The forgotten war in Tigray

No working ambulances for a population of more than 5.5m. No banking services. Hundreds of thousands were killed by fighting and famine. A near-total military siege that has all but cut off essential supplies and forced families to stay in touch by word of mouth or through handwritten letters. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has preoccupied US and international policymakers and military planners since early 2022. But there is another, bigger and deadlier conflict in which, over the past two years, the abject horrors of war have been all but hidden to the West because of a combination of a border blockade, a communications blackout, complex regional dynamics and few visible sustained signs of meaningful engagement from Western capitals. This conflict, a civil war, is being fought in Tigray, an ancient kingdom in northern Ethiopia, on the Horn of Africa. Tigray has been under assault from Ethiopian forces, Eritrean forces and various militias accused of extrajudicial executions, sexual violence and indiscriminate shelling. The war has caused 383,000-600,000 civilian deaths.

(Adapted from “Hundreds Of Thousands Killed In Ethiopia’s Tigray Conflict,” published on November 21, 2022, by USA Today)

60 is the new 20 in China

China’s grandparents are done babysitting and are ready to go viral. With more than 260m people over 60, China has the largest — and fastest-growing — population of older adults in the world. Nearly half spend time online, where some are choosing to live out their professional dreams while others are simply having a little fun. Many find companionship through their fans, an antidote to an otherwise lonely life. They are part of a global army of tech-savvy retirees who have embraced the internet in old age. In China, influencers are helping to challenge a particularly entrenched stereotype that grandparents are expected to stay home or help care for their families by cleaning, cooking and looking after their grandchildren. A growing number of older Chinese people have found viral success in sharing their daily lives online. In this corner of the Chinese internet, octogenarians croon, septuagenarians tango and grey-haired fashionistas strut down catwalks and offer makeup tips to millions of fans.

(Adapted from “China’s Grandparents Are Done Babysitting and Ready to Go Viral,” By Alexandra Stevenson and Zixu Wang, published on November 22, 2022, by The New York Times)

Do star employees work overtime?

Do we need to work endless hours over weekends and during vacations to be seen as star employees? Short answer: No. What counts above all else is the impact you make in your job — it’s the quality of the work you do over the number of hours you put in. When your work is defined by the impact you make, not the output, it frees you from worrying too much about the optics or the hours you are “seen” putting in. To maintain boundaries at work, you can do a few things. 1) Have a candid conversation with your manager to determine what value you can add and where. 2) Stay focused on the impact. Schedule regular one-on-ones and progress updates with your manager and your team members. 3) While it’s essential for your manager to be aware of the high quality of your work, take into account the importance of winning approval from your peers and team members as well.

(Adapted from “Ask An Expert: My Company Promotes People Who Work Overtime, But I Want Work-Life Balance. How Can I Ever Succeed?” by Star Chen, published by HBR Ascend)

Dealing with the past

Between the 17th and 19th centuries, the venerable British company Lloyd’s of London sold insurance policies on enslaved people and the ships that transported them. In recent times, events such as the May 2020 killing of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis, together with ongoing concerns about racism and racial injustices, have intensified the pressure on companies to recognise their contributions to the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Today, corporate success requires dealing with the past. Throughout history, companies have been complicit in human rights violations and mass atrocities. Businesses’ involvement in these events remains a great concern for stakeholders today as momentum for social justice and equity builds within society. Many people — including customers and employees — increasingly expect companies with these ties to acknowledge and respond to historic transgressions.

(Adapted from “Why Corporate Success Requires Dealing With the Past,” by Sarah Federman and Judith Schrempf-Stirling, published on November 16, 2022, by MIT Sloan Management Review)

Published in Dawn, The Business and Finance Weekly, November 28th, 2022