to a subway entrance in Moscow in July 1999. Senior pensions dried up as Russia's economy collapsed in the '90s.
But while the houses they lived in nearby were owned by the former Soviet coal company, they were allowed to stay and work the pieces of land attached to them. Some raised cows and chickens, or grew vegetables and potatoes. I recall being astonished by the amounts they claimed to harvest from their small garden plots. They, and their families, put up huge amounts of preserves for the winter.
Alexei Shishkin, the head of the Union of Gardeners in the central Russian region of Tambov, says that a Soviet-era innovation of handing out rural garden plots to urbanites may have saved the country from starvation in those desperate years. In the late ’90s, a Russian sociologist calculated that about 40% of all food being consumed in the country was homegrown.
“We were given free plots of land in 1992. I received mine through the hospital where I worked,” Mr. Shishkin says. “About half of those plots are abandoned today, but in the worst years they were full of people growing potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, etc. Many of us keep it up, because when you know what you’re growing, you know what you’re eating.”
“It was unclear how to go on living”
Maya Melnikova, a Moscow architect, had expected that to be her life’s career. But it disappeared, and she ended up doing a wide variety of jobs during the ’90s.
“At first we found ourselves without hope, and it was unclear how to go on living,” she says. “I had a friend who bought children’s denim sundresses at wholesale prices, and I would stand all day in a Moscow market selling them retail. I was surrounded by educated people like myself, all doing the same kind of thing. It wasn’t easy, but I came home with food.”
Ms. Melnikova went on to reinvent herself as a home repair expert, an interior designer, and a teacher in a private school before immigrating, briefly, to the U.S. She’s now retired and living in Moscow.
Get stories that
empower and uplift daily. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy Already a subscriber? Log in to hide ads.
“I have learned that knowledge isn’t just an accumulation of information, but the ability to learn new things and enjoy the process itself,” she says. “I also learned that you don’t need a manicure every week, or new clothes for each season. I really hope that, as a result of this current crisis, a society that found it possible to pay millions to football [soccer] players will decide to provide decent salaries to our doctors and medical workers.”
Editor’s note: As a public service, all our coronavirus coverage is free. No paywall.