Tuesday 5th November 2024

The World Needs a Treaty on Crimes Against Humanity Now - Foreign Policy (No paywall)

From China’s mass internment of Uyghurs in Xinjiang, to Syria’s torture and extermination of thousands of detainees, to Russia’s forcible transfer of civilians from occupied areas of Ukraine, no region of our planet is free from crimes against humanity. Nor are the perpetrators limited to state actors. Between 2014 and 2017, the militant group calling itself Islamic State committed unthinkable crimes against the Yazidis and many other communities in Iraq and beyond, including mass killing, abductions, enslavement, torture, and rape.

In the last 12 months in particular, we have witnessed the most horrific crimes in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories, with potential crimes against humanity by both sides being investigated by the International Criminal Court (ICC), yet nothing seems capable of putting an end to the carnage in Gaza and the decades-long cycle of impunity.

Continued here

The Rise of the Climate Anti-Hero - Intelligencer (No paywall)

Soup on a van Gogh may be more strategic than it seems.

Continued here

How the War in Ukraine Could Go Nuclear—by Accident - Foreign Affairs (No paywall)

A nuclear state’s greatest responsibility is to keep its warheads secure. Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, it has put approximately 30 percent of its estimated 5,580 warheads in an untenably precarious position. Early in the war, concerns that the invasion increased the danger of a nuclear detonation or accidental explosion focused on the risk to Ukraine’s four nuclear power plants and Russia’s threats to intentionally escalate the conflict past the nuclear threshold. But the more Ukraine seeks to hit targets inside Russia, the clearer it becomes that Russia’s unwillingness to adequately secure the nuclear arsenals it has stored in its west—which are now within striking distance of Ukrainian missiles and drones and even Ukrainian troops—poses a dire risk.

Every week, Russia is launching up to 800 guided aerial bombs and over 500 attack drones at Ukrainian cities and energy plants. In response, Ukraine has begun launching up to hundreds of drones daily at carefully selected Russian targets.Ukraine has every right to defend itself in this manner, and there is no indication that Ukrainian forces would intentionally target nuclear warhead storage sites. Because Ukrainian drone assaults have already reached as far as Moscow, however, it is clear that at least 14 Russian nuclear storage sites now fall within range of its drones. At least two of those sites are less than 100 miles from the Ukraine border, well within striking range of the more damaging missiles Ukraine already possesses, and another five sites lie less than 200 miles from the border, close to or just beyond the range of the advanced Western-provided missiles that Ukraine is seeking permission to use against conventional targets in Russia.

Continued here

Ryan Holiday on the art of perception and self-reflection

Ryan Holiday, the New York Times bestselling author of Stillness Is the Key and modern Stoic philosopher, has carved a unique path in the overpopulated realm of self-improvement by utilizing ancient wisdom. It may seem like an odd career combination, but his journey from marketing executive to philosophical guide offers insights into the power of perception, the pitfalls of ego, and the importance of focusing on action rather than identity.

“I’ve always hated the question, ‘What do you do?'” Holiday admits. This aversion stems from his own career transitions and a deeper philosophy about the danger of overly identifying with our professional roles. He describes moving from the advertising world, where he felt out of place among older executives in suits and ties, to becoming an author and eventually opening a bookstore.

Continued here

5 proven CEO strategies for riding any wave of innovation

Nothing is ever one-dimensional. And leaders in the current business landscape would do well to remember, innovation is both a challenge and an opportunity. Moore’s law claiming that computers, and computing power in general, is advancing at double the pace every two years is looking decidedly slow from where we’re standing now. Two years ago can seem akin to the dinosaur era as rapid technological advancements transform industries at a pace unseen before. 

As this unprecedented pace continues to pick up speed (and though much maligned as an overused adjective these days, “unprecedented” is the only descriptor we can use with any accuracy when speaking of technology in 2024), business leaders find themselves caught between a rock and a hard place.

Continued here

5 beloved fantasy novels based on real history

A surprisingly effective way of understanding our world is to look at it through the lens of fiction. Many of the greatest adventures of the page and screen take place in imaginary worlds that bear a striking resemblance to our own. That’s because their authors used actual history to lay the bedrock upon which they built their tales.

We’ll look at five fantasy stories that turned real-world history into fantastic stories. Some spoilers ahead.

Continued here

How to Talk to Your Team the Day After the Election

The day and week (and weeks) following the U.S. election are going to be trying for all of us. While some of your colleagues may feel relieved or happy about the results, others might be feeling angry or anxious. What do you say, if anything, to your team about it? You might wish to avoid the topic, but recognizing the emotional atmosphere within your team and the broader mood of the country is important. In this article, three experts offer advice for what to actually say to your team after Election Day — even if the results are unknown. 

Continued here

5 Strategies to Help You Manage Resentment for a Colleague

Many leaders today are stretched beyond capacity, and in that state, feelings of resentment can readily emerge and take hold. Whether you’re already feeling resentful or just starting to feel the tinges of this emotion, try these five strategies to safeguard your and your team’s well-being and performance: pinpoint the source, step outside yourself, focus on solutions, communicate constructively, and let go. Putting in the work to process and resolve resentments can take strength and tenacity and feel uncomfortable. However, doing so delivers great benefits — to you, your team, and the organization as a whole.

Continued here

How Do I Deal with Low Performers on My Team?

He leads a large team that has grown quickly. Now he’s struggling with senior members on the team whose work isn’t meeting his expectations. He’s not sure how to hold them more accountable and drive higher performance. Host Muriel Wilkins helps him evaluate his options and understand the different ways he can enforce boundaries to move his team forward.

Continued here

What to Know About Using "Employers of Record" to Hire Globally

Many companies would like to tap the talent pools abroad but hesitate because of the challenges inherent in the legal, HR, and accounting logistics of hiring and administering employees in other countries. This is especially the case when a firm needs only a handful of people in a given country. But there is a solution: entities known as employers of record (EORs). They manage the legal and operational complexities of employing people in other countries by serving as the legal employers of an enterprise’s distributed workforce. This article describes the benefits of using an EOR and offers guidance for how to hire and work with one.

Continued here