‘Western democracy is in crisis.’ Many pundits and scholars rehearse this narrative, in which the rise of populism and illiberalism are presented as challenging national democracies and the European Union. To address this challenge, it is suggested that existing democratic…
All children are children of God who are entitled to dignity and respect. Ignorance lacks empathy and compassion. Where there’s ignorance, there will always be violence; it just makes matters worse when there are people openly teaching it in the…
ROME, Mar 22 2019 (IPS) – If we ever needed proof of how the political system has become self-referential and unable to update itself, the latest student march in more than 1,000 towns is a very good example. Of course, politicians…
To what extent can the money created by the central bank be used to finance investments in the environment? This is a question often asked today. The green activists respond with enthusiasm that the central bank—and, in particular, the European…
UNITED NATIONS, Mar 7 2019 (IPS) – The United Nations, which diligently monitors human rights violations worldwide, believes that centuries-old slavery still exists worldwide. The UN mandate on “contemporary forms of slavery” includes, but is not limited to, issues such as:…
PARAMARIBO, Feb 21 2019 (IPS) – Two of the most prominent women in the Caribbean nation of Suriname are speaking out about developed countries that release large volumes of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. First Lady Ingrid Bouterse-Waldring and Speaker of…
The European Union’s proposal for a directive to protect whistleblowers is reaching the final stages of its legislative journey. Major changes must however be made to the directive, even at this late stage, for the legislation to serve the citizen…
ACCRA/MONTEVIDEO, Mar 5 2019 (IPS) – The theme for International Women’s Day this year doesn’t resonate with us. #BalanceForBetter brings to mind slow gradual change, and assumes that if you provide women and girls with equal access then the society will automatically be…
by Paul Mason What characterises the present moment in history is a pervasive sense of unrealism among elites. Official discourses are no longer used as guides to action, laws are not applied and regulations are ignored. The ultimate symbol of…
ISLAMABAD, Feb 25 2019 (IPS) – My generation grew up at a time when colonial hang up was at its peak. Our older generation had been slaves and had a huge inferiority complex of the British. The school I went to…
UNITED NATIONS, Feb 28 2019 (IPS) – Human rights violations are at an all-time high in the Middle East and North Africa, and global indifference is only making it worse. In a new report, Amnesty International reviewed the state of human rights…
BHUBANESWAR, India and KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 26 2019 (IPS) – Do politicians’ words matter? Since becoming US President, Donald J Trump has dismissed his opponents and others he does not like as evil, stupid or both. He has referred to undocumented…
STOCKHOLM / ROME, Feb 25 2019 (IPS) – On January 25, 2017, the Trump administration signed Executive Order 13767, instructing the Government to begin new constructions and replacements of walls between the US and Mexico. From December 22, 2018 to January 25,…
‘The Andalusians have made history,’ said the national Vox party leader, Santiago Abascal, on election night in the Spanish region in December, claiming a ‘triumph’. This was the most recent success for a far-right populist party entering a democratically elected parliament in…
by Paul Mason on 25th February 2019 @paulmasonnews What characterises the present moment in history is a pervasive sense of unrealism among elites. Official discourses are no longer used as guides to action, laws are not applied and regulations are…
By Dr. Hanif Hassan Ali Al Qassim Geneva, Feb 22 (IPS) – The massacre of Srebrenica will enter human history as one of our darkest chapters. From 11 to 22 July 1995, Bosnian Serb military forces massacred approximately 8,000 Muslim…
UNITED NATIONS, Feb 22 2019 (IPS) – Globally, youth are being left behind in education and employment, threatening the future vision of sustainable, inclusive, and prosperous societies. In a new report, the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) highlight the need…
by Brendan Donnelly, Director, The Federal Trust A frequent criticism of the Prime Minister is that she prematurely triggered the Article 50 negotiations in March 2017 and did so without a realistic plan for their conduct. If she had waited…
Policy proposals by lawmakers in the United States have spurred a hotly contested debate on taxation among economists in recent weeks. The Democratic congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez argued that the US needed to raise additional revenue by going back to marginal…
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Feb 19 2019 (IPS) – For two centuries, all too many discussions about hunger and resource scarcity has been haunted by the ghost of Parson Thomas Malthus. Malthus warned that rising populations would exhaust resources, especially those needed…
BULAWAYO, Zimbabwe, Feb 20 2019 (IPS) – In 1992, the idea of replanting her father’s ruined coffee farm seemed foolhardy at the time. But in retrospect it was the best business decision that Dorienne Rowan-Campbell, an international development consultant and broadcast journalist,…
Old economic ‘truths’ are being re-evaluated by economists and international organisations. Obsolete thoughts—such as that an equal income distribution is a threat to growth—have been replaced by a growing concern about widening income gaps and their negative consequences for macroeconomic…
The European Union is an extremely active international actor in the area of trade, being widely involved in the negotiation and conclusion of free-trade agreements (FTAs) with partner countries. Many of them, such as the CETA with Canada, the now…
by Johan Rockström, Owen Gaffney Berlin – Germany is about to break its coal addiction. Last year, the government created a 28-member “coal commission” – comprising scientists, politicians, environmental campaigners, trade unions, and utilities representatives – with the unenviable mandate…
Amina J. Mohammed New York – Throughout my life, I have seen the power of education. I have witnessed how quality education for all can support the creation of dynamic economies and help to sustain peace, prosperity, and stability. I…
Carroll Muffett Washington, DC – As concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide surpass 400 parts per million, the costs of the climate crisis – in terms of economic losses, environmental impacts, and human lives – continue to rise. Last October, the…
UNITED NATIONS, Feb 14 2019 (IPS) – While the impacts of displacement on wellbeing are well-known, one group has pointed to the equally burdensome economic costs for those displaced as well as host communities. In a new report, the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre…
From Danielle Nierenberg Greetings from Milan and happy Valentine’s Day! This week we are excited to spread some love, but we want to highlight the importance of being mindful of waste. Chocolates wrapped in plastic and waxed cardboard, greeting cards…
In 40 years from now what we define as the ‘migration crisis’ in Europe will be reported in history books as the migrants genocide. The migrants genocide of the early XXI century unveils the banality of democracy and its supposed…
By Chris Hedges What is happening to Assange should terrify the press. And yet his plight is met with indifference and sneering contempt. Julian Assange’s sanctuary in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London has been transformed into a little shop of…