Loneliness

Good Day! Special thoughts to all journalists who work to uncover government unlawful activities and corruption. To all journalists jailed unjustly.

🧍How to fight loneliness ?

South Korea has proposed legislation to fight loneliness spending $327 million. The policy would take a psychological aspect with availability of counsellors on a 24/7 basis, and in-person visits and consultations.

Data shows that youngsters tend to suffer more from loneliness than elder people. Tackling the issue is not only a health care objective but also key to a country’s future.

Other countries have also set up policies to fight loneliness though the results of these policies have not been published or researched sufficiently.

1. Establishing a Ministry for Loneliness (United Kingdom) 

The UK appointed a Minister for Loneliness in 2018. The minister in charge was responsible to creating cross-ministry initiatives to fight the issue. While the ministry does not exist, loneliness has become part of the National Health Service (NHS) strategy.

2. Connecting the Elderly with Technology (Japan) 

Japan has implemented programs that encourage elderly citizens to use technology, including tablets and smartphones, to stay connected with family and community members. Japan’s approach has been more at the initiative of local governments rather than the federal government.

3. Neighborhood Social Programs (Denmark) 

Denmark promotes neighborhood-based programs to combat loneliness, especially among young adults. Programs like "fællesspisning" (community dinners) encourage residents to dine together, fostering a sense of belonging and community.

4. Mandatory Social Interaction Policies in Elder Care (Norway) 

Norway has implemented policies in eldercare facilities that mandate regular social interactions for elderly residents. These policies include group activities, mental health check-ins, and scheduled visits from volunteers to ensure that residents maintain social connections.

While no official statistics exist on how many people die of loneliness, the psychological toll can lead to other health issues.

For more reference, this paper synthesis policies around 53 countries that have policies aimed at solving the loneliness issue.

⚔️ Brewing tension

• Trump’s (not finished) wall 🧱 is being exported. It may not be concrete but the danger is real. After Finland, Norway is considering building a fence along its border with Russia. The aim is to deter Russian asylum seekers whom Nordic countries suspect to being disguised Russian operators aiming to cause social disruptions.

• Japan expanded its continental shelf by 120k square kilometres. The country has invested massively to explore its seabed as it aim to find new mineral sources and counter China’s maritime claims. Of course, China has protested against the unilateral announcement. It would not be surprising to see South Korea make a similar announcement to Japan's in coming months.

• Saudi Arabia and Iran held joint military exercises in the Sea of Oman this past week with plans for more exercises planned in the Red Sea. Is this why Israel’s attack on Iran was limited this week? The Biden administration pressured Israel to limit its attack while China successfully negotiated a rapprochement between Iran and Saudi Arabia last year.

• Russia successfully negotiated an agreement between China and India for the management of their border. This comes before the BRICS summit held in Kazan, Russia this past week. The summit highlighted new partner countries to the alliance, most notably Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam. That is growing evidence of developing countries not choosing sides between Russia, US and China. Developing countries have adopted a policy of development first and ignore geopolitical conflicts.

🗳️ Democracy

• Japan’s Prime Minister announced snap election, to be held on Sunday 27th October, after becoming new leader of his Liberal Democratic Party. Early results indicate that his party may lost its majority in the parliament.

• Uruguay is going to the polls having to choose between two centrists candidates. Uruguay will also be voting on a referendum to lower the retirement age to 60.

• Egypt’s security forces have arrested a well known economist named Abdel Khaleq Farouk. He was first arrested in 2018 after the publication of a book criticising the government’s policies. Western countries have remained largely silent on arrests of people who criticise the Egyptian administration.

💵 Sweet Deals

• Apple  got on the wrong side of the Indonesian government after missing its investment targets in the country. As a result the Indonesia government has banned the sale of the iPhone 16 in the country. Tourists can use their iPhone 16 in the country but cannot sell it within the country.

  • This is a good policy, amid with political risks as it may alienate certain apple fan voters. More broadly though, this reflects the growing trend of countries trying to exert their sovereignty and not fall foul to corporate blackmail or unfulfilled promises.

• Two weeks ago, we shared the news that Adani’s company had won a tender to construct electrical infrastructure in Kenya 🇰🇪. This week, the Kenyan Supreme Court suspended the agreement following concerns about the procurement process.