The opposite of stress is serenity, and the February 2024 issue of Numéro 244 does its very best to deliver a calming hope to a world in serious need of some. It is — in the words of the magazine — an offering of Love, Peace and Serenity to accompany the Hope, as the only possible response to these dark times we live in. Some more than others, but this is a truly dark time for large numbers of the world’s people.

One of the warmer, gentler, human lights on planet Earth is photographer Koto Bolofo [IG] and he creates a moment of collective peace to nourish our collective humanity and the poignant awareness of the suffering of others with his fashion story ‘Les Colombes’ [the doves].

Models Grace Gay and Mila Bergsma are styled by Rebecca Bleynie in modern goddess, fluid and ethereal fashion./ Hair by Anne Sofie Begtrup; makeup by Maria Olsson

In the spirit of Nelson Mandela, Koto Bolofo also gives thanks for the courage South Africa exhibited in appealing to the International Court of Justice to order a cease fire in Gaza.

What would have been a a nonbinding order by the group of 17 judges— but certainly a major statement in the court of public opinion — did not result in any demand for a cease fire.

The first African woman to sit on the court, Ugandan judge Julia Sebuntinde, voted against every Provisional Measure to protect Palestinians in Gaza. An Israeli judge voted for two of the six measures.

It’s believed tonight [Saturday] that negotiators are very close to a two months cease-fire which is imperative because another crisis is gaining traction. Major donors including Germany, Britain and four other countries are joining the United States, who announced Friday that we are witholding all funding for the group, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, or UNRWA, after a dozen of its employees were accused by Israel of participating in the Oct. 7 attacks. Here is the same news from the viewpoint of Al Jazeera.

Details have not been released to the news agencies but a senior U.N. official briefed on the accusations called them “extremely serious and horrific.” The other four countries witholding further aid to the agency include Australia, Canada, Finland and Iceland.

Norway and Ireland said the accusations are indeed horrific and must be dealt with, but they are continuing aid — because what will happen to the Palestinians dependent on the aid. There is no Plan B on the table right now for keeping them alive.

In sharing Koto Bolofo beautiful images, I feel compelled to honor what I know would be his wishes that they be interwoven with an update on the pending reality of a complete catastrophe in Gaza. It’s reasonable to ask how the situation could worsen, but there is no backup plan in this moment. We could have a Saudi airlift in the morning, but right now, the situation is very grim.

On a positive note, America’s CIA director William J. Burns is in Paris with Israeli, Egyptian and Qatari officials. Burns speaks fluent Arabic and is very well-liked and trusted in the Arab world. Burns has functioned as “the closer” on more than one important peace-seeking mission in the Middle East, no matter his official US government title at the time. The concensus is that a two-month cease fire is imminent.

I didn’t find any reference to these meetings on Al Jazeera English. That doesn’t mean it’s not news on the Arabic version of the website. ~ Anne