The Intelligence from The Economist

Mass destruction: is the Ethiopian government covering up war crimes?

Fri Jul 14 2023

Financial MarketsConflict in TigrayAccountability for War CrimesRemote Work ChallengesHybrid Work BenefitsPreserving Truth Through Writing

Description

Financial markets, conflict in Tigray, accountability for war crimes, challenges of remote work, benefits and drawbacks of hybrid work, and preserving truth through writing are the main topics covered in the episode.

Insights

Ethnic Cleansing in Tigray

The war in Tigray has resulted in ethnic cleansing, with evidence suggesting the Ethiopian government's complicity in covering up or destroying evidence.

Lack of Accountability

Ethiopia's government is unlikely to conduct a thorough investigation of past atrocities, and senior officials or military commanders who committed or ordered crimes are unlikely to be punished.

Challenges of Remote Work

Fully remote working may lead to declines in productivity, while collaboration and coordination are difficult when working from home.

Benefits of Hybrid Work

Hybrid working offers benefits such as saving time and money on commuting, flexibility for personal tasks, and potentially increasing productivity for certain tasks that require concentration.

Preserving Truth Through Writing

Victoria Amalina used her writing to capture the impact of war on language and buildings, particularly in Ukraine under Vladimir Putin's regime.

Summary

Transcript

Financial Markets and Global Analysis

00:00 - 08:21

Financial markets are more complex than ever.
Goldman Sachs provides global analysis to break down key factors driving the markets and economy each week.

Conflict in Tigray

00:00 - 08:21

A devastating civil war was fought in Tigray between 2020 and last autumn.
Ethiopia's National Army, Eritrean military, and militias targeted the regional government of Tigray.
Forces from Amharah have been accused of annexing lands and ethnically cleansing Tigrayans.
Peace agreement brought the war to an end, but ethnic cleansing is still ongoing according to Human Rights Watch.
Satellite imagery suggests evidence is being disturbed or destroyed in Tigray.
Freshly scorched earth near prison camps indicates burning of graves.
Claims suggest Ethiopian government's complicity in cover-up or destruction of evidence.
Mass graves may be present in western Tigray, but disposal of bodies appears haphazard.
Investigation aims to hold accountable those responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Accountability for War Crimes

07:55 - 15:36

The investigation aims to hold accountable those responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Ethiopia's government is unlikely to conduct a thorough investigation of past atrocities.
Senior officials or military commanders who committed or ordered crimes are unlikely to be punished.
Ethiopian diplomats have hamstrung international efforts for justice in Tigray.
Ethiopia's international partners seem to be letting the matter quietly slide.
Justice and accountability are important for lasting peace, but they are lacking in the peace process.
Evidence of past atrocities may gradually disappear, hindering any real reckoning.

Challenges of Remote Work

07:55 - 15:36

New research suggests that fully remote working may lead to declines in productivity.
Hybrid working is considered more acceptable than fully remote working.
Studies have shown declines in performance and creative thinking with fully remote work.
Collaboration and coordination are difficult when working from home.
Remote work challenges have improved over time with better technology and increased familiarity with tools like Zoom and Slack.

Benefits and Drawbacks of Hybrid Work

15:24 - 23:15

Coordination is essential in the workplace and being in the office is better than working from home.
Studies show that workers collaborate better, mentor young employees, and impart company culture more effectively when they are together in an office setting.
Fully remote work tends to create more siloed networks of workers and limits feedback flow, making it difficult for young workers to learn.
Working from home has benefits for employees, such as saving time and money on commuting, having flexibility for personal tasks, and potentially increasing productivity for certain tasks that require concentration.
Hybrid working is here to stay, but the balance is shifting towards spending more time in the office.
Some companies are implementing return-to-work mandates and factoring physical attendance into performance reviews.
Surveys indicate that workers are willing to take pay cuts if they can work remotely for a significant portion of their week.
Hybrid work offers a potential win-win situation with slightly lower productivity but higher employee satisfaction and retention.
The push for returning to the office is driven by the belief that it leads to a more productive and effective workplace.

Preserving Truth Through Writing

22:56 - 28:38

Victoria Amalina used her writing to preserve truth amid mass destruction.
Victoria started writing poetry to capture the impact of war on language and buildings.
She was concerned about the targeting of cultural figures, artists, intellectuals, filmmakers, and journalists by Vladimir Putin's regime.
There was a silence and acceptance of the Soviet regime in Ukraine, even within Victoria's own family.
The lack of openness about the past led to a lack of trust between Ukrainians who wanted to preserve independence and those accepting the Soviet regime.
The only time she felt unity among Ukrainians was during the protests in Maidan in 2014.
However, when Russia invaded in 2022, she questioned if there was a strong Ukrainian identity fighting against it.
Victoria considered leaving for a scholarship at Columbia University but decided to stay for investigative work when Colombian writers wanted to visit Ukraine's front line.
On June 27th, two Russian missiles hit the Pizzarez stronghold where Victoria was with Colombian journalists. The attack revealed Russia's lies about targeting military sites.