Danielle Nierenberg The United Nations’ World Environment Day (WED) is a day dedicated to focusing attention and taking positive action on issues related to the environment. The theme is “Connecting People to Nature,” and is meant to encourage people around…
Phyllis Omido Nairobi – The announcement of the winners of this year’s Goldman Environmental Prize is an opportunity to celebrate activist leaders. But it is also a moment to recognize just how much courage their efforts (and those of a…
Tribute by Sir Frank Peters It is difficult for me to get around the fact that it’s now been three years since the passing of Mahbubul Alam. It seems like only yesterday his sparkling eyes peered over his gold-framed glasses…
By Amina J. Mohammed UN, Jun 2 (IPS) – During the process of developing the Sustainable Development Goals it was clear to me how relevant and innovative the approach to ending AIDS had been and how important it would continue…
by Guy Verhofstadt European politicians have mastered the art of wagging their finger, most recently at Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and US President Donald Trump. Sadly, the same cannot be said for our ability to…
Robert J. Burrowes As ‘mental health’ issues gain more attention, sympathetic and otherwise, in a wide variety of contexts and countries around the world, the opportunity for inaccurate perceptions of what causes these issues, and how to treat them, are…
By Tharanga Yakupitiyage UN, May 25 (IPS) – The world will not be on track to eradicate poverty by 2030 if current growth trends continue, a UN task force found.
by Thorvaldur Gylfason Freedom House recently demoted the United States from top rank among the world´s democracies. The reasons given include ‘the cumulative impact of flaws in the electoral system, a disturbing increase in the role of private money in…
Robert J. Burrowes One inevitable outcome of the phenomenal violence we all suffer as children is that most of us live in a state of delusion throughout our lives. This makes it extraordinarily difficult for accurate information, including vital information…
Danielle Nierenberg The Institute for Food and Development Policy, a nonprofit known as Food First, released a new book entitled Fertile Ground: Scaling Agroecology from the Ground Up, edited by Groundswell International Executive Director and co-founder Steve Brescia.
By Roberto Savio Rome, May 16 (IPS) – Immediately after the vote on Brexit, thousands of young people marched in the streets of England to show their disagreement over the choice to leave Europe. But polls indicated that had they…
By Akinwumi Adesina Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, May 12 (IPS) – No region of the world has ever moved to industrialised economy status without a transformation of the agricultural sector. Agriculture, which contributes 16.2% of the GDP of Africa, and gives…
By Erik Larsson Phnom Penh, May 9 (IPS) – H&M has made promises to raise wage levels and increase worker influence in the garment factories of Cambodia. The validity of these supposed ambitions is being criticized. ”What have they actually…
by Simon Wren-Lewis When the Bank of England after the Brexit vote forecast 0.8% GDP growth in 2017, they expected consumption growth to decline to just 1%, with only a small fall in the savings ratio. But consumption growth proved…
Danielle Nierenberg At Food Tank, we are constantly amazed by the variety of ideas, initiatives, businesses, and research put forth by talented individuals making waves in the food and agriculture sectors. They come from varying backgrounds, regions, and perspectives, and…
By Irina Bokova Paris, May 1 (IPS) – Would you trust your news from any source? How are we able to ensure that ‘fake’(d) news does not overtake the flow of information? Journalism plays a vital role for society, bringing…
By Nana Firman (CNN) — From the cropless farmer to the beleaguered first responder to the person forced to evacuate their flooded home, we all have our reasons for caring about climate change. As an Indonesian-born Muslim living in California,…
By Farhana Haque Rahman Rome, Apr 26 (IPS) – Rogue interests, perhaps even foreign, are said to be trying to interfere with the electoral process in the U.S. and European Union members. Senior government officials glibly endorse what they themselves…
By Baher Kamal Rome, Apr 25 (IPS) – It all happened on the very same day—4 April. That day, indigenous peoples were simultaneously characterised as fundamental allies in the world’s war on hunger and poverty, while being declared as collective…
By Noeleen Heyzer and Anis Chowdhury Bangkok and Sydney, Apr 24 (IPS) – “The despised, the insulted, the hurt, the dispossessed—in short, the underdogs of the human race were meeting. … Who had thought of organizing such a meeting? And…
by Montserrat Mir Roca When the nuts and bolts of the long-awaited European Pillar of Social Rights are unveiled at the end of April, the European Commission will at the same time set out plans to achieve a better balance…
-By Raquib Siddiqi Marriott International has recently launched its first pop-up hotel innovation lab, creating an interactive model hotel experience in downtown Los Angeles to crowdsource real-time feedback from the public, furthering the company’s futuristic vision.
by Simon Wren-Lewis A few days ago I took part in a Royal Economic Conference session on the implications of the Brexit vote. There is no need for me to describe how it went, as there is a good write…
Robert J. Burrowes While much of the world is engulfed in violence of one sort or another (whether violence in the home or on the street, exploitation, ecological destruction or war), a global network of individuals and organizations is committed…
by Sebastían Royo The response to the Great Recession from European social democratic/centre-left parties, with some notable exceptions like Portugal’s, was largely to implement the austerity policies of the right: they bailed out the banks and the bondholders, and they…
Masum Billah The government of a country means the guardian of all sections of people of that country. Hence, it is to take some decisions to satisfy the needs of all sections which may not please some sections. Still government…
by Vivien Schmidt In recent years, the European Union has suffered through a cascading set of crises, including the Eurozone crisis, the refugee crisis, the security crisis, and Brexit. But rather than bringing the EU together, with concerted responses that…
Danielle Nierenberg April 10 to April 18, 2017, marks the Jewish holiday of Passover. Here are seven tips to help observers to celebrate this important holiday while keeping in line with environmental values and supporting a more sustainable food system:
By Erin Blakemore The United States has debated immigration since the country’s founding, and the Statue of Liberty—a potent symbol for immigrants—is often invoked as an argument for why we should usher in those who seek safety and opportunity with…
Mark Malloch Brown London – The relationship between business, politics, and the environment is about to become more complicated. As US President Donald Trump’s administration threatens to dismantle vital environmental protections, some of which have existed for decades, business leaders…