As the youth population has increased to unprecedented levels in Arab and Asian regions, governments need to do more to invest in them.
Category: Op-Ed
Boiling point: World’s biggest jump in GHG emissions
The Blue Dragon, a small riverfront eatery in Hoi An, Vietnam, serves morsels of local trivia to tourists along with $2 plates of crisp spring rolls and succulent noodles.
Over and under nutrition: Two sides of an unhealthy coin
A dramatic shift in the way we eat and think about food is more urgent than ever to prevent further environmental degradation and an even larger health epidemic.
The US detention of children is only getting worse
Images of children sitting alone in chain-link cages, recordings of their frightened cries, and officials’ mocking reactions generated outrage across the country this summer. The Trump Administration responded by reversing its policy of forcibly separating immigrant families at the border—but…
Fixing the crisis of confidence in the Green Climate Fund
The Green Climate Fund’s mandate couldn’t be more crucial: accelerating climate action in developing countries by supporting transformational investments in adaptation and emissions reduction.
Women owning agri land means more food security, nutrition
Despite women being key figures in agriculture and food security, gender inequality is holding back progress towards ending hunger, poverty, and creating sustainable food systems.
Building resilience through agroecology
Dhaka, Oct 1 – Agriculture takes up almost 40% of the planet’s ice-free land surface, accounts for 70% of the freshwater used in the world, and produces about 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions. It is also the single biggest driver of…
Renewable energy no longer a moral but economic choice
When the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) was founded eight years ago, the general public thought that renewable energies would never replace oil and coal. Today, the tables have turned.
Europe leads the way in development index 2018
We just published the Commitment to Development Index (CDI) 2018, which ranks 27 of the world’s richest countries on how well their policies help the more than five billion people living in poorer countries.
Impunity, Harsh Laws Trouble Journalists in South Asia
It has been six and half years since the killing of Bangladeshi journalists Meherun Runi and Sagar Sarwar in Dhaka. Runi, a senior reporter from the private TV channel ATN Bangla, and her husband Sarwar, news editor from Maasranga TV,…
New trade realities cause concern
Trade liberalization, a key dimension of recent globalization, has failed to promote broad structural transformation in developing countries and has instead contributed to increased worldwide inequality, a new United Nations report shows.
Houthi hostage-taking in Yemen
Arbitrary Detention, Torture, Enforced Disappearance Go Unpunished Yemen: Houthi Officials Kidnap, Demand Ransom Money The Houthi armed group in Yemen has frequently taken hostages and committed other serious abuses against people in their custody.
An uncertain future ahead for Rohingyas in Bangladesh
Over one year ago, Bangladesh opened its doors in response to what is now the world’s fastest growing refugee crisis. But questions still remain on how to rehabilitate the steadily growing population.
A call for justice and action for Myanmar
1. The judgment of the Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal on Myanmar: genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity One year ago, on 22 September 2017, the Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal on Myanmar, after hearing persuasive witness and expert testimony at its session…
Maintaining Asian stability amid heightened uncertainty: ADB
Developing Asia’s gross domestic product is forecast to expand by 6.0% in 2018 and 5.8% in 2019. Consumer prices for 2018 and 2019 are projected to rise by 2.8%, says Asian Development Bank in its latest forecast.
Climate change undermining global efforts to eradicate hunger
The United Nations warned last month that the accelerating impacts of climate change—“already clearly visible today”– have triggered an unpredictable wave of natural disasters– including extreme heatwaves, wild fires, storms, and floods during the course of this year.
Journalism caught between bullets, censorship in S America
The murder of journalists and changing forms of censorship show that freedom of expression and information are still under siege in Latin America, particularly in the countries with the greatest social upheaval and political polarisation.
Experts call for global momentum on gender parity
The world’s most important meeting is underway in New York, providing yet another opportunity for world leaders to discuss a wide array of issues such as peace, security and sustainable development. And experts stress that the role of women in…
Researchers say they’re closing in on Captain Cook’s ship
Providence, Sept 22 (AP/UNB) — Researchers are exploring whether a shipwreck off the coast of Rhode Island could be the vessel that 18th-century explorer Capt. James Cook used to sail around the world.
Chennai Medical institute attracts clients from across India
by NJ Thakuria It was a rewarding trip to Chennai, slowly emerged as a national medical care hub, where options and technical facilities for prevention and treatment of various disease attract every onlooker. The south Indian city on the bank…
Level playing field for persons with disabilities in the US
When it was time for Joe Lupinacci to graduate from his high school in Stamford, Connecticut, he knew he wanted to go to college. While other students were deciding which college to apply to, the choice required more thought and…
Indigenous peoples link their development to clean energies
Achuar indigenous communities in Ecuador are turning to the sun to generate electricity for their homes and transport themselves in canoes with solar panels along the rivers of their territory in the Amazon rainforest, just one illustration of how indigenous…
27 Organisations in New York City combating food waste
From Danielle Nierenberg The 2nd Annual New York City Food Tank Summit on Octobe r 3rd entitled “Focusing on Food Loss and Food Waste” is only two weeks away and now completely sold out! It’s going to be an incredible,…
Europe must target demand to fight sex trafficking
Sex trafficking is big business. The ILO estimates that global sex trafficking generates $99 billion in profits every year for traffickers. It’s an exploitation industry that has grown rapidly in the past few decades. Sex trafficking, as understood by the…
UN expects more upheavals as Trump’s foreign policy runs wild
By Thalif Deen Reprint UNI, Sep 19 2018 (IPS) – The unpredictable Donald Trump, described by some as a human wrecking ball, will be walking down his own path of self-inflicted destruction when he visits the United Nations next week.
The future of NATO: An interview
An interview with Daniel Falcone on the future of NATO that considers Trump’s brazen challenges and the tepid responses of European political leaders, and what this interplay signifies for the future of world order. At least, Trump’s approach has so…
Worldwide effects of asbestos use
Earlier this summer, the Environmental Protection Agency of the United States (EPA) issued a Significant New Use Rule (SNUR) on asbestos, a naturally occurring mineral that is also a known carcinogen. Asbestos is the only definitive cause of mesothelioma, a…
Klamath River – a life or death issue for Yurok Tribe People
Fishermen are scarce in the Klamath River delta, unlike other fishing season, because climate change has driven up water temperatures which kills off the salmon, the flagship species of this region in northern California.
Global warming threatens Europe’s public health
Climate change and health experts are warning of the growing threat to public health in Europe from global warming as rising temperatures help potentially lethal diseases spread easily across the continent.
Sustainable goals about people and will happen if they want
Today just over two billion people live without readily available, safe water supplies at home. And more than half the world’s population, roughly 4.3 billion people, live in areas where demand for water resources outstrips sustainable supplies for at least…