Empty Summer

As we get closer to August, which is the annual holiday month, we realise this year everything is different. In our part of Europe, people are not travelling that much. They prefer to stay in the vicinity of their home region. They understand that the health crisis is picking up and they do not want to be caught in a messy situation far away from their residence. I live in an area of my city that attracts a lot of tourists. This time, there are no visitors. I do not have to worry about parking spaces. But I worry a lot when I see the shops, restaurants and so on empty and the hotels closed. That is the reality this summer.  

New disparities in a changing world

People were queuing this afternoon to get into the most expensive shops in a well-to-do area of Brussels. The other shops, normally patronised by the medium-income people had almost no customer. And then, there was this incredibly sad sight of closed restaurants and bars and a big hotel, a huge tower, completely empty. For me, it was a vivid example of how the crisis is seriously affecting some segments of society whilst others are just returning to their old habits, as if the past were back. But it is not.

May Day

Here and in many parts of the world, today we celebrate Labour Day. It´s a celebration about rights and therefore it should not be ignored. Every time there is an opportunity to talk about people´s rights we should do it. It´s a never ending struggle. And today we should also write about all those who have no job, no future, as well as about all the children that are at work instead of being at school. Massive unemployment and child labour are two important dimensions of the world´s poverty. They call for effective responses.