Simuka Africa Briefing: May 27, 2026
Hello, All:
We hope your week has been pleasant!
Please note:
The last Simuka Africa Briefing for Q2 is scheduled for June 19th. The end of June will consist of offboarding Q2 Staff and onboarding volunteers for Q3 Service.
June Virtual Meetings: “The Art of Crisis” Meeting & the final Q2 Creative Career Focus Meeting. Register for them here. After creating an account, click on “Organizations,” then “34 Gallery” to see our meeting list.
Questions or concerns? Simply reply to this email briefing to get a response through our new ButtonDown inbox.
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🚩 Humanitarian Crisis Notification 🚩
Be advised: Multiple regions continue to be impacted by the current geopolitical conflicts and inclement weather (severe storms and drought). If you are impacted by unrest, blackouts or energy restrictions, update us as you can.
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The June Social Media Calendar
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I. Special Promotion: Want to expand your art portfolio and reach? Explore our partner platform, WebbieSocial.com! Get a discount off Webbie+ with discount code: 34Gallery
II. Critical Notices:
It takes very little to help save a life. Some of the artists we feature on social media are in mental health crisis. We also have two artists with a terminal health diagnosis. They need support. If you have connectivity, like the posts.
If your article has not been published in May, it will be moved to the June calendar. We missed a few publication dates due to technical issues. Email us for your article status.
If you have not submitted content for the Quarter 2 without contacting us regarding your situation, we are unable to provide a feedback report to UN Volunteers for your UNV Certificate or recommendation letters regarding your service.
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Additional Needed Content
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Please note: If any Q2 staff member has time in their schedule to complete articles, social media graphics or video on any of the following, email us:
International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression - 4 June
The 2026 GPMB report, A World on the Edge: Priorities for a Pandemic‑Resilient Future - report summary article
The 2026 State of the Global Workplace report - summary article
The “UN-Habitat: The Global Housing Crisis Report” - summary article
Can’t make the deadline? Things happen. Just notify us!
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The United Nations System: An Introduction
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Global Updates, I: UN launches AI Governance for Humanity Lab in Valencia
Global Update, II: OCHA prepares to act ahead of a possibly strong El Niño
Global Update, III: WHO: IHR Emergency Committee regarding the epidemic of Ebola Bundibugyo virus disease in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda
LinkedIn: 5 Things You Wanted to Know About UN Volunteers (But Didn’t Know Who to Ask)
Established in 2024, the Global Youth Leadership Development Council (GYLDC) empowers young leaders worldwide through training and collaboration, driving impactful solutions to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
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United Nations Employment
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UNV Capacity Development Team 2026: LeadForward – Our Career & Leadership Masterclass - June 2nd
The Boost My Skills Training Center - free certificate courses co-funded by the EU, Swiss Confederation and a consortia of South Korean universities (COSS) - and supported by the United Nations Institute for Training & Research (UNITAR).
PLURAL+ Youth Video Festival is an initiative of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) that invites the world’s youth to submit original and creative videos focusing on the themes of migration, diversity, social inclusion, and the prevention of xenophobia.
World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Internship Program 2026 in Geneva - This paid internship offers students and recent graduates the opportunity to work with one of the world’s leading UN agencies focused on innovation, technology, creativity, intellectual property, and global development.
SOAS Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Scholarships 2026/27 at SOAS University of London - fully funded master’s scholarship supports outstanding students pursuing programmes connected to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs.
Applications are now open for the Young Climate Prize 2026 by The World Around — an exciting global fellowship, mentorship, and accelerator programme for young climate changemakers under 25 driving real climate solutions in their communities
UN Careers - the primary UN career hub
UNJOBNET - daily job listings for the entire UN System
UNJOBNET: Remote Positions - daily updated Un remote work
IISD Climate Change Job Vacancies (Global)
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A.I. Policy, News & Jobs
I. Be Advised: Our expanded Simuka Africa A.I. Organizational Policy can be found here.
The following listings consist of A.I. / Tech News, Training, Creative Jobs & Opportunities:
Cybersecurity: The Himanshu Anandhu Blog
The UNOCT/UNCCT: Cybersecurity and New Technologies programme
The UN Office of Counter-Terrorism: The CT TECH Initiative
Anthropic: Project Glasswing
UNSSC: Leveraging AI for peace: Lessons from three conversations
Data.org: The Activate AI: Economic Opportunity Challenge Winners
Free Internet Safety Course: Digital Footprints by The Internet Society
Low Fee-Training: Coursera Course: AI For Good Certification
Low- Fee Training: Coursera Course: Google AI Professional Certificate
The Al Accountability Fellowship Program seeks to support journalists working on in-depth AI accountability stories that examine governments' and corporations’ uses of predictive, generative, and surveillance technologies to guide decisions in policing, medicine, social welfare, criminal justice, hiring and more.
The AIGC for Future Global Challenge is now open for submissions—inviting young creators, interdisciplinary teams, companies, and research institutions worldwide to use AI-generated content as a tool for storytelling, innovation, cultural exchange, and sustainable development.
NASA Creator Proposals 2026: Filmmakers, Storytellers, Poets & Songwriters Invited to Collaborate with NASA - Transform groundbreaking scientific missions into powerful stories, films, documentaries, music, poetry, and multimedia experiences.
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Opportunities
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I. Career Tip: When a Real Leader Walks In, Employees Feel Safe—Not Anxious. Here’s Why.
II. Creative Career News: Arts at CERN and Nobel Prize Museum announce the Collide Stockholm international residency award recipient and two Honorary Mentions.
Idealist.org: Remote Positions - updated
80000 Hours Job Board - updated
482 Jobs (Australia) - updated
The Welcome to The Jungle Job Board (global)
The University of Melbourne: Atlantic Fellows for Social Equity (AFSE) Fellowship 2027
The Moonshot Platform: Grant Funding for Young Innovators (18 - 30) in the areas of Learning, Health, Art for Humanity, AI for Good, Borderless, & Spark.
Grants for Nokia Visiting Professors are given to distinguished foreign professors to work in Finland, or to deserving Finnish professors working at respected foreign universities in the field of Information and Communications Technologies (ICT).
The Sundance Institute Documentary Fund is accepting applications through Monday, June 15, at 3:30 p.m. Pacific time.
Henry Moore Grants support the growth and development of sculpture across historical, modern and contemporary registers, and funds research that expands the appreciation of sculpture.
IPHatch® is now accepting applications to support startups by providing access to patented technologies and global business development opportunities. (North America)
The Citizen Entrepreneurship Competition (CEC) - Participants are encouraged to create ideas with social impact and to actively contribute to one or more of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which address the key social, economic, environmental, and health challenges of our time. Entrepreneurs from age 13 and up are invited to submit their ideas and become part of an international community.
The Young Generation Art Award is aimed at emerging artists at the beginning of their careers.
ETH Zürich is offering a fully funded 4-year PhD position under the ACHIEVE net-zero emissions project focused on climate change mitigation in Swiss agriculture.
RICE360 Global Health Fellowship 2026
University of Birmingham: Global South Visiting Fellows Application Form
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Food For Thought
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Lastly, these final days of May conclude Mental Health Awareness Month. Keep these statistics in mind, however:
Over 70% of individuals with a history of suicide attempts have an anxiety disorder.
Individuals with PTSD, in Substance Abuse Recovery or living with Chronic Illness are up to six times more likely to successfully commit suicide.
More than 50% of adolescents with ADHD/CDD report suicidal ideation. Among adults, more than 33%.
62% of pregnancy-related suicides occur during the first year postpartum, followed by 24% during pregnancy and 14% within 42 days postpartum.
It is estimated that 35 percent of children 8 years old or younger with autism spectrum disorder have suicidal thoughts. This rate is 66% for adults.
22% of suicides involve alcohol intoxication. 20% involve opiates.
The risk of suicide is highest within the first year of a dementia, neurocognitive/TBI diagnosis or substance abuse treatment.
Remember: Your work with us saves lives. Your articles, artwork, videos, and graphics have successfully reached people in crisis virtually for three years since we began the Career Development Program & The 34 Gallery Initiative. The more you are active with us through volunteering, mentorship, and creativity, the lower these statistics will become.
Take some time this weekend to celebrate life. ❤️
-M.
May hope, peace & unity be with you.
