Beijing calls for cooling of Ukraine crisis
[This
article posted on 8/9/2024 is translated from the German on the
Internet,
http://german.china.org.cn/txt/2024-08/09/content_117359125.htm.]
China
is intensifying its efforts in the Ukraine crisis: Li Hui, special
envoy of the Chinese government, is working for de-escalation and a
political solution. In his fourth round of shuttle diplomacy, he
emphasizes the urgency of a ceasefire and calls for international
cooperation.
In
its latest shuttle diplomacy on the Ukraine crisis, China has
emphasized the urgent need to defuse the situation and create the
conditions for a ceasefire in order to achieve a political solution, as
there is a risk of the conflict spreading and escalating further.
Li
Hui, the Chinese government's special representative for Eurasian
affairs, has just completed his fourth round of shuttle diplomacy, which
took him to Brazil, South Africa and Indonesia. During his visit, Li
discussed the crisis with senior officials. He also gave interviews to
local media, in which he expressed China's determination to work with
countries in the Global South to cool the crisis.
"I
believe that the more people call for joint action on the Ukraine
crisis, the greater the hope for de-escalation of the situation and the
closer we are to resuming dialogue and restoring peace," Li said in the
interviews.
No
country can remain unaffected by the biggest geopolitical conflict with
global implications since the end of the Cold War, he said, adding that
developing countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America were bearing the
brunt of the crisis through severe impacts on their food and energy
security.
He
reaffirmed China's unwavering and consistent efforts to facilitate
peace talks in the Ukraine crisis and called on the international
community to create conditions for a solution to the problem. In May,
China and Brazil jointly issued a six-point consensus on the political
solution to the Ukraine crisis, which was positively received by more
than 110 countries.
Li
said that China and Brazil would work to have the six-point consensus
published as an official document by the UN Secretary-General, António
Guterres, at the UN General Assembly and encourage other members of the
international community to support it.
In
interviews, Li also criticized the United States, which accuses China
of providing military support to Russia and uses this pretext to
sanction certain Chinese companies. Li pointed out that trade between
Russia and the United States and European countries reached more than
$130 billion last year, accounting for nearly 20 percent of Russia's
total foreign trade.
Psychotherapist on the consequences of the flood disaster: "Many are exhausted and depressed"
Christian Falkenstein from Dernau in an interview
[This
interview posted on 8/5/2024 is translated from the German on the
Internet,
https://www.swr.de/swraktuell/rheinland-pfalz/koblenz/ahr-flut-seelische-spaetfolgen-interview-falkenstein-psychologe-100.html.]
Three
years after the flood on the Ahr, many of those affected are still
struggling with the psychological consequences. But the problems are
changing, says psychotherapist Christian Falkenstein in an interview
with SWR.
The
flood disaster has left its mark on the people of the Ahr valley. The
need for psychological support is still great, and demand is even
increasing, says Falkenstein. The psychologist and psychotherapist has a
practice in Dernau in the middle of the flood area and mainly treats
people affected by the flood disaster.
SWR Aktuell: How have the problems of the people who come to you changed in recent years?
Christian
Falkenstein: The problems have changed: two years ago, we mainly had
post-traumatic stress disorders, now we have people who are simply
depressed and have lost control over many things, who are simply
completely exhausted. A term from psychology fits well here:
neurasthenia, where the simplest tasks lead to complete exhaustion. And
that is related to the long-term projects and tasks of reconstruction.
Even the healthiest system, even the healthiest person, will eventually
break down when their strength is used up. And the strength of many
people in the Ahr valley has now been used up.
Three years after the flood: slow reconstruction in the Ahr valley is a burden for those affected by the floods
The
state government has given the ISB the task of handling this in an
unbureaucratic way. The ISB is not fulfilling this task. This leads to
frustration.
Christian Falkenstein, psychotherapist from Dernau
SWR Aktuell: What exactly is causing the affected people so much trouble?
Falkenstein: People can no longer control what is happening, no matter what they do. One
example that is often cited is dealing with insurance companies or the
ISB (Investitions- und Strukturbank RLP). No matter what they do, they
don't get anywhere. The situation is exacerbated because you can't even
complain to the authorities responsible for financing the reconstruction
without fearing negative consequences. This often leads to depression
and can even cause physical illness.
SWR Aktuell: So bureaucracy is also causing psychological problems?
Falkenstein:
The problem is that the ISB seems to be overwhelmed by its task. People
have no personal contact persons and often experience a slow and poor
handling of their requests. When we talk about the ISB, the state
government has given the ISB the task of handling this in an
unbureaucratic way. The ISB is not fulfilling this task. This leads to
frustration.
Most of the patients who come now are exhausted and depressed.
Christian Falkenstein, psychotherapist from Dernau
SWR Aktuell: How can you help those affected now, three years after the disaster?
Falkenstein:
Most of the patients who come now are exhausted and depressed. This
requires a different treatment than for trauma. It's
a lot about listening and creating a sense of community, for example in
group therapy. Here, those affected can see that they are not alone.
And that helps to normalize their situation. It's about stabilizing,
explaining how depression develops, often giving hope where there is
none, and learning how to deal with the uncontrollable. It
is also important to recognize that you can take breaks in the here and
now, even if there are still many tasks to be done. Here and now, I can
allow myself to take a break for a moment. It's okay the way I am.
Mood in the Ahr Valley and the Trier region SWR survey: How people are doing three years after the flood disaster
SWR
Aktuell: A recent representative SWR survey showed that many of those
affected in the Ahr valley feel that the community has grown
significantly since the flood disaster. How can this be explained
psychologically?
Falkenstein: Community has grown in the affected
towns and villages, often because state systems have failed. And that's
not a criticism, there are simply limited possibilities for
intervention. I
can't expect the state to rebuild my house. I have to do that myself.
Where the authorities and the state reach their limits, solidarity
arises because people are dependent on partnership and support.
Unfortunately, however, there are also distribution struggles in the Ahr
valley where resources are scarce, for example, when it comes to the
question of who has received how much support. There are also tensions
between people, for example, about why someone has rebuilt faster or
received more support. Such tensions are normal and occur wherever resources are scarce.
Many people manage on their own at first, but often realize too late that they need help.
Christian Falkenstein, psychotherapist from Dernau
SWR
Aktuell: The survey also found that only about ten percent of those
severely affected by the floods have sought psychotherapeutic help. Many
say they don't need it. Can you understand that?
Falkenstein:
Yes! The figure of ten percent is reliable, as it corresponds to the
frequency with which people develop post-traumatic stress disorder in
other traumatic contexts. Many people manage without psychotherapeutic
help. This is related to the resilience of individuals, their
experience, but also to how they are supported. However, the demand for
therapy increases the further back in time the events lie. We are now seeing more and more long-term effects.
Lessons in containers Schools in the Ahr valley: everyday life three years after the flood disaster
Many patients report that they have been drinking far too much since the flood.
Christian Falkenstein, psychotherapist from Dernau
SWR Aktuell: Do these people not need help or do they not dare to seek it?
Falkenstein:
Both. The threshold for seeking help from a psychotherapist is still
high. But many people manage on their own at first, but often realize
too late that they need help. The demand for therapy remains high, and
is even increasing. The long-term effects are now emerging, and in the
coming years more and more young people who experienced the trauma as
children will seek help. This issue will continue to occupy us for a
long time. Many
people initially try to help themselves. Unfortunately, this also
includes an increase in alcohol consumption. People have always drunk in
the Ahr region, but now it is much more prevalent. Many patients report
that they have been drinking far too much since the floods. As long as
it does not become chronic, it is easy to get a grip on it. But without
professional help, there is a risk of addiction, and nobody wants that.
2,097
pages of final report Ignorance and government failure - harsh words
from the opposition in the report of the flood committee
SWR Aktuell: Do those affected feel that someone is not taking responsibility?
Falkenstein:
It is understandable that people are looking for someone to blame. But
the flood was a natural event for which we are all partly responsible
due to the way we treat nature. It
is difficult to find a single person responsible for such a major
disaster. Often, the responsibility extends over years and decades.
Flood protection, for example, could have been implemented as early as
the early 20th century. But other priorities were set. People are
looking for someone to blame, but we all share the responsibility for
what happened here, and we will continue to do so.
Aufgedeckte Dokumente aus dem Robert-Koch-Institut enthüllen ein eigenartiges Wissenschaftsverständnis des Gesundheitsministers. Diesmal geht es um ganz spezielle Neuigkeiten Karl Lauterbachs zu Long Covid. […]
Professor Christoph Kleinschnitz, Chef der Neurologie an der Uniklinik Essen, erkennt darin eine „klare Taktik der Angst. Zuerst hieß es, wir impfen uns aus der Pandemie, danach trat der persönliche Schutz in den Vordergrund. Als das mit Omikron nicht mehr zog, hieß es, die Impfung kann Long Covid verhindern.“ Ein falsches Versprechen, so Kleinschnitz, der zu Long Covid geforscht und Hunderte Patienten behandelt hat. „Bis heute beziehen sich fast alle Studien auf die anfangs kursierenden Viren, den Wildtyp, Alpha und Delta. Die machten häufiger schwere Verläufe. Mit Omikron war das praktisch vorbei“, sagt Kleinschnitz. Sein Fazit zu Lauterbach: „Die Warnung vor Long Covid durch Omikron mit der Impfung zu verknüpfen war hanebüchen.“
Quelle: Welt Online
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