Lopa Banerjee

Even in the darkest days, I’ve seen hope power change. There are no guarantees for what’s ahead in 2025. But I pledge to stand with all those who are working to forge a more peaceful, equal, stable and healthy future for all people.

We will be repeating this as long as necessary: Humanitarians are #NotATarget. Children are #NotATarget. Schools are #NotATarget. Civilians are #NotATarget. Hospitals are #NotATarget.

Thank you @PLinUN for convening a strong conversation and for your leadership in standing up for the rights of women and girls and all peoples to live free of discrimination, persecution, violence and fear

As the poliovirus is now circulating in Gaza, the @UN is poised to launch a vaccine campaign for more than 640,000 children. It's impossible to conduct a polio vaccination campaign amid a raging war. Let’s be clear: The ultimate vaccine for polio in Gaza is peace and an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. But in any case, a Polio Pause in the fighting is a must.

The #Olympics start tomorrow! Women first participated in the Olympics in 1900 & they had only 3 options:🎾🏌️‍♀️⛵️ Fast forward to #Paris2024: first time ever gender parity in the Olympics! With more #WomenInSport, we can #ChangeTheGame and realize a gender equal reality for all.

The Olympic Games #Paris2024 will show everyone around the world that gender equality IS possible – on and off the field of play - when we double down on our commitments and efforts on the road to #Beijing30. @UN_Women is proud to support the launch of UNESCO’s Game Plan for Sport and Gender Equality, alongside the @UN Spotlight Initiative. #ChangetheGame

Today, we heard from our @UN_Women representative in #Palestine, Maryse Guimond, about the extremely difficult circumstances she witnessed in #Gaza. Maryse spoke of the profound loss faced by every woman and girl she met, and the urgent need to ensure unhindered humanitarian access.

#Gaza: "Gaza is more than two million stories of loss. More than 10,000 women lost their lives. More than 6,000 families lost their mothers" - more via @UNGeneva

Women played a vital role in the drafting and adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights over 75 years ago. On #WomenInDiplomacy Day, @UNHumanRights explains how women helped ensure people everywhere can enjoy their full human rights. ohchr.org/en/stories/201…

Until 1920, it was illegal for women to vote. Until 1964, it was legal to reject a job applicant because she was a woman. Until 1974, banks could legally refuse to issue credit cards to women. Women should not have to fight against patriarchy for their basic human rights.

I salute the brave humanitarians in Gaza working in nightmare conditions to stem the suffering. Attacks on humanitarians, @UN personnel & premises are unacceptable. And civilians & civilian infrastructure must never be militarized or targeted. #NotATarget

To reach those furthest behind, we first have to see them and then we have to prioritize interventions to reach them. No one is unreachable, no location too remote. If someone seems hard to reach, it means we have not yet tried hard enough. #GlobalGoals

Like the meteor that wiped out the dinosaurs, humanity is having an outsized impact on our planet. In the case of the climate crisis, we are not the dinosaurs. We are the meteor. We are not only in danger. We are the danger. But we're also the solution. linkedin.com/pulse/our-plan…

“We are not resolving conflicts, we are not using dialogue where we had committed to use dialogue. The founders of the UN, the words of the UN Charter ‘to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war’ – we are failing them” – Martin Griffiths, @UNReliefChief, 4 Jun ‘24

The images of burned people in #Rafah are appalling. Displaced multiple times, they sought shelter in makeshift tents for safety! For almost 8 months, women and girls have witnessed unimaginable horrors. This must stop. Gaza urgently needs a ceasefire - now!

It has been very well established that historically, – if properly managed, migration has consistently stood out as a driver of development, prosperity, and progress. This yearly International Dialogue on Migration is therefore a key platform for shaping the policy dialogue on migration, involving the migrants themselves, civil society, and other stakeholders, as well as representatives of countries of origin, transit, and destination. I was pleased to address the closing segment of the 2024 International Dialogue on Migration. #IDmigration24

And this is me. I am a product of my mom, dad, brothers, friends, and mentors. To them, I owe everything. Signing off for the first time ever as, Dr. David Velasquez, MD, MBA, MPP

These are my brothers. My oldest (far left) brother raised me when my parents worked multiple jobs. My older (second to the left) brother pushed me on the track & helped me become a better version of myself. My little brother (far right) taught me how to be a big brother--the best gift. No part of younger me would have ever imagined that us four boys, who lived in a family shelter home in 2001 & a tiny studio motel in 2009, would make it to a place like @Harvard. You guys gave me the opportunity to pursue higher education when each of you went to work right after high school. Thank you. 3/4

This is my dad. He was shot twice fighting for democracy in his home country, Nicaragua. He lost his brother in battle. His calloused hands remind me of the manual labor he worked to make sure I could focus on school. He transports elderly patients to their doctors' appointments. He is a warrior. You kept us strong, dad. 2/4

This is my mom. She was an asylum seeker. She slept in a church b/c she had nowhere else to go. She is a housekeeper & a waitress. She is my hero. These degrees are for her. Harvard Medical School, M.D. ✅ Harvard Business School, M.B.A. ✅ Harvard Kennedy School of Government, M.P.P. ✅ You made history happen, mom. 1/4