What does it take to build peace,lawfulness & inclusion through education? UNODC's #RiseUp4Peace offers a new framework of collective action. Check out this Impact Report of a transformative journey, with 6800 educators & 27000 students leading the way: t.ly/2oPjj

Connecting young people to digital networks serves no purpose if they remain disconnected from themselves, others, and their own interiority. We must help young people rediscover silence, reflection, the ability to ask questions, the depth of relationships, and openness to transcendence. To listen to the soul, we must lend an ear, because the soul's voice is not a shout, but a whisper.

Following an eye-opening arts-focused intervention, a very talented but extremely shy young student quietly walked over to me and handed me this note. Her teachers told me it was a big deal, as she tended to stick to herself and rarely mingled or opened up. Yet, over two weeks, she immersed herself in her work, participated with enthusiasm in discussions and shared thoughtful reflections on why the rule of law matters, and how empathy, kindness and respect for each other are slowly eroding from daily interactions. She also shared a range of very thoughtful ideas (some of which were integrated in subsequent efforts) as well as her deep insights on discrimination. This note I have kept as a daily reminder, on what making a difference actually looks like—measured not with the likes and follows that are generated, not with the scale or numbers reached, not with the millions spent in glitzy events, but with meaningful heartfelt conversations that go from ideas to action, with the time invested in opening minds and hearts, and with a young mind who finds a cause worth committing to. Her rare, thoughtful gesture still resonates deep within.

Life motto!

A very important development!

A really well-argued piece by Hamed Safwi in The Telegraph: “Students have ambition. They have access to school. They have textbooks. What they do not have is direction.” A key learning for me from the RiseUp4Peace initiative has been exactly this: Sustained engagement is more important today than ever, and can make a world of a difference if done right!  Read: telegraphindia.com/amp/opini…

One of the most overlooked signs of depression is a constant smile

Can AI make peace mediation more inclusive? @UNDPPA is pleased to invite you to a webinar on 14 April at 9:30 AM (EST), jointly organized with CMI and PRIO. Featuring insights from Afghanistan, Armenia and Sudan. 👉Register here: us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regi…

Great to join the vivacious Dr. Ashok Pandey, eminent educationalist and a ‘bright lamp’ for many, at the launch of his book, “Igniting a Billion Lamps” in Delhi today. It was a wonderful gathering of veteran educators, thought-leaders and dear friends! Dr. Pandey has spent his life donning many hats: from writing, speaking, mentoring and leading to shaping effective school practices and classroom interventions, with a focus on building core human values. Over the years, we have also had the fortune of working and learning together, embarking on several fascinating journeys (most recently with #RiseUp4Peace) and engaging in the deepest of conversations. Dr. Pandey’s insights, captured in this book, reflect his decades of experience as a school leader and innovator, and emphasises the deeper purpose of education. This alone, makes it a must-read for anyone interested in this space.

Agree with you @PathakSamarth Presently fighting a battle myself.. to drop the phone and read a book before going to bed. Challenging but not impossible.

In a world that’s turned upside down and inside out over the last few months, the constant consumption of anxiety/rage-inducing content and information overload is surely but silently affecting our stress levels, emotional temperature and physical and mental health. Whether it’s hours of doomscrolling reels and posts or podcast bingeing, whether it’s the innate urge to keep track of any and every news or react to new developments, or mindlessly watching and reading WhatsApp messages and social media, it all takes a toll. Some “switch off” during active conversations as their attention drifts, some “find more solace” in their online activity than in presence of real people, some complain of a “constant heaviness in the eyes and head, and a feeling of irritability and uncertainty,” and some are finding it “increasingly difficult” to concentrate on one thing, one person, one conversation, one task. For sanity’s sake, it’s critical to be mindful of this. As an experiment, took a voluntary break from social media for a few days to test whether it helps. Whenever there was an urge to use social media for personal purposes, I consciously reached out for a book, or immersed myself in creative activities, or listened to instrumental music, or walked in the sun or spoke to others. Real conversations with real people. It did help. I felt much better, lighter, content, happy and at peace. There were more ideas and thoughts buzzing in the mind, personal interactions felt more engaging and gratifying, and there’s a sense of peace. Strongly suggest such voluntary breaks from social media, in these turbulent times.

Discussions centred on: • Advancing the Trafficking in Persons & Smuggling of Migrants Ordinance towards parliamentary passage & effective implementation • Progressing towards ratification of the Smuggling of Migrants Protocol • Supporting ongoing police reform initiatives

Today in Dhaka, @UNODC_ROSA Regional Representative, Mr. Kristian Hölge, called on the Honourable Minister of Home Affairs of Bangladesh, Mr. Salahuddin Ahmed, reaffirming UNODC’s commitment to support national efforts to strengthen justice, security & the rule of law. 🇺🇳🇧🇩

🔴 LIVE   The #GlobalFraudSummit just kicked off.   Over the next two days, governments, law enforcement and the private sector are working together to better align policy, investigations and technological responses in the fight against fraud.   Tune in: bit.ly/GFS_16

What is happening at #CND69? Member States are discussing: ➡️Equipment diversion for drug manufacturing ➡️Enhancing supply chain integrity ➡️Alternative development ➡️Early warning & monitoring of new drugs ➡️Scientific responses to drug use Read: ow.ly/IZJJ50YrPy4

When was the last time you read something over 50 pages long? If it has been a while, a critical part of your brain may be getting ignored. Not just figuratively. INTRODUCING THE DMN Neuroscientists call it the Default Mode Network. It activates during deep reading, long narratives and sustained reflection. WHY THIS MATTERS The DMN is associated with empathy, imagination and the ability to think about consequences over time. It rarely switches on for a tweet. It does not fully engage for a reel. It needs length, patience and the slow build of a story that does not rush to pay you off. THE CONSEQUENCE When we stop engaging it regularly, the habits it supports begin to weaken. What are those habits? Nuance. Perspective taking. Delayed judgment. Ironically these are precisely the things no algorithm can replicate. Or for that matter, no AI. SO WHAT SHOULD WE DO? Stop reading this post. Okay, wait till the end! Pick up something at least 25 pages long and read it continuously. The topic does not matter. Find something that interests you. A few small tricks help: 1. Fix a daily reading hour. Even twenty minutes is enough. Treat it like an appointment. 2. Remove the phone from the room. Your attention cannot compete with an infinite scroll machine. 3. Read physical pages if you can. The brain treats paper differently from a screen. 4. Do not worry about finishing books. The goal is to rebuild the habit of sustained attention. If you follow these steps, soon something interesting may happen. The reading hour expands. You find yourself reading before the hour starts, or after it ends. And then one day you realise you are deep inside a 500 page book and looking forward to the next chapter. PS: Before I sound too high and mighty, I have had my own struggles. I had to work toward this habit and I am still learning. But this year I am on my seventh book. Two of them were over 600 pages long. Still a novice, but getting there. You do not build a deep mind in 280 characters. You build it one long page at a time.

@UNODC_MCP handed over 3⃣ #TruNarc Narcotics Analyzer devices to DNC🇧🇩. The ceremony was attended by H.E. Brent T. Christensen, Ambassador, 🇺🇸 Embassy Dhaka. The devices will enhance DNC capacity in: * 🔬 Lawful narcotics identification * 🛡️ Rapid detection * ⚖️ Stronger cases

Navigating these challenging times requires a strong moral compass and an equally robust sense of humour. It’s a superpower: the moral fibre and integrity to act with kindness, empathy and responsiblity, and the power to laugh at ourselves and make others laugh, no matter how daunting things get. What else have we?

I thank His Excellency Antonio Guterres, @antonioguterres the United Nations Secretary General for appointing me as the next Executive Director of United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the Director General of UN office in Vienna @UN_Vienna. I appreciate the Secretary General’s confidence in my ability to steer these two important offices at the Under Secretary General level, at this critical point. Coming on the eve of the International Women’s Day, this appointment is demonstrative of the UNSG’s belief in women leadership. I sincerely thank H.E. President William Ruto @WilliamsRuto for the confidence he bestowed upon me in serving him as his, and the first, National Security Advisor of the Republic of Kenya, as Secretary to the National Security Council, and for enabling me to take this global assignment, demonstrating yet again his belief in Kenya making its contribution to the community of nations. I look forward to serving at this new mandate diligently and flying Kenya’s flag high, to the best of my ability. Thank You Kenya for preparing me to serve humanity!

An out-of-shape gym trainer I know shared a great fitness hack while philosophising over a plate of momos. “It’s simple. Just get rid of the phone while eating, or switch it off.” I think he has a point. Most people in our country can no longer eat a meal without watching a video on their phone. For many, lunch/ dinner isn’t about the actual food on the plate, but the videos that must play along as they eat—ranging from news, Taarak Mehta Ka Ulta Chashma, family dramas, et al. In fact, if you ask someone at random what the best part is about their meal, the response is most likely to be not about the food but simply: “It’s the video I am watching, have you seen this too?” 🤣 That’s why this hack is brilliant. Take away people’s phones to get them in shape. Many may even end up fasting, not knowing how to eat without a video playing in the background. Many of us need to do this. Starting with my out-of-shape gym trainer friend!