The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued the following statement on the announcement of the passing of Mrs. Hedwig Waltmans-Molier.
“It is with dismay and great sadness that we report the death of our colleague Hedwig Waltmans-Molier (1964–2020). On Saturday 8 August she succumbed to injuries sustained in the massive explosion in Beirut on 4 August.
Ministers Stef Blok and Sigrid Kaag have offered their condolences to the family on this profound loss.
“We are deeply saddened by the untimely death of our colleague Hedwig Waltmans-Molier as a result of the huge explosion in Beirut. Our thoughts are with her husband, their children and other family members. Our sympathy goes out to them and we wish them every strength to cope with this great loss.
The staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are committed to working for the Netherlands worldwide, also in demanding, difficult or dangerous circumstances. Hedwig exemplified this in both her professional and her personal life. She was beloved by her colleagues and she will be very much missed. Her death is a loss for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and for the country.”
Hedwig and Jan Waltmans were together for 38 years. They were posted to various challenging missions abroad. Both made their own careers at the ministry. Last week, they returned from holiday to their beloved Lebanon. Hedwig was standing next to Jan in their living room when, through sheer bad luck, she was hit by the blast.
Hedwig Waltmans-Molier was 55 years old. Her last role was as HR partner within the ministry’s HR department. She worked both from the Hague and from Beirut, where her husband is the Dutch ambassador.”
Diplomatic Spouses Association: Worldwide (DSAW) invite all diplomatic spouses for a prayer
It is with utmost sorrow and regret that we inform all of you of the passing of Mrs. Hedwig Waltmans-Molier wife of the Dutch ambassador to Lebanon, H.E. Mr. Jan Waltmans after being seriously injured in the massive explosion that tore through Beirut’s port on Tuesday August 4th.
Our most heartfelt condolences and prayers are with her family and friends. Diplomatic Spouses Association: Worldwide (DSAW) invite all diplomatic spouses for a prayer time in her honoron August 11, 2020 at 06:08 pm Lebanese time exactly one week after the explosion.
Publié par Gilles Munier sur 6 Août 2020 / Revue de presse : Al Manar
Le Premier ministre australien Scott Morrison a estimé, mercredi 5 aout, qu’une guerre entre la Chine et les Etats-Unis était désormais envisageable, même s’il affirme que ses craintes sont plus modérées que celles de son prédécesseur, a rapporté mercredi le Japan Times.
L’ancien Premier ministre Kevin Rudd a en effet affirmé dans un article publié cette semaine dans le journal des Affaires étrangères, que le risque d’un conflit armé entre Washington et Pékin au cours des trois prochains mois était « particulièrement élevé ».
« Notre vision des choses n’est pas aussi dramatique que celle de M. Rudd. Nous reconnaissons toutefois que ce qui paraissait inconcevable auparavant l’est beaucoup moins au vu du contexte actuel », a dit M. Morrison.
Face à ces tensions accrues, le Premier ministre australien a indiqué avoir investi 270 milliards de dollars australiens (159 milliards d’euros) dans l’acquisition de matériel de guerre, dont des missiles à plus longue portée.
Alors qu’il était interrogé sur les revendications de Pékin en mer de Chine méridionale ou à la frontière avec l’Inde, ou bien encore la crise à Hong Kong, le Premier ministre s’est dit « optimiste » quant à une issue favorable.
During the commemoration of the United Nations Day on October 24, 2019, Mr. Karel Frielink – Dean of the Consular Corps of Curaçao announced his resignation after having served three terms.
To honour his great contribution to the Consular Corps, Diplomat Magazine would like to share part of his speech:
“This is my last speech as Dean of the Curacao Consular Corps. In January 2020, the members will choose my successor. After having served three terms as Dean, it is time for a new face.
On behalf of the Consular Corps of Curaçao, it is an honor to address you all on the celebration of the seventy-fourth anniversary of the United Nations.
In the past months we welcomed new colleagues who became members of the Consular Corps of Curaçao:
The Honorary Consul of Libanon
Mr. Jean Tannous Fayad
The Honorary Consul of Israel
Mrs. Christine Pancer Cheis
The Honorary Consul of Sweden
Mrs. Lisanne Asjes
The Consul General of the United States of America
Mr. Allen Greenberg
The Consul of Haïti
Mrs. Natalie Fourcand
I am delighted to announce that this is our fifth consecutive edition of our Youth Speech Contest. We asked students from many of the schools in Curaçao to submit speeches based on one of two topics; this year’s topics:
Indigenous Languages: How do they contribute to a peoples’ identity in a globalized world?
The 5th Industrial Revolution: How could Curacao benefit from AI technology?
We received 36 speeches from various schools: Kolegio Alejandro Paula (KAP), Radulphus College, Maria Immaculata Lyceum (MIL), Albert Schweitzer, Vespucci, the Curaçao American Preparatory School (CAPS) and the International School of Curaçao. The speeches were then carefully read by the Board of the Consular Corps.
After much – indeed much – deliberation, we named the three finalists who will soon read their speeches out loud, and they are, in alphabetical order:
Rianthe Angela (.. haven’t we seen her before? …)
Emily Reuijl and
Zachary Rodrigues.
Our Prime Minister has agreed to chair today’s jury. The jury will judge the three presentations, based on content, writing skill, and presentation, and will announce the winner, who will receive our grand prize: a check for the amount of NAf 1,000. The prize is generously sponsored by the Child First Foundation, represented here today by its Chairman Mr. Chris Peterson. Thank you again for such a great gift.
Ladies and Gentlemen! It is important that attention is being paid to language as a phenomenon. There are, of course, other ways of communicating, such as flirting, but if a personal or business relationship, or a political or scientific discussion has to have some depth, then we cannot do without language.
But language is a complex phenomenon. The fact that people speak the same language does not mean that they also understand each other. And if this problem occurs to people who speak the same mother tongue, it is easy to imagine what communication problems can arise when people communicate in a language other than their mother tongue.
We should not underestimate the importance of language as an opportunity for a person to express their deepest feelings. Most people can only do this with the language they have learned to speak at home. That language should not be taken away from them, whether it is a commonly spoken language or a language in danger of extinction. The mother tongue is part of a person’s identity and cultural baggage.
At the same time, a language should not isolate someone. If you want to study, you will need to have at least a command of a language that is used for secondary or university education, whether it is English, Spanish or any other relevant language.
I myself am a good (or maybe I should say bad) example of someone who only started learning a foreign language at a later age. My daughters grew up in Curaçao with various foreign languages (Papiamentu, English and Spanish) from an early age and I envy the ease with which they speak those languages. They also benefit from this multilingualism in their subsequent studies.
Multilingualism is undoubtedly an asset, but according to the Internet, French actor Jean-Paul Belmondo once said: “Even a man who mastered twenty languages uses his native language when he cuts his finger.”
When discussing language, we must not lose sight of the two most important aspects: language as part of an individual’s identity and language as a means to move forward in life. The right balance must be sought in both education and raising children.
Before moving on, the board of the Consular Corps would like to thank all the students who submitted a speech this year and the teachers who guided them – a round of applause!
Ambassador Levan Izoria and CEO David Ruetz – Picture by Embassy of Georgia to Germany.
Thursday, 6 August 2020, Embassy of Georgia, Berlin, Germany: Georgian Ambassador Prof. Dr. Levan Izoria held a working meeting with the head of ITB Berlin (Internationale Tourismus-Börse), David Ruetz. Focus of the conversation is Georgia’s preparation to be partner country for the fair’s 2023 edition.
The ITB is held annually in Berlin, and holds the station of being the world’s largest travel trade fair. In 2020 it had to be cancelled at the very last minute owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, however, it is expected to be held again in 2021, even if in a smaller format.
In 2019, the number of international arrivals to Georgia reached a record high of 9.3 million people. Georgia is particularly marketing itself as an eco-tourism destination as well as a country for wine lovers. Currently tourism income represents almost 7% of the country’s GDP with a revenue of approximately 3 billion USD.
Miriam at the Factory, 2018, Pencil and Graphite on paper, 42.5 x 59 cm. Image by Yasmin Sharabi
Thursday, 6 August 2020, Berlin: the group exhibition “4:1 – 4 artists, 1 location“ opened its doors at the renowned aquabitArt gallery located in Berlin Mitte.
Four extraordinary artists with varying backgrounds are connected by one commonality: they either currently live and practice their art in Bahrain, or have worked on projects on the island and created art during that time.
Curator Frances Stafford, who also built her career in the country, shows introspective drawings, visionary paintings, collaged photographs as well as paper collages and studies – within the intimate gallery setting in Auguststraße 35, 10119 Berlin. The small but beautiful gallery space in the heart of Berlin will be separated into two main rooms, where the artworks will be presented to the audience until the end of the month“ opens its doors at the renowned aquabitArt gallery in Berlin Mitte.
The artists
Ali Dowlatshahi was born in Tehran, Iran in 1976, and moved to Heidelberg, Germany in 1986 following the Iranian revolution. He studied Industrial Design at the University of the Arts (UdK), Berlin until 2005. Since 2003, Dowlatshahi has been working as a freelance designer in Berlin. He specializes in graphics, interiors and furniture and has been designing for numerous international brands, most notably in Bahrain and New York. In 2014 he began working on a series of projects for the Cultural Authority, Bahrain and other private clients in the wider gulf region. Ali Dowlatshahi presents digital colourfields inspired by his travels to Bahrain. Each work comprises of a photograph of Bahrain, overlaid with tinted rectilinear shapes and colours, that partially obscure selected details of each image. The fusion of such elements-structure, transience, tradition and modernity- is often perceived as a statement on the synthesis between Dowlatshahi’s Middle Eastern heritage and the austerity of his western upbringing.
Mohamed Alaabar alias Leon D. is a multidisciplinary visual artist from Bahrain who engages not only with urban and street interventions but also has a studio practice. His work is driven by his interest in understanding both the physical and metaphysical nature of possible/probable realities. He is eager to travel and learn from people, cultures, nature and the beyond to assist in his continuous research and curiosity in a progressive evolving manner. He currently associates himself with the path and knowledge of psychonautics in order to express abundance, bliss and love throughout his work.
Utakula Kwa Macho, 2016, Pencil on paper, 59 x 42.5 cm. Copyright to Yasmin Sharabi
Artist and Curator Yasmin Sharabi (Bahrain/USA/Palestine) was born in Greece in 1981. She holds an MA in Art Business from Sotheby’s Institute, London (2006) and a BA in Studio Art/Art History, Minor in Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal (2004) where she studied under Canadian painters Marion Wagschal and the late Yves Gaucher. In 2014 and 2016 she was invited to contribute as an artist at the Lamu Art Project, an art residence of Nicholas Logsdail (Lisson Gallery). In 2014, she curated an exhibition with 40 artists from the Gaza Strip, Palestine, a collaborative venture between PADICO (Palestine), the APT (Artist Pension Trust), the UNDP and the Institute français(Jerusalem). Sharabi currently lives and works in Bahrain, as a curator and consultant to artist and collector Rashid Al Khalifa (i.e. H.E. Sheikh Rashid bin Khalifa Al Khalifa). Sharabi’s work typically explores her heritage through her memories of a specific moment in time. Each image is a replica of a real scene and drawn from photographs that Sharabi has taken. Nothing is fictionalized. As she draws, she attempts to magnify the features of the snap¬shot, to measure and analyze each detail and expand them to scale. It is through this process, by way of the gestures, marks and subtle synchronicities, that she is reminded of that particular moment and of the signs, symbols or ironies that existed within it.
Patrick Molony Harris was born in South Devon England in 1971. He was an art scholar at Marlborough College from 1985-89 and studied Architecture at the Oxford School of Architecture, before finishing a Fine Arts BA Hons degree at Winchester. In 1991 he moved to Spain and then Palma de Mallorca where he now shares an art studio, Harris Atelier, with his brother. They made a double handed transatlantic crossing in 1997 and are also known for producing the world largest Sail Painting in 2011. Harris has also managed two sail painting projects in Bahrain for the Ministry of Culture (now the Bahrain Authority for Art and Culture) where he trained artists to paint on sails that were then sailed and displayed at the Annual Fine Art Exhibition. The Prime Minister of Bahrain, HRH Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, attended both events.
About the curator
Frances Stafford is a Canadian curator and producer who specializes in cultural production and Contemporary Arabic Art. She started her career in Bahrain at Al Riwaq Art Space before moving to the Bahrain Ministry of Culture. There, she mainly produced and directed large-scale public projects and worked in the National Museum as a senior exhibition specialist. She has conceptualized, managed and directed various private and public events, exhibitions and brand launches. From 2018 – 2020 she represented and managed the career of contemporary Saudi artist and children’s literature author and illustrator, Halla bint Khalid. In 2019, Stafford curated Halla bint Khalid’s work for “Tasleemah” which was presented in the Zurab Tsereteli MoMA in Tbilisi, Georgia. Currently she continues to advise and manage various international artists. She curates and mounts international exhibitions and manages participations regularly.
On Saturday morning, H.E. Pete Hoekstra, Ambassador of the USA to The Netherlands, departed The Hague as part of a six man team from the Embassy. Their mission: complete a 7 day, 700-kilometer tour of the Netherlands that touches every province. Along the way, they hope to catch up with friends, partners, and social media audience that helped them build this trip.
The Province of Limburg welcomes Ambassadors Hoekstra’s team.
Ambassador Hoekstra leads the Embassy team through De Veluwe National Park this morning. This is part of the Embassy’s Ronde van Nederland, a 7-day, 12 province 700km trip around the Netherlands.
He said: “A day in the life of the Ronde van Nederland. Another 3 provinces and 80km. Hard to imagine a more beautiful country to ride through.”
Projet pour la santé mentale positive des jeunes en milieu scolaire. La prévention et la promotion en santé mentale chez les jeunes.
Par Guy Beauchamp.
En réponse à l’augmentation importante des problèmes de santé mentale chez les étudiants, mon collègue Marc Martineau et moi avons mis sur pied le projet « Je tiens la route! » au Cégep de l’Outaouais. L’appellation « Je tiens la route! » réfère à une métaphore qui met en action un-e étudiant-e en voiture devant affronter les tempêtes de neige et les blizzards (phénomènes météorologiques bien présents au Québec). Dans ce contexte, il est absolument nécessaire de se munir de quatre bons pneus pour surmonter les dangers, éviter les catastrophes et « tenir la route! ».
Chacun de ces pneus s’avère essentiel pour l’étudiant dans sa préparation vis-à-vis des épreuves de différentes natures qui surviendront lors de son parcours. Le premier pneu représente la santé et l’activité physique, le deuxième pneu, la santé psychologique et les stratégies personnelles de gestion de stress, le troisième, l’établissement et le maintien des liens sociaux, et le quatrième pneu, la quête de sens et/ou le développement de sa spiritualité.
Les exercices reliés à chacun de ces quatre “pneus” amenuisent l’impact des situations d’adversité et favorisent la résilience. Le projet s’articule notamment autour d’activités de sensibilisation auxquelles participent activement les étudiants, et milite pour l’engagement citoyen en santé mentale chez tout le monde dans l’établissement. Les exemples d’activités sont nombreux: un concours vidéo étudiant portant sur la résilience; une pièce de théâtre surprise à la cafétéria simulant différentes situations de détresse psychologique vécues par les étudiants; la journée annuelle printanière «orange» » qui souligne l’importance de maintenir une bonne santé globale pour favoriser sa persévérances aux études; etc.
Dans le cadre de rencontres dans des congrès de recherche, Madame Katty Firquet, Députée et Vice-présidente de la province de Liège, en Belgique, a pris fait et cause du projet « Je tiens la route! » pour l’adapter dans le milieu scolaire et social. Ces échanges internationaux ont porté fruit avec de belles répercussions des deux côtés de l’Atlantique. Entre autres, l’ambassadeur du Canada en Belgique, Son Excellence Monsieur Olivier Nicoloff, lors d’une visite aux instances Liégeoises, a tenu à souligner le lien important entre l’initiative du Cégep de l’Outaouais au Canada et celles de la Province de Liège, se mesurant aux défis qui se posent dans les deux sociétés.
D’autre part Monsieur Philippe Snoeck, des Affaires Sociales de la Province, a aussi présenté à l’Organisation Mondiale de la Santé (OMS) un mémoire portant sur les aspects préventifs en santé mentale, en soulignant l’origine québécoise et canadienne du projet « Je tiens la route! ». Le site web canadien du projet (jetienslaroute.com) fait état des initiatives qui ont uni ces deux pays au cours des dernières années, dans l’optique de mieux outiller les jeunes pour favoriser leur croissance, développer leur résilience et ultimement prévenir des problèmes de santé mentale.
L’auteur:
Guy Beauchamp est un ex- professeur-chercheur des milieux collégiaux et universitaires. Il a fait de nombreuses recherches et a publié dans des domaines aussi variés que la pharmacologie, la psychiatrie, la chimie, l’éducation et la santé mentale. Détenteur d’un doctorat en pharmacologie de l’Université de Montréal, son expertise s’étend également dans les analyses statistiques complexes.
By H.E. Ms. Sahar Ghanem, Ambassador of the Republic of Yemen to the Kingdom of The Netherlands.
Amidst the raging conflict in Yemen, the challenge of the Safer Oil Tanker emerges as one of the most hazardous risks to the environment safety in the Red Sea as a result of the potential oil spillage in the Red Sea at any moment.
Following expressing deep alarm, the United Nations Security Council called on 29 June, 2020, to immediately grant unconditional access for the United Nations technical experts to assess the tanker’s condition without overdue to prevent growing risk of possible rupture, explosion or even spillage.
The threat of the floating Oil Tanker, moored off the coast of Yemen, does not only impose challenges to the geopolitical and strategic importance of the Red Sea, but it rather represents a huge challenge that threatens the environment safety, leading to one of the largest environmental hazards in the world, after the unforgettable 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill disaster in Siberia – Russia.
On 18 July 2019, the United Nations Humanitarian Affairs Coordinator Mr. Mark Lowcock informed the UN Security Council of the growing threats of the deserted Safer Oil Tanker, warning of possible explosion or leakage of its loads [1.14 M barrels of crude oil]. In his briefing on the humanitarian situation in Yemen, he pointed out that such an incident would result to a disastrous crisis to the marine life in the Red Sea and maritime in the straits of Bab-AlMadeb and Suez Canal which are two significant water corridors to the world.
It is known that the Red Sea is home for some scarce invertebrates such as corals and 600 species of fish. Unless preventative measures are taken now and immediately to prevent oil spill or possible tanker explosion, we will concretely witness a disastrous incident leading to severe effect on the Red Sea marine environment, and on both biodiversity and livelihoods starting from Yemen and extending north to Suez Canal through Jobal strait and the Gulf of Suez and south through Bab-AlMadeb strait reaching even Hormoz strait through the Arabian sea.
Environment experts’ projections expect that 115 islands are vulnerable to the risk of oil pollution; 126,000 fishermen will lose their source of income, among them 76,000 fishmen are in Al Hodeidah governorate; 850 tons of fish stocks will be exposed to the danger of contamination and death in Yemen, in the Red Sea and in Bab Al-Mandam; more than 500 fish species are at high risk of disappearing; and 300 corals will certainly disappear as a result.
The problem emerged following the takeover of the Capital Sanaa on 21 September 2014, when Houthi militias implemented unilateral actions inter alia dissolving parliament and taking over Yemen’s government institutions, which have seriously escalated the situation, leading to illegitimate seizure of power “coup d’etat”, and eventually leading to current conflict in Yemen.
The floating storage and its connected offloading terminals have not been inspected or maintained since 2015 after Houthis militias took control of the area including port of Ras Isa to which the floating tanker is connected by terminals extending 9km off the coast of Yemen.
Yemen’s internationally-recognized government has warned in many letters of evident corrosion and lack of maintenance, creating the conditions for serious environmental disaster. The Yemeni government made an urgent call for the UN to send inspection team to scale the risks.
Unfortunately, the UN inspection team was denied access to the floating tanker by the Houthi militias many times. The UN inspection team is tasked with the mission to provide the necessary inspection and put recommendations for the needed maintenance and continuing to create obstacles will refrain the team from reaching the tanker and delivering the urgent inspection.
Lately, the Government of the Republic of Yemen repeated asserting the urgent emergency of the imminent catastrophe of the floating “Safer Oil Tanker”. The government confirmed that “given the critical nature of the aging floating tanker’s situation, on 27 May 2020 leaks have been reported in the tanker causing water leaked into the tanker’s operational machineries raising the possibilities of the tanker rupturing, sinking or even exploding.
Despite urgent fixing of leaking occurred, the deteriorating situation of the tanker threatens continuing eroding. As a result, on 15 July 2020, the UNSC held a session to debate latest urgent developments and called for urgent response to be taken by the Houthi militias as required by the inspection team. It is worth mentioning that the Houthis always show willingness to accept the inspection team just like the assurances made by the Houthis in August 2019 only to be withdrawn right before the inspection team was due to board the tanker.
The Yemeni government has always approved all relevant initiatives recommended by the UN to allow addressing the serious matter and proposing necessary urgent solutions to the Safer oil tanker, as part of the responsibility to the humanitarian and economic measures proposed by the office of the UN Special Envoy Mr. Martin Griffiths and as part of its responsibility to building and sustaining environment safety; however, the Houthi militias continue refusing to allow permissions to the UN inspection team to visit the oil tanker, noting that the situation of the Safer oil tanker is becoming extremely critical more than ever, causing increasing threats of possible oil spillage, tanker sinking and explosion at any moment.
In conclusion, the Safer Oil Tanker is a floating time-bomb and allowing inspection and maintains is the only possible means that will stop a serious catastrophe from happening. If incidents of explosion or even oil spill occur, that will lead to one of the worst man-made environmental disasters in the Red Sea. Action must be taken immediately while we have in hand an opportunity to protect the environments and spare the lives of millions of people in Yemen and the region from a looming tragedy.
Dr. Jesús Seade Kuri and Ambassador Rogelio Granguillhome Morfin – Picture by SRE, Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores – Mexican Embassy to Germany.
9-30 July 2020: Mexican Undersecretary for North America at the Foreign Ministry, Dr. Jesús Seade Kuri was on a working visit to the World Trade Organisation headquartered in Geneva as well as to Berlin and Paris, for consultations and chiefly presentations towards his candidature to become the succeeding Director General of the WTO.
In Berlin, Dr. Seade Kuri accompanied by Ambassador Rogelio Granguillhome Morfín held meetings with the Secretary of State of the German Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Miguel Berger; the head of the Economics and Development Unit of that ministry, Michael Klor-Berchtold; the Director General of International Economics of the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy, Eckhard Franz, and the Director of the International Economics Unit of the German Federal Chancellery, Helen Winter. On these occasions, Dr. Seade explained that it is a decisive moment to reform the WTO, through a work agenda that includes the matters for the XXI century as well as different public policies to promote global trade despite the effects on global value chains caused by the ongoing pandemic.
Before German business groups, including the Confederation of German Industry (BDI), the Association of German Chambers of Commerce and Industry (DIHK), and the Confederation of the German Automotive Industry (VDA), Dr. Seade stressed that one of his priorities as director-general of the WTO would be to reactivate the capacity to reach agreements based on effective negotiations in the WTO between the main actors in world trade, combining experience, pragmatism and the search for innovative solutions.
The post at the helm of the WTO becomes vacant on 31 August 2020 when incumbent Director-General Roberto Azevêdo, steps down a year earlier as per his own behest. The candidature of Dr. Seade from Mexico was the first one received by the international organisation for the high office. Dr. Seade Kuri was the chief negotiator for the USMCA that replaced the NAFTA treaty amongst Mexico, the USA and Canada.
