Protests and demonstrations against Covid-19 have made the world a more dangerous place, a study reveals.
The pandemic fuelled a rise in civil unrest, with the fall-out expected to create further uncertainty.
The findings were revealed in the latest Global Peace Index, produced by the Institute of Economics and Peace (IEP) think tank.
The economic fallout from the pandemic will create further uncertainty, especially for countries that were struggling
The index assesses the levels of peace in 163 independent territories and states.
It noted a fall in conflict and terrorism globally, but this was tempered by more than 5,000 pandemic-related clashes from January 2020 to April 2021.
The UAE, however, advanced 12 places to be ranked the 52nd most peaceful country in the world, while the Middle East and North Africa region recorded the biggest improvement.
“The Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated shifts in global peacefulness,” said Steve Killelea, founder of the IEP.
"Political instability and violent demonstrations have increased. The economic fallout from the pandemic will create further uncertainty, especially for countries that were struggling [before].”
There were almost 15,000 violent protests and demonstrations recorded globally in 2020, including the 5,000 Covid-19 related clashes. This represents a 10 per cent increase on 2019 levels, the study found.
India, Chile, Italy, France, Germany and South Africa were most affected by pandemic-related violence, such as protests against lockdown rules.
“In 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic had a noticeable impact on violence, with some improvements such as violent conflict, while other indicators deteriorated significantly including violent demonstrations,” the report stated. “Three times as many countries deteriorated than improved.”
Iceland was ranked the most peaceful, with New Zealand, Denmark, Portugal and Slovenia taking up the remaining top-five four slots.
Afghanistan was named the least peaceful country, with Iraq, South Sudan, Syria and Yemen rounding off the rest of the bottom five.
The US fell two places to 122nd, while the UK rose six positions to 33.
While the Middle East and North Africa region was again named the least peaceful in the world, it also recorded the biggest year-on-year improvement, the result of a fall in intensity in some conflicts. Yemen overtook Syria as the region's least peaceful nation.
“It is still too early to fully gauge the long-term effect of the pandemic on peace," the report said. "However, the changing economic conditions in many nations increases the likelihood of political instability and violent demonstrations.”
The largest regional deterioration in peacefulness occurred in North America, owing to increased levels of political instability, murder and violent demonstrations.
Events such as the storming of the Capitol building and widespread protests across the US in support of the Black Lives Matter movement increased civil unrest, political instability and the intensity of internal conflict in 2020.
The report also noted that violence is a major concern for many people globally and was cited as the biggest risk to daily safety in almost a third of countries.
More than half of the population in Afghanistan, Brazil, South Africa, Mexico and the Dominican Republic reported violence as the most significant risk to their safety in their daily lives.
“Over 60 per cent of people globally are worried about being the victim of violent crime," said Thomas Morgan, associate director of research at the IEP.
"However, despite the high fear of violence most people feel the world is getting safer.
"Nearly 75 per cent of people globally felt that the world was as safe or safer than five years ago.”
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Tell-tale signs of burnout
- loss of confidence and appetite
- irritability and emotional outbursts
- sadness
- persistent physical ailments such as headaches, frequent infections and fatigue
- substance abuse, such as smoking or drinking more
- impaired judgement
- excessive and continuous worrying
- irregular sleep patterns
Tips to help overcome burnout
Acknowledge how you are feeling by listening to your warning signs. Set boundaries and learn to say ‘no’
Do activities that you want to do as well as things you have to do
Undertake at least 30 minutes of exercise per day. It releases an abundance of feel-good hormones
Find your form of relaxation and make time for it each day e.g. soothing music, reading or mindful meditation
Sleep and wake at the same time every day, even if your sleep pattern was disrupted. Without enough sleep condition such as stress, anxiety and depression can thrive.
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Maestro
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The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
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The%C2%A0specs%20
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Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
No Shame
Lily Allen
(Parlophone)
BACK%20TO%20ALEXANDRIA
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THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
Racecard
6pm: The Pointe - Conditions (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,400m
6.35pm: Palm West Beach - Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (T) 1,800m
7.10pm: The View at the Palm - Handicap (TB) Dh85,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
7.45pm: Nakeel Graduate Stakes - Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (T) 1,600m
8.20pm: Club Vista Mare - Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 1,900m
8.55pm: The Palm Fountain - Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 1,200m
9.30pm: The Palm Tower - Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (T) 1,600m
UAE%20ILT20
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: N2 Technology
Founded: 2018
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Startups
Size: 14
Funding: $1.7m from HNIs
