World
About 30,000 troops pledged for UN peacekeeping operations
United Nations: US President Barack Obama’s appeal to world leaders has brought in pledges of about 30,000 troops from 50 countries for UN peacekeeping operations, with India promising 850 troops in addition to the 6,716 already serving.
With UN peacekeeping operations expanded both in the number of assignment and in the type of mandates, Obama convened a summit of world leaders at the UN to get more support for the beleaguered programme.
“We’ve seen new challenges — more armed conflicts, more instability driven by terrorism and violent extremism, and more refugees,” he said.
The biggest pledge came from China. President Xi Jinping promised to provide 8,000 rapid deployment forces to troubled spots. Currently China has only 2,882 troops serving with the UN.
Another big pledge was from Colombia, which said it would send 5,000 troops.
“Our common security” demands that the peacekeeping operations be strengthened because “too few nations bear a disproportionate burden of providing troops, which is unsustainable,” Obama said.
Most of the UN troops now come from developing nations, with Bangladesh as the top contributor sending a total of 9,432 personnel and Ethiopia next with 8,309.
The members of the Security Council, who order the operations and set the tasks for the mission, send few personnel to the UN operations. The US sends only 82 personnel; Russia 79; France 909; Britain 289 and China 3,079.
Other developed countries also send few troops placing the burden of providing the current force level of 106,245 on the developing countries. Even with the new pledges, that situation is unlikely to change.
National
Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok
Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.