Balkan News

Members of Smallholder Farmer Alliance in Haiti with first harvest of regenerative cotton. Credit: Thomas Norielle/SFA

By Hugh Locke
NEW YORK, Oct 2 2026 (IPS)

In November 1952, the United States detonated the world’s first thermonuclear device at Enewetak Atoll in the Marshall Islands. The test, code-named Ivy Mike, erased the island of Elugelab and scattered a signature of plutonium across the planet that remains in lake beds, ice sheets and ocean sediments today.

This month, scientists writing in Nature Reviews Earth & Environment proposed this moment as the start of the Anthropocene, a geological epoch shaped by human activity. Co-author Victor Galaz of the Stockholm Resilience Centre called the date “a tragic reminder of the highly unjust impacts of planetary change.”

I take that proposal seriously, because it carries hope as well as warning, and it connects to the argument of my new book, Whole Earth Farming.

Hugh Locke

A few years ago I proposed the word epoch to describe the period we are living through. It has two meanings. A historical epoch is a period set off by significant change, such as the Renaissance. A geological epoch is defined by rock layers and usually spans millions of years, though the current Holocene began only about 11,700 years ago. The two have never arrived together in human history. I believe they are arriving together now.

The idea of the Anthropocene was popularized in 2000 by Nobel laureate Paul Crutzen. In 2020, a paper in Nature found that human-made materials now outweigh all living things on Earth. Yet in 2024, the International Union of Geological Sciences declined to formally recognize the Anthropocene. Officially, we are still in the Holocene.

The new paper, led by Jan Zalasiewicz, Colin Waters and Martin J. Head, draws on 12 stratigraphic records worldwide and identifies the 1952 rise in plutonium as the clearest marker of the new epoch. Whatever the geologists decide, the substance stands: human beings have become a force of planetary consequence.

Nobody set out to launch a new geological epoch. The Anthropocene is the unintended result of billions of decisions about energy, industry, consumption and land use. That is sobering. It is also, strangely, encouraging.

If humanity can alter the chemistry of the atmosphere without meaning to, then we are clearly capable of transformation at planetary scale. The only question is whether we can do it on purpose, in a direction that heals rather than harms.

Galaz’s point about injustice matters too. The Marshall Islanders had no say in what happened at Enewetak, yet bore its consequences. Those who contributed least to planetary change are often hit hardest, among them the world’s smallholder farmers. Any real transformation must put them at the center.

There are some 475 million smallholder farming families in the world, roughly one quarter of humanity, and yet they are largely absent from conversations about the future of food and climate.

Whole Earth Farming argues that these families could lead an agricultural revolution. It draws on 21 farmer stories from 18 countries and on decades of work, including in Haiti, where I co-founded the Smallholder Farmers Alliance. Its central argument is that if half the world’s smallholders adopted regenerative practices, they could produce all the additional food needed by 2050 while reducing agriculture’s net climate impact.

There is a fitting symmetry here. The Holocene began with a climate stable enough for humans to start farming. The Anthropocene could likewise coincide with a new global agricultural movement, one that restores the land rather than depleting it.

The changes of the 1950s spread without any global plan, as new tools and habits moved from place to place until they gathered their own momentum. A regenerative transformation can spread the same way: through practices that work, farmers who see them working on a neighbor’s land, and the support to adopt them.

The farmers in the book are already rebuilding soil, planting trees alongside crops and restoring water cycles. What they lack is not ingenuity but recognition, investment and connection to one another.

I once suggested that the historical epoch now taking shape will one day be named for the moment we began to reorganize ourselves around the principle of oneness. I still believe that.

The Anthropocene is, in one sense, the geological record of our failure to see ourselves as one people sharing one planet. A regenerative transformation led by smallholders would be the opposite: a practical expression of oneness, rooted in the recognition that the health of the land, the wellbeing of the farmer and the future of humanity are inseparable.

If a single morning in 1952 can mark a new chapter in the Earth’s geological history, then surely the choices of hundreds of millions of farming families can mark a new chapter in human history. We have already proven that we can change the planet. Now it is time to prove that we can do so with intention, with justice, and with the whole Earth in mind.

Hugh Locke is president and co-founder of the Smallholder Farmers Alliance, president of the Impact Farming Foundation and author of Whole Earth Farming: Smallholders and the Great Regenerative Transformation (George Ronald Publisher, 2026).

IPS UN Bureau

 

 

 

 

Excerpt:

What a 1952 bomb test tells us about the power of 475 million farming families

When nurses are overworked, unheard or afraid to speak up, safety, dignity, learning and retention all suffer. Fernando Zhiminaicela / Pixabay

By External Source
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 1 2026 (IPS)

Nurses are often called the backbone of the health system. We praise their compassion, commitment and resilience. On Nurses’ Day we thank them. During emergencies and crises, we call them heroes. But there is a harder question Malaysia, like most countries around the world, needs to ask more seriously: what happens when the people who care for everyone else are not safe, supported or respected at work?

This question is not only about patient safety. It is first about nurses’ own rights, dignity and wellbeing. A safe and healthy working environment is recognised by the ILO as a fundamental principle and right at work.

Nurses deserve safe workplaces not only because patients depend on them, but because no worker should be expected to absorb abuse, bullying or harassment as part of the job.

The health and care sector is highly feminised, with women making up around 70% of the global workforce. This is even more pronounced in nursing, where women account for 85% of the workforce, according to WHO’s 2025 State of the World’s Nursing report. This means workplace violence against nurses is not only an occupational safety concern. It is also a gendered issue.

As a female-dominated profession, nursing is often positioned lower in hierarchical health systems, where authority is unevenly distributed. Gendered assumptions - such as women being “naturally caring,” patient or obedient - can normalise mistreatment, silence complaints and discourage reporting

As a female-dominated profession, nursing is often positioned lower in hierarchical health systems, where authority is unevenly distributed. Gendered assumptions – such as women being “naturally caring,” patient or obedient – can normalise mistreatment, silence complaints and discourage reporting.

Because nurses are also frontline caregivers, they are exposed to aggression from patients, families and colleagues. Gender therefore shapes both how violence is experienced and how seriously it is taken.

For many nurses and frontline health workers, workplace violence extends beyond physical assault. It involves verbal abuse, bullying, humiliation, intimidation, sexual harassment, disrespectful treatment, harsh hierarchy and psychological pressure.

These forms of violence may not always leave visible injuries. But they can leave deep marks on confidence, mental health, family life, professional motivation and the decision to stay in the nursing profession.

Studies from several Malaysian healthcare settings show that workplace violence is more common than we may think across hospitals, emergency departments and primary healthcare facilities.

A study conducted among 90 nurses in Kuala Lumpur found that more than 90% had experienced verbal abuse. Similarly, a survey of 838 primary healthcare workers in Selangor reported that 68.5% had experienced workplace violence, with verbal abuse the most common form and nurses the most affected professional group. In Melaka, research among 455 female registered nurses found that 51.2% had experienced sexual harassment, most commonly verbal, but also visual, psychological, non-verbal and physical. Nearly three-quarters of those affected reported psychological effects.

Behind each of these figures is a person trying to do their job while staying calm, professional and compassionate. A nurse explaining treatment to an anxious family. A frontline worker managing a crowded clinic. A junior staff member afraid to speak up. A mother finishing a night shift and going home to another set of care responsibilities. These numbers should not be read as statistics alone. Rather, they are warning signs of workplace systems and cultures and the need for stronger prevention, reporting and response mechanisms.

Malaysia already has important foundations in place. Existing occupational safety and health obligations, together with MOH guidance on workplace violence, provide a strong basis for prevention and response. The challenge now is to build on these measures and ensure they are visible, trusted and consistently implemented in hospitals, clinics and frontline services.

This concern was clearly articulated in a focus group discussion with nurses and frontline health workers in Sabah. Participants described workplace violence and bullying as part of a wider picture of pressure: too many patients, too few staff, missed breaks, unpaid or poorly compensated overtime, limited recognition, burnout and difficulty balancing shift work with family responsibilities.

One district clinic was described as seeing around 600 to 800 patients a day, with only a small number of frontline staff managing the flow. In hospital wards, nurses described caring for 10 to 20 patients and sometimes up to 25 patients alone. Staff often missed lunch breaks, stayed beyond official hours to complete patient care and documentation and sometimes worked while sick because no one else was available to replace them. Heavy documentation and uneven digital systems added another layer of pressure.

In the same Sabah discussion, one participant described bullying as something that particularly affects newcomers and junior staff. Another explained that many young workers feel they have little choice but to endure difficult treatment because they need the job. As one participant put it, many feel they must “just bear with it” because speaking up can feel risky.

The human cost also reaches beyond the workplace. One nurse described leaving for work while her children were still sleeping and returning home when they were already asleep again. This is not only a personal story. It is a policy issue. When nurses are overworked, unheard or afraid to speak up, safety, dignity, learning and retention all suffer.

This is why workplace violence must be discussed together with Malaysia’s nursing shortages, retention concerns and migration of nurses. Nurses do not leave only because of salary, although salary and fair compensation matter greatly. They also leave when they feel unsafe, unheard, unsupported and unable to grow.

When nurses feel unable to speak up, silence becomes part of the system. When junior staff are humiliated instead of mentored, learning suffers. When bullying becomes normalised, workers may begin to see leaving as the only realistic option. For a mostly female workforce, these pressures do not affect nurses alone. They also affect families, communities and how society values care work.

Training more nurses will not solve the problem if the working environment pushes nurses away. The real question is not only how we produce more nurses, but also how we ensure that nurses can stay, work safely and be treated with dignity. A serious response to workplace violence in healthcare should include several practical steps.

First, nurses should have a stronger voice in decisions that affect their work. Frontline nurses, nursing leaders, professional bodies and unions should be meaningfully involved in shaping policies on staffing, workplace safety, reporting systems, mental health support, digitalisation and service delivery. Collective representation matters because individual nurses should not have to carry the burden of speaking up alone.

Second, trusted systems for preventing, reporting and responding to workplace violence, bullying and harassment should continue to be strengthened. Nurses need to know they can safely report any kind of violence without fear of being ignored, blamed or punished. Too often, incidents go unreported because people do not believe anything will change. A safe workplace starts with systems that people trust.

Third, addressing staffing shortages and excessive workloads is also essential. When nurses are caring for too many patients, missing breaks and regularly staying late to finish their work, everyone pays the price. Safe staffing is not a luxury. It is essential for both patient care and health worker wellbeing.

Fourth, supporting nurses also means looking beyond individual resilience. Nurses need time to rest, supportive supervisors, access to mental health support and workplaces where people treat each other with respect. Supportive mentoring and teamwork can make a real difference – especially for junior staff and newcomers.

Finally, workplace safety needs to be considered alongside career development, fair compensation and better systems. Nurses need fair recognition for overtime and workload, opportunities for specialisation and higher education, and digital systems that reduce administrative burden rather than adding to it.

Ultimately, this is about recognising that nurses are not an endless resource. They are people, often women, who care for others every day while carrying their own pressures, responsibilities and challenges. Ensuring their safety, dignity and wellbeing is not only the right thing to do. It is a smart investment in a stronger and more resilient health system.

Malaysia has an opportunity to build on the measures already in place and further strengthen workplace safety, staffing, support and working conditions. Everywhere in the world, health systems depend on nurses at every stage of life – from birth to old age, from routine check-ups to medical emergencies. Malaysia is no exception.

Safe patients need safe nurses. And safe nurses need workplaces where respect, dignity and rights are non-negotiable.

By Sergo Chikhladze, Johanna Riha, Sapna Mishra (UNU Global health) and Nicholas Hulus (Sabah Medical Services Union (SMSU))

As wells and other water sources dry up, women and girls in Kabul must travel increasingly long distances to secure enough water for their families. Credit: Learning Together.

By External Source
KABUL, Oct 1 2026 (IPS)

Drought has depleted wells, withered fruit trees, and reduced crop yields across Afghanistan. The heaviest burden of the water shortage falls on women in their daily lives, as they must fetch water from increasingly distant sources and use every single drop with extreme care.

More than half of Afghanistan is suffering from a prolonged drought and water shortage. The situation is critical in 19 provinces. Authorities predict the crisis will worsen. For instance, the capital, Kabul, is projected to lose the majority of its groundwater by 2030. In the northern province of Faryab, 90 percent of the area is already affected by drought.

Drought affects every aspect of her life. She struggles daily to secure enough water for her family’s needs. As an orchardist, she watches helplessly as the trees she has tended for years slowly wither and die while still standing

Water scarcity and poor harvests are further exacerbating Afghanistan’s food crisis. According to the UN World Food Programme, as many as 17.4 million people are in urgent need of food assistance.

Wells, springs, and groundwater sources are drying up. In some households, the water level in wells has dropped from 20 meters to 40 meters. On farmlands, water must now be drawn from depths of up to 120 meters, whereas previously it was accessible at 20 meters. Water is being rationed, and in some areas, farmers receive water for only 20 minutes a day.

When Afghanistan’s wells run dry, women’s workload increases

In Logar province, near Kabul, drought and water shortages have damaged crops and caused fruit trees to wither. Women must walk increasingly long distances to fetch water for their families.

“When our well ran dry, my immediate concern was whether there would be enough drinking water for our children. I only wash clothes if there is drinking water left over. Sometimes I go several days without doing laundry. I also gather the dishes from three meals and wash them all at once to save water,” says 35-year-old Simin Gul (name changed).

The well belonging to her family of nine ran dry four years ago. The nearest water source is less than a half an hour’s walk away.

At times, Simin Gul and her neighbors are forced to buy water. The local piped water network supplies water only two days a week, and even then, only for a few hours at a time.

Families help one another and take turns collecting water in large containers, but even that is not enough for large families.

The wells around Simin Gul’s home have dried up one by one. Women suffer from back pain and other ailments from carrying heavy water containers from distant sources.

Fetching water is particularly difficult during menstruation. Women must fetch water even when they need rest. At times, children have to miss school to help their mothers carry water.

Water scarcity and poor water quality also cause hygiene and health problems for families.

“The tanker trucks have plastic tanks, and the trucks travel from street to street under the scorching sun. Our children have fallen ill from this water several times,” says Simin Gul.

Drought-damaged crops in Logar province, near Kabul, where water shortages have reduced harvests and caused fruit trees to wither. Credit: Learning Together.

Drought deepens water inequality: “The wealthy can dig deeper wells”

Water scarcity has also changed the daily life of 50-year-old Zarmina (name changed). She has lived and worked on her orchard for about 20 years. Her husband is also a farmer.

“This year, about 50 of my apple and apricot trees dried up. I’ve managed to keep the remaining hundred trees barely alive thanks to a spring. But both the yields and the fruit are smaller and of poorer quality.”

“Some farmers pay for irrigation, but we can’t afford it. My husband lost his tomato crop this year because tomatoes need a lot of water,” Zarmina laments.

Zarmina’s husband farms an area of ​​about 60 acres. This year, he planted only half of it because of the water shortage.

“The wealthy can have deep wells dug. The fields of the poor remain dry,” Zarmina notes.

However, according to her, the problem is not just a lack of water but also inadequate infrastructure.

“Some areas have a piped water system. We should have one too, and the government ought to repair the irrigation canals as well. The problem is that Afghanistan has water, but it isn’t distributed efficiently,” she continues.

Zarmina is sometimes forced to buy drinking water, as her own well has very little water, and what remains is salty. Unless the authorities do something about the water shortage, the result will be a disaster, Zarmina believes.

Drought affects every aspect of her life. She struggles daily to secure enough water for her family’s needs. As an orchardist, she watches helplessly as the trees she has tended for years slowly wither and die while still standing. Together with her husband, she mourns the loss of productivity in their fields, where crop yields have dwindled because of the drought.

For Zarmina, water scarcity means more than just the drying up of springs; it means jeopardizing an entire livelihood and way of life, as well as constant worry about her children’s access to water.

As drought worsens, life in Kabul revolves around water

Water scarcity affects the capital, Kabul, too, even just a stone’s throw from the former presidential palace.

Sixty-year-old Shazia (name changed) lives in western Kabul. A large part of her week is spent securing water for her family of five.

To meet their daily needs, families either buy water or wait for the local communal tap to start running. Water used to flow every few days, but now the wait can be much longer.

When the water finally arrives, large containers and buckets are filled, and as much as possible is stored.

“Our lives revolve around water. We buy different types of water for different needs: bottled water for tea, filtered water for cooking, and tap water for washing and the toilet,” Shazia says.

Sheila lives on one of the hills in western Kabul. Together with her young daughter, she tries to find enough drinking water for her six children.

In Sheila’s neighborhood, some homes are connected to a private water supply system that delivers water every two days. Those who cannot afford it buy their water. Another option is to carry water uphill to their homes in heavy containers.

Before water flows properly from the taps of households connected to the private system, it must be allowed to run from the main street pipe for a few minutes. When nearby residents see the water flowing, they rush to the spot with their jerry cans.

“If we’re lucky, we manage to fill a few containers. Here, next to the presidential palace, we aren’t looking for a gushing water source anymore. A few drops for our children are enough for us,” Sheila laments.

“Aid organizations used to install water pipes, but no one comes to help anymore. We’ve been left here with empty jerry cans and thirsty children.”

Excerpt:

The author is an Afghanistan-based female journalist, trained with Finnish support before the Taliban take-over. Her identity is withheld for security reasons

A Ounet, une localité de la commune de Banikoara, dans le département de l'Alibori, deux gérants de bars ont perdu la vie ce mercredi 30 septembre 2026.

Ounet dans le deuil et la consternation. Deux gérants de bars exerçant dans cette localité de la commune de Banikoara ont perdu la vie ce mercredi 30 septembre 2026.
Le premier, selon les déclarations du chef de l'arrondissement (CA) de Ounet, est un homme. Son corps a été retrouvé pendu dans le bar par ses serveuses très tôt le matin, alors que la veille, il avait fini de faire le point de la journée avant de les libérer. Les raisons l'ayant poussé à mettre fin à ses jours restent à déterminer.
Selon le CA, après examen et les constations, rien de suspect n'a été découvert sur les lieux de la découverte macabre. Le gérant retrouvé mort serait originaire de Dassari, dans la commune de Matéri. Quelques instants après cette première découverte macabre, le CA dit avoir été alerté par la mort d'une autre gérante de bar. Originaire de Kobly, dans l'Atacora, elle serait morte des suites d'une courte maladie.
Après l'autopsie réalisée par le médecin légiste et sur instruction du Procureur de la République, les corps ont été remis à l'association des ressortissants de l'Atacora. Une enquête aurait été ouverte pour faire la lumière sur les circonstances exactes de la mort de ces deux gérants.

F. A. A.

La Loterie Nationale du Bénin vous donne les résultats du TIERCE / QUARTE/ QUINTE+ DU MERCREDI 30 SEPTEMBRE 2026

Arrivée de la course : 05-09-07-14-15
Tous Partants

TIERCE
Gain dans l'Ordre : 23.200 FCFA (16)
Gain dans le Désordre : 1.700 FCFA (210)

QUARTE
Gain dans l'Ordre : 289.900 FCFA (01)
Gain dans le Désordre : 3.900 FCFA (73)

QUINTE+
Gain dans l'Ordre : 431.550 FCFA (01)
Gain dans le Désordre : 8.100 FCFA (53)
Bonus : 900 FCFA (301)

PARI SIMPLE / PARI COUPLE
05 Gagnant : 4.000 FCFA (01)
05 Placé : NEANT (00)
09 Placé : NEANT (00)
07 Placé : 1.000 FCFA (01)
05-09 Gagnant : 13.500 FCFA (02)
05-09 Placé : 4.750 FCFA (10)
05-07 Placé : 500 FCFA (64)
09-07 Placé : 2.500 FCFA (19)

MASSE PARTAGÉE : 2.593.550 FCFA

MONTANT DU JACKPOT DU VENDREDI 02 OCTOBRE 2026 : 6.292.042 FCFA

MONTANT DE LA TIRELIRE DU MARDI 27 OCTOBRE 2026 : NEANT

CAGNOTTE « 4+1 » ORDRE DU SAMEDI 03 OCTOBRE 2026 : 1.166.502 FCFA

https://www.facebook.com/100069272119664/posts/1404248011894256/

DIGITAL 20H : Avez-vous tenté votre chance ?

Le tirage DIGITAL 20H N°224 a livré son verdict !
Mercredi 30 Septembre 2026

Avez-vous joué ?

Avez-vous misé sur vos numéros porte-bonheur ?

RÉSULTAT : 38 • 87 • 34 • 29 • 46

Félicitations aux heureux gagnants !

Pas encore cette fois ? Gardez le sourire.

Rendez-vous à 00H pour le prochain tirage.

Jouez dans les points de vente ou : Tapez *590# ou rendez-vous sur lnbloto.bj

Jouez avec modération et responsabilité. Le jeu doit rester un plaisir.

A TOI DE JOUER #XòGbɔnAlɔkpaVo

#LNBSA #JeuResponsable #LaChanceAvecModération

DIGITAL 08H : Avez-vous tenté votre chance ?

Le tirage DIGITAL 08H N°208 a livré son verdict !

Vendredi 25 Septembre 2026

Avez-vous joué ?

Avez-vous misé sur vos numéros porte-bonheur ?

RÉSULTAT : 17 • 67 • 04 • 32 • 33

Félicitations aux heureux gagnants !

Pas encore cette fois ? Gardez le sourire.

Rendez-vous à 11H pour le prochain tirage.

Jouez dans les points de vente ou : Tapez *590# ou rendez-vous sur lnbloto.bj

Jouez avec modération et responsabilité. Le jeu doit rester un plaisir.

LA CROIX DU JOUR

La Caisse des Dépôts et de Consignation du Bénin (CDC Bénin) a consacré l'édition 2026 de son rendez-vous « Media on Spot » au renforcement des capacités des professionnels des médias sur le traitement de l'information économique et financière. Une rencontre qui a privilégié la formation et l'échange plutôt que la traditionnelle présentation des résultats de l'institution.

Réunis jeudi 24 septembre 2026 dans la salle de Conseil de la CDC Bénin, des journalistes ont participé à une session de formation de près de deux heures, intitulée « Derrière les chiffres ».

Animée par Fiacre Kakpo, rédacteur en chef du média Ecofin et analyste, la masterclass s'est appuyée sur des cas pratiques autour de la lecture et du traitement de l'information économique et financière.

A l'ouverture de la rencontre, la directrice générale de la CDC Bénin, Maryse Lokossou, a expliqué le choix de ce format. « L'enjeu entre une institution comme la nôtre et les médias que vous êtes n'est pas seulement de communiquer davantage », a-t-elle déclaré. L'information transmise doit surtout être « comprise », « questionnée », « mise en perspective » et « restituée avec justesse ».

Donner du sens aux chiffres

La DG a rappelé la nécessité de contextualiser les données financières. « Un chiffre, même s'il est exact, peut raconter une histoire différente selon ce qu'il mesure, selon la période à laquelle il se rapporte ou la manière dont il est présenté », a ajouté Maryse Lokossou.

Les données de la CDC Bénin notamment le rapport annuel gouvernance et RSE 2025 de l'institution ont servi de matière aux exercices proposés aux participants.

L'objectif, selon la directrice de la CDC Bénin, n'était pas de dicter aux journalistes ce qu'ils doivent écrire sur l'institution. Il s'agissait plutôt de créer les conditions d'un échange sur « la manière de lire, de comprendre, de vérifier et de restituer une information financière ».

En clôturant la séance, Maryse Lokossou a invité les journalistes à aller au-delà des montants et des indicateurs. « Derrière les chiffres il y a des vies, derrière les chiffres il y a des familles, derrière les chiffres il y a des jeunes qui bénéficient des investissements que la Caisse de dépôt fait », a-t-elle souligné. L'enjeu est notamment de permettre au public de mieux comprendre ce que la CDC Bénin fait des ressources qu'elle mobilise.

La directrice générale de la CDC Bénin a également invité les professionnels des médias à solliciter l'institution lorsqu'ils ont besoin de précisions sur les données publiées. Maryse Lokossou a assuré de la disponibilité de ses équipes pour apporter des éclairages complémentaires aux journalistes.

La DG a appelé à une relation fondée sur le questionnement et la contradiction. « Mon besoin ou mon objectif n'est pas du tout de vous censurer, bien au contraire », a-t-elle affirmé, estimant que les journalistes peuvent aussi contribuer à interroger et à faire évoluer le regard porté par l'institution sur ses propres actions.

M. M.

Le Bénin a présidé une session ministérielle du Conseil de paix et de sécurité (CPS) de l'Union africaine (UA), consacrée au bon voisinage et aux réponses régionales face aux défis sécuritaires et terroristes en Afrique. La rencontre s'est tenue en marge des travaux de la 81e session de l'Assemblée générale des Nations Unies.

Présidée par Corinne Amori Brunet, ministre béninoise des Affaires étrangères, la session s'est déroulée en présence de Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, président de la Commission de l'Union africaine. Elle a porté sur les enjeux liés à la coopération entre les États africains face aux menaces sécuritaires transfrontalières.
Les échanges ont notamment mis en avant l'importance du bon voisinage et de la coordination des réponses régionales pour faire face aux défis sécuritaires et à la menace terroriste sur le continent.

Aux côtés de plusieurs autres Premières dames lors de la 81e session de l'Assemblée générale des Nations Unies, la Première dame du Bénin, Nathalie Wadagni, a porté un message centré sur la résilience, la solidarité et la cohésion sociale. S'appuyant sur le symbole de la ‘'Jarre trouée'' du roi Ghézo, elle a exposé la capacité des Béninois à se « tenir ensemble » comme une réponse collective aux vulnérabilités et aux crises auxquelles la société est confrontée.

Nathalie Wadagni vante le symbole de la ‘'Jarre trouée'' du roi Ghézo comme un modèle de solidarité et de résilience. C'était à l'occasion ‘une session qui a réuni les Premières dames lors de la 81e session de l'Assemblée générale des Nations Unies. Pour préparer son intervention, la Première dame du Bénin a expliqué avoir échangé avec des jeunes, des acteurs de la société civile, des élus ainsi que des femmes et des hommes engagés dans l'action sociale. Ces rencontres l'ont conduite à placer « l'attention portée à l'autre » au cœur de la conception béninoise de la résilience.
Pour le Bénin, a-t-elle souligné, « le mot au cœur de la résilience est la cohésion ». Une cohésion qui ne se limite pas à l'harmonie sociale, mais qui constitue, selon elle, une véritable force d'action face aux difficultés.

La jarre trouée, symbole de la solidarité
Pour illustrer cette conception, la Première dame du Bénin s'est appuyée sur la ‘'jarre trouée'', symbole d'union associé au roi Ghézo. Selon cette conception, une jarre comportant de nombreux trous peut continuer à contenir de l'eau lorsque plusieurs personnes unissent leurs mains pour boucher les ouvertures.
Cette métaphore résume, selon la Première dame, une réalité essentielle : « ce qui est fragile seul peut devenir fort ensemble ». La jarre représente ainsi l'avenir commun, tandis que les trous symbolisent les vulnérabilités et les chocs auxquels les sociétés sont exposées. Les mains représentent, elles, la solidarité nécessaire pour préserver l'eau, associée à la vie, à la dignité et à l'espoir.
À travers cette conception, Nathalie Wadagni a voulu élargir la notion de résilience. Celle-ci ne devrait pas être considérée uniquement comme la capacité d'un individu à surmonter une épreuve, mais comme une « dynamique collective » fondée sur le soutien mutuel.

Une réponse collective aux vulnérabilités
Dans son intervention, la Première dame a notamment évoqué les femmes, les agricultrices, les entrepreneures, les leaders communautaires ainsi que les personnes handicapées. La cohésion, a-t-elle expliqué, permet aux communautés de mieux accompagner les personnes confrontées aux difficultés et de faire face à des situations telles que la pauvreté, les chocs climatiques, l'insécurité et l'incertitude.
Cette approche repose sur un principe : la vulnérabilité d'une personne ne peut être considérée comme une réalité isolée. Elle concerne l'ensemble de la communauté et appelle, par conséquent, une réponse collective.
« La cohésion nous demande à chacun de reconnaître que la vulnérabilité d'autrui nous affecte tous et que chacun de nous a une main à offrir », a-t-elle déclaré.
À travers cette vision, le Bénin entend ainsi apporter sa propre contribution au débat international sur la résilience. Une contribution qui met l'accent sur la solidarité et la responsabilité partagée plutôt que sur la seule capacité individuelle à surmonter l'adversité.
Par son intervention, Nathalie Wadagni a appelé à la construction de sociétés dans lesquelles la résilience ne serait pas « le fardeau de l'individu », mais « la responsabilité partagée de tous ». Elle a plaidé pour des communautés où « chaque main compte », afin de transformer les épreuves collectives en opportunités de bâtir un avenir plus juste, plus pacifique et porteur d'espoir.

DIGITAL 00H : Avez-vous tenté votre chance ?

Le tirage DIGITAL 00H N°207 a livré son verdict !

Vendredi 25 Septembre 2026

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Une enquête ouverte le lundi 21 septembre 2026 par le commissariat d'arrondissement de Pahou a conduit à l'interpellation de cinq suspects dans une affaire de vol et de recel de ferraille.

Un mécanicien a déposé une plainte à la suite du vol de ses armatures métallques destinées à un chantier.

Quelques jours plus tard, l'artisan reconnaît l'un des objets volés entre les mains d'un individu, qu'il fait appréhender et conduire au commissariat de Pahou.

Les enquêtes de la Police permettent ensuite aux policiers de remonter jusqu'à un acheteur présumé de ferraille volée.

Une perquisition effectuée dans son entrepôt met au jour divers objets métalliques, notamment des compteurs électriques, des portes métalliques, des batteries de cuisine, du cuivre calciné, des rails, des tôles et des motocycles désossés.

Trois autres suspects, présentés comme des acheteurs, sont interpellés au cours de l'opération.

Au total, cinq personnes sont placées en garde à vue.

M. M.

Wenn bei dir der Salat im Kühlschrank schon nach zwei Tagen welkt oder die Erdbeeren in sich zusammensacken, hast du möglicherweise noch nie den kleinen Schieber auf dem Obst- und Gemüsefach verwendet. Dieser wird leicht übersehen, hat aber eine nützliche Funktion.

US-Aussenminister Marco Rubio (54) bestätigte bei der Uno-Vollversammlung in New York, dass der russische Machthaber Wladimir Putin (73) zum G-20-Gipfel eingeladen wurde. Dieser findet im Dezember in Miami statt.

Patrick Vieira and Herve Renard are among the high-profile managerial arrivals as the qualification campaign for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations gets under way.

Der Ständerat hat entschieden, dass die UBS ihre ausländischen Tochtergesellschaften mit 90 Prozent hartem Eigenkapital unterlegen muss. Die Bank fürchtet um ihre Wettbewerbsfähigkeit. In unserer Community sorgt die Sicherheit der Schweizer Bank für Gesprächsstoff.

Wieso will der Einbrecher denn nicht mit ihm spielen? Wachhund Nash aus San Diego versteht die Welt nicht mehr, als ein Einbrecher nicht mit ihm spielen will. Nashs Besitzer Dante Rowley kann den kuriosen Einbruch mitverfolgen und etwas dagegen unternehmen.

Nach seinem erneuten Zusammenbruch bei einem Testspiel im Sommer ist Christian Eriksen noch nicht auf den Fussballplatz zurückgekehrt. Nun wird sein Vertrag bei Wolfsburg einvernehmlich aufgelöst.

South Africa's most successful Olympian Tatjana Smith explains why she has reversed her decision to retire from competitive swimming.

The former Liverpool footballer's Rolls-Royce was clocked speeding in Wilmslow in March.