31 October 2025
Message from the FOGGS President, Vice-President and Executive Director
Following a recent decision by the FOGGS Executive Board, the Foundation has started to wind down its activities with a view to shutting down completely in the coming months. This was a difficult call to make but the view prevailed among Board members that it is better to end on a high note of activity and service, rather than struggle to survive with dwindling resources.
The coming months will be dedicated to completing a couple of ongoing projects, to which FOGGS has already committed, and to ensuring that key elements of FOGGS’ legacy are preserved. To that end, a dedicated “FOGGS Legacy Platform” is being prepared and will be accessible online in early 2026.
Although it saddens us to be sharing such news, we would like you to be among the first to hear it, as you have been our supporters, partners and friends for many years now, perhaps since the establishment of the Foundation in 2013. We are proud of what we have achieved together during these 12 years, including research and policy recommendation projects (e.g. UN reform and the Global Resilience Council proposal, the COVID Education Alliance (COVIDEA), the DEMOCRAT Project (Horizon Europe), Militaries for Civilian Emergencies (M4CE)), numerous events and publications (including the online magazine Katoikos.world and the Global Citizen podcast), and worldwide networks of pro-active thinkers (notably the Global South Perspectives Network (GSPN) and the Peace Reflection Group of former UN system staff (PRG) that FOGGS helped create and supported from their start). Some of the above will continue to exist and hopefully thrive even after the dissolution of FOGGS, on their own or placed under a different institutional framework; announcements to be made in due course.
We believe that in the 12+ years of FOGGS’ existence we have managed to advance, or keep alive at least, the quest for a new Narrative of Hope for human-centered, principled and inclusive globalization despite the geopolitical and geo-economic turbulence of our times. We will continue to do so and invite you to do the same, individually and in groups, inspired by the legacy and acting in the spirit of our beloved FOGGS.
With heartfelt thanks and warmest regards,
Richard Kinley Yoriko Yasukawa Georgios Kostakos
FOGGS President FOGGS Vice-President FOGGS Executive Director
UN CHARTER AT 80: A CALL TO RECLAIM ITS PURPOSE
In response to mounting concerns on the state of our world, multilateralism and the UN, a Call has been prepared on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the UN Charter, calling for a return to the Charter’s purpose. See brief background information and how you can support the call here
Latest FOGGS Paper
Ariel Français’ European Security in the Age of Trump and Putin argues that NATO’s continued expansion along Russia’s borders and the subsequent invasion of Ukraine have profoundly shifted the balance of power in Europe, sparking a conflict that threatens the entire continent. Faced with an existential threat, the unpredictability of the United States under Trump, and Putin’s stubbornness, Western European countries have embarked on the path of an autonomous European defense.
A return to peace, desirable for all, necessarily requires mutual concessions between belligerents. The author explores the possible nature of these concessions and the desirable parameters of a new, longer-term security architecture in Europe. The publication can be found here.
Latest Katoikos.world Article
The Innovation vs Sustainability Paradox: The Case of AI
As AI and data centers surge in scale and energy demands, their unchecked growth could derail global climate goals—unless we act now to govern their impact responsibly. This deep dive explores the hidden costs of AI, from energy and water use to e-waste, and outlines bold policy ideas to align tech progress with a livable planet.
Read the article on Katoikos.world
G7 vs the World
As world leaders gather in the Canadian Rockies for the G7 Summit amid global crises—from war in the Middle East and Ukraine to climate disasters and economic upheaval—hopes rise for bold, cooperative solutions to urgent global challenges.
Will the G7 rise to the occasion, rethink its role in global governance, and pursue peace, equity, and sustainability—or double down on old power plays and exclusivity? The stakes are high, and the world is watching.
Read the full Op-Ed on Katoikos.world
Katoikos.world Article
Latest FOGGS Paper
Sudha Sreenivasa Reddy’s Judgement Day in Gaza examines the Gaza crisis as both genocide and epistemicide, targeting not only lives but the cultural memory of a people. The paper explores how the destruction of civilian infrastructure aims to erase Palestinian identity across generations.
Reddy argues that global inaction constitutes structural complicity. The publication can be found here.
Step back now!
Israel’s latest strikes against Iran, following an IAEA resolution, raise fears of broader war and nuclear catastrophe—highlighting yet again the West’s glaring double standards in applying international law.
As tensions spiral, could diplomacy and restraint—especially from Iran and global middle powers—still pull the region back from the edge? The world urgently needs a just and consistent path to peace.
Read the full article on Katoikos.world
Katoikos.world Article
FOGGS Open Consultation Mondays
#9 The 4th International Conference on Financing for Development
2 June 2025
Watch the recording of the event here.
Latest FOGGS Paper
Ambassador Francis M. O’Donnell’s World Peace: Reclaiming the United Nations and Its Ideals is a timely call to renew global commitment to the UN Charter on its 80th anniversary. Drawing from decades of diplomatic experience, O’Donnell urges a return to the founding principles of peace, human rights, and the rule of law.
The paper highlights the urgency of UN reform, stronger international cooperation, and support for sustainable development. The publication can be found here.
Latest Katoikos.world Article
Gaza: Starving the Innocent, Starving the Conscience of Humanity
“Fourteen thousand babies could die in the next 48 hours in Gaza.”
– United Nations, May 20, 2025
When I read this line, something ruptured deep inside me. Fourteen thousand babies—not numbers, not statistics, but breathing, crying, nursing newborns—are being consigned to death in the very first hours of life. How does one carry that unbearable weight in their chest without collapsing?
Read the full article on Katoikos.world
#31 – The Roma Experience, ROMALAND & Art as a Vehicle of Change
What is it like to grow up Roma in Europe? What prejudices do Roma people still face on the daily? How can arts-based activism change our minds and hearts to foster empathy?
Tune into our latest interview to find out first hand from Avraam Goutzeloudis, actor in ROMALAND, a theatrical documentary play about the lives and stories of Roma people from Greece, and Eleni Tsetsekou, head of the Roma and Travellers division of the Council of Europe.
Listen to the full podcast.
Latest Podcast: the Global Citizen
Katoikos.world Article
What is a Sadistic State and how can it be countered?
Reflecting on what is happening in the US since the (second) Trump inauguration on 20 January 2025, people say it is becoming an authoritarian state, a corrupt state, an anti-immigrant state, a human rights crushing state, a white nationalist state, an oligarch-controlled state, and a state that is chaotic by design. It is certainly a state, where the President seeks to ‘rule’ over the co-equal institutions of the government, the Legislative and the Judiciary. While all of these explain an aspect of the Trump (and, to be analytically honest, also the Hungarian) state, this is actually a new form of post WWII governance arrangement in the West, an arrangement best technically described as a Sadistic State (SS).
Read the full article on Katoikos.world
