by Nupur Roopa on 16 January 2019 Like in the winters of the previous years, this year too the smog is smothering Delhi and the surrounding areas in north India. Burning of the agricultural residue by farmers is considered as…
Category: Op-Ed
Is love an embarrassment?
I do not understand a word of Persian and cannot determine whether these lines, taken from a German translation, are a correct interpretation of Muhammad Hāfez-e-Shīrāzī´s original poem. Nevertheless, Hāfez, who lived 1315-1390 CE, was apparently one of those great…
The ‘paradox of debt’—or how to avoid austerity again
Macroeconomic analysis teaches us that certain decisions which seem reasonable for an individual may have opposite results when all individuals act in a similar way—or when the agent taking the decision is the government. One of these is the ‘paradox…
UN high-level appointments: Developing nations complain
The world’s developing countries, comprising over two-thirds of the 193 UN member states, are complaining they are not being adequately represented in the higher echelons of the world body –- despite competent candidates with strong professional and academic qualifications vying…
The New New Anti-Semitism
By Richard Falk 18 Nov 2018 – I along with many others am being victimized these days. They are being labelled anti-Semites, and in some instances, self-hating Jews as well. This is a Zionist and Israeli effort to shut down…
Storm clouds are brewing for the global economy
The outlook for the global economy in 2019 has darkened. International trade and investment have softened. Trade tensions remain elevated. Several large emerging markets underwent substantial financial pressures last year. Against this challenging backdrop, growth in emerging market and developing…
Corporal punishment, outlawed in 2011, still prevails
While we can never eradicate violence in society totally, we can erase corporal punishment. It doesn’t help to have the fundamentals of violence taught in our schools to impressionable minds by ‘teachers’ paid from the nation’s coffers If there were…
Climate change: Complex challenges for agriculture
The unusually hot summer of 2018 showed that climate change affects a central part of our lives: agriculture. The severe drought in Liechtenstein led to large losses in the hay harvest.
40 years since the Khmer Rouge regime ended in Cambodia
The anniversary is not actually celebrated. After all these years, talking about the Khmer Rouge is still controversial. This is partly because the genocide came ‘from within’. Almost every family has a feud that goes back to this dark history…
Innovation helps solidarity-based biogas networks in Cuba
Black plastic pipes, readily available on the mainly empty shelves of Cuba’s shops, distribute biogas to homes in the rural town of La Macuca, buried under the ground or running through the grass and stones in people’s yards.
Designer Babies can Lead to Growth of Homogenous Individuals
A Chinese researcher has claimed that he helped make world’s first genetically edited babies but the development may come at a heavy cost. A designer baby is a GM human embryo with appropriate qualities which have been shaped as per…
A business model for sustainability
by Paul Polman London – In a recent report, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warned that without “rapid and far-reaching” changes to how land, energy, industry, buildings, transport, and cities are managed, the damage to our planet could…
Why is the teaching career in Finland prestigious?
The teaching career in Finland is prestigious, demanding, and reserved for the most talented and hard-working. Teachers and trust are the cornerstones of the Finnish education system.
Climate change forces Central American farmers to migrate
As he milks his cow, Salvadoran Gilberto Gomez laments that poor harvests, due to excessive rain or drought, practically forced his three children to leave the country and undertake the risky journey, as undocumented migrants, to the United States.
Reflections on 2018, Forecasting 2019
By Robert J. Burrowes In many ways it is painful to reflect on the year 2018; a year of vital opportunities lost when so much is at stake. Whether politically, militarily, socially, economically, financially or ecologically, humanity took some giant…
Tiger deaths in India hit 100-mark again, less from 2017
by Mayank Aggarwal on 3 January 2019 • For the third year in a row, India recorded at least 100 tiger deaths in 2018. The reason for their deaths ranges from natural deaths, poaching to electrocution and poisoning.
Looking forward: Food Tank plans for 2019
Danielle Nierenberg Last week, I wrote asking you to join Food Tank and reminding you about all that we accomplished together in 2018. Now let’s look forward. Our plans for 2019 are simply amazing, and we are embarking on our…
Dr M picked as Muslim Man of the Year
Dr Mahathir Mohamad has been picked as Muslim Man of the Year by The Muslim 500, a ranking of the world’s 500 most influential Muslims, reports New Straits Times.
Tiger widows of Sundarbans: Ecology, beliefs and mental health
by Sahana Ghosh on 28 December 2018 • Human-tiger conflicts in the Indian Sundarbans affect the mental well-being of local community members. There is a cultural connect to tigers which further influences interaction with their natural environment.
Queen Elizabeth II riffs on wisdom, family’s busy year
Queen Elizabeth II wove personal reflections into the latest edition of her annual Christmas message, saying she hoped her long life brought a measure of wisdom and noting her grandchildren’s contributions to Britain’s royal family.
The movement fighting inequality is growing
The world’s political and economic elites, that will once again gather at the Swiss mountain resort of Davos for the annual World Economic Forum (WEF) 22-25 January, have become all too predictable. It’s not difficult to predict what they will…
Painting stolen in WWII is heading from US to Ukraine
A painting that was stolen during World War II and later spent decades in a Connecticut home will be returned to an art museum in Ukraine, according to U.S. and Ukrainian officials.
Wisdom helps soften rude political vocabulary in Bangladesh
Mostafa Kamal Majumder A charged political atmosphere that the long-awaited start of the process of general elections has created in Bangladesh has a calm undertone – thanks to the wisdom and pragmatism of the newly formed opposition alliance and its…
Rule book to implement the Paris Agreement is now a reality
Kicking off COP, the WBG announced a major new set of climate targets for 2021-2025, more than doubling current 5-year investments to around $200 billion in support for countries to take ambitious climate action. It was warmly received during the…
Global Compact may help fight myth ‘migrants are liabilities’
In August 2018, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister Theresa May visited countries in Africa, sparking hope of increased foreign direct investments (FDI) in the continent.
Why weak competition can increase inequality in Europe
Like many other advanced economies around the world, the Eurozone is experiencing a productivity slowdown. Data from the ECB show that labour productivity growth has practically halved over the last 20 years. Some economists have suggested that low productivity growth…
12 Children’s books to grow future food leaders
Danielle Nierenberg Let me start by quickly asking you for your support this Christmas. We need only 25 more new Food Tank members to hit our goal for the year. All new members will get a free copy of my…
Nepal stops water project contractors from leaving country
Nepal’s government has stopped eight Italian contractors from leaving the Himalayan country in an effort to complete a critical but much delayed water supply project for the capital.
Irrigation best protection to farming against climate change
The changing climate and extreme weather events are affecting agricultural productivity in Africa to such an extent that a panel of experts are urging governments to prioritise and invest in irrigation to ensure food security.
On International Migrants Day: A call for dignity and respect
Migration is the great issue of our era. Migration With Dignity (#WithDignity) is the theme of 2018’s International Migrants Day, which we observe on Tuesday (18 December).