A ‘Frankenstein Monster’
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said during his address at an annual gathering of global elites on January 22 that the world’s addiction to fossil fuels has become an all-consuming “Frankenstein monster” imperiling hopes of a livable future.

“All around us, we see clear signs that the monster has become master. We just endured the hottest year and the hottest decade in history”, Guterres said to the audience gathered at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

“A number of financial institutions and industries are backtracking on climate commitments”, Guterres continued. “Here at Davos, I want to say loudly and clearly: It is short-sighted. And paradoxically, it is selfish and also self-defeating. You are on the wrong side of history. You are on the wrong side of science. And you are on the wrong side of consumers who are looking for more sustainability, not less. This warning certainly also applies to the fossil fuel industry and advertising, lobbying, and PR companies who are aiding, abetting, and green-washing”.

“Global heating is racing forward–we cannot afford to move backward”, he added.

Guterres’ remarks came as President Donald Trump, a fervent ally of the fossil fuel industry, took office in the US–the largest historical emitter–and moved immediately to expand oil and gas production, which was already at record levels.

The US is among a number of rich nations working to build out fossil fuel infrastructure and ramp up production in the face of runaway warming and worsening climate destruction across the globe.

“It is more than obvious that the super-rich must pay their fair share”, Clara Thompson, a Greenpeace spokesperson in Davos, said earlier this week. “Especially when they are among the largest contributors to the climate crisis”.

“It shouldn’t be the people, already struggling to make ends meet, who have to foot the bill and suffer the consequences of worsening climate impacts”, “The scarcity narrative is simply not true–there is enough money to fund a just and green future for all but it is just in the wrong pockets.
Jake Johnson,
Common Dreams

Justice for All Workers
The All-India Shramik Samman Yatra is an effort to reach out to over 90% of informal workers across India to advocate with national and state governments for their right to a safe and dignified life. The initiative is led by the Workers People Coalition, a network of diverse organizations across 14 states in India focused on mobilizing legal and mediation support and making policy suggestions to improve the quality of life of informal workers.

The Yatra will pass through 12 states, mobilising workers from different sectors such as street vendors, construction workers, domestic helpers, gig and platform workers, agricultural and MGNREGA labourers, fisher folk, sex and bar workers, head loaders, waste pickers, rickshaw pullers, transport workers among others, and their organizations to unite, demand, and present proposals to governments at both state and national levels. It will culminate in Delhi, where the demands and actionable proposals and solutions will be presented to national leaders to secure justice, security, and dignity for all workers.

The Shramik Samman Yatra aims to engage directly with informal workers and their organisations to understand their struggles and aspirations through active dialogue, propagating just policies with the government, and uniting trade unions, policymakers, civil society, and businesses to plan comprehensive solutions for issues affecting informal workers.

The Shramik Samman Yatra is divided into two routes and will mobilize workers, spread awareness, and culminate in Delhi with the presentation of demands to national leaders.

The All-India Shramik Samman Yatra invites unions, civil society organizations, the media, and the public to participate in this transformative journey of change.
Workers People Coalition
[For more information, to support,
Or to join the Yatra
Phone Numbers: 9654080151, 7838114101
info@workingpeoplescoalition.org.in]

Trump Returns
Donald Trump’s inaugural speech on January 20 was nothing less than spine-chilling. Or should one say blood curdling?

He promised to send “millions and millions” back to their countries–this day onwards.

He flagged January 20th 2025 as the Day of Liberation for America.

He renamed Gulf of Mexico as Gulf of America. He promised to take back Panama Canal. (No, in an act of small mercy, he refrained from mentioning Greenland and Canada.)

He emblazoned his motto as “drill, drill and drill!” He is pretty brazen as regards his intentions to devastate earth’s ecology and make the planet utterly unlivable for the human species, and so many others. Of course, he doesn’t acknowledge that inevitable prospect.

All social policies meant to help the weak would right now be deposited in the trash bin. Only two genders: men and women.

In the realm of foreign relations: America First (America Second and America Last)! Not a word as regards friends and allies.

Evidently, a veritable nightmare awaits us.
Socialist Party (India)

Last Christmas in Gaza?
As Israel’s genocide in Gaza rolls on, the territory’s tiny Christian community is threatened as never before. Though small, they have become symbols of resilience because most have chosen to stay in their historic churches, the Greek Orthodox Saint Porphyrius Church and the Latin Catholic Holy Family Church, in the north, despite Israel’s campaign of extermination there. Israel’s genocidal violence has not spared other Christian institutions. Schools, cultural centres and health facilities–including al-Ahli (Orthodox) hospital, the YMCA, the Orthodox Cultural Center and the Rosary Sisters School–have all been reduced to rubble. Saint Porphyrius Church, one of the oldest in the world, was bombed on 19 October. Eighteen people were killed in the attack, mostly women and children. Among the victims was almost the entire family of Ramez al-Souri, including his three children, A whole family erased from existence. What kind of world allows this to happen? Yet despite their suffering, Gaza’s Christians refuse to lose hope. They continue to gather for prayers, light small candles in their makeshift shelters and cling to fragments of their traditions.
Fedaa al-Qedra,
The Electronic Intifada,
7 January 2025

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Frontier
Vol 57, No. 33, Feb 9 - 15, 2025