Recovering better will require concerted efforts to rebuild trust in the institutions of governance, with a renewed commitment to eliminating discrimination
Category: Op-Ed
Are water futures the future of water?
Water futures have so far failed to address concerns regarding access to water in developing countries. There is no easy panacea for humanity’s water needs.
Health, IPR, Biodiversity and Traditional Knowledge
As COVID-19 vaccines are approved and rolled out, the issue of timely access to the vaccines in developing and least developed countries has become even more urgent. The current continuing reliance on a handful of pharmaceutical companies with limited production…
AL factions clash in Rajshahi over mayoral polls; 1 hurt
Rajshahi, Jan 14 – Supporters of two factions of Awami League locked in a series of clashes at Arani municipality in Rajshahi on Wednesday over the mayoral election.
Enduring 2nd impeachment, Trump stands largely silent, alone
WASHINGTON, Jan 14 (AP/UNB) — His place in the history books rewritten, President Donald Trump endured his second impeachment largely alone and silent. For more than four years, Trump has dominated the national discourse like no one before him. Yet…
2nd Term for Guterres to Negate First Female UN Chief move?
By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS, Jan 12 2021 (IPS) – The United Nations has been one of the most vociferous advocates of gender empowerment and a persistent critic of gender discrimination worldwide. But still, it has continued to fall far…
Culture of Misogyny, Toxic Masculinity Drive Sexual Violence
By Sania Farooqui NEW DELHI, India, Jan 11 2021 (IPS) – In October 2020, Bangladeshi citizens took to the streets, outraged by the reports of gruesome gang rapes and sexual violence that were taking place in the country. According to…
The Strategic Goal of Israeli Racism in Palestine
By Ramzy Baroud The discussion on institutional Israeli racism against its own Palestinian Arab population has all but ceased following the final approval of the discriminatory Nation-State Law in July 2018. Indeed, the latest addition to Israel’s Basic Law is…
Siege on US Capitol Was poll Violence of a Fragile Democracy
Jan 7 2021 (IPS) – Supporters of President Donald Trump, following his encouragement, stormed the US Capitol building on Jan. 6, disrupting the certification of Joe Biden’s election victory. Waving Trump banners, hundreds of people broke through barricades and smashed…
Storming of Capitol Hill Reminiscent of a Banana Republic
By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS, Jan 8 2021 (IPS) – The storming of Capitol Hill in Washington DC by an unruly mob is reminiscent of an insurrection in a “banana republic” –as hilariously portrayed in the 1971 Woody Allen comedy…
18 Organizations Finding Ways to Recover & Redistribute Food
Danielle Nierenberg Access to affordable, nutritious food has been one of the great challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. As millions of people globally lost jobs, access to school meals, and the ability to shop for food with ease, there has…
Sir Brian Urquhart: Embodiment of the UN
By James A. Paul NEW YORK, Jan 5 2021 (IPS) – Sir Brian Urquhart, who died on January 2 at the age of 101, served the United Nations in high posts for four decades, beginning in the organization’s earliest days.
Analysis: Trump’s rage ignites mob assault on democracy
NEW YORK (AP) — The riotous mob that laid siege to the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday was the product of the destructive forces that President Donald Trump has been stirring for years, culminating in the disruption of a democratic ritual…
Food Culture in Spotlight on UNESCO Heritage List
By SWAN PARIS, Dec (IPS) – Cuisine formed a notable portion of the latest inscriptions on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, with hawker food in Singapore and couscous traditions in North Africa being celebrated.
Afghanistan: 19 Years of War
By Maya Evans The NATO & US backed war on Afghanistan was launched 7th October 2001, just a month after 9/11, in what most thought would be a lightning war and a stepping stone onto the real focus, the Middle…
Glorious days: Sensational interview of man living with AIDS
Professional colleagues in Bangladesh, especially the seniors, used to call me a pioneer in reporting on AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) because many of the breaking news stories in this arena were done by me in the late eighties of…
Medals for Covid-19 medical workers urged
Sir Frank Peters Celebrated broadcaster, historian, and Freedom Fighter Muhammad Musa is advocating that all doctors, nurses and medical assistants on the front-line in the war against Coronavirus Covid-19 are conferred with the honour “Hero of Humanitarian Services”.
It’s time to make peace with nature: UN chief
2 December 2020 – The UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, has described the fight against the climate crisis as the top priority for the 21st Century, in a passionate, uncompromising speech delivered on Wednesday at Columbia University in New York.
War Crimes by Australian Forces in Afghanistan Shock Nation
By Kalinga Seneviratne SYDNEY (IDN) – The release of a report into a landmark four-year investigation into the behaviour of Australians special forces known as the SAS (Special Air Service) in Afghanistan, seem to have shocked the nation, judging from…
How Do We Transition to a More Sustainable Food System?
Danielle Nierenberg In advance of tomorrow’s “Resetting the Food System” Summit co-hosted by the Barilla Foundation and Food Tank, we asked 30+ speakers to share inspiring insight on how to make the transition to a more sustainable food system. You…
From pol prisoner to HR Champion – The Wai Wai Nu Story
By Mariya Salim NEW DELHI, India, Nov 23 2020 (IPS) – Instead of being cowed by her seven-year imprisonment, Wai Wai Nu, emerged stronger and more determined to fight for the rights of all people, including the Rohingya in her…
A better world with more democracy at work
by Stan De Spiegelaere and Sigurt Vitols on 23rd November 2020 For democracy to work well requires democracy in the workplace. ‘You know what? Our whole education is a lie. We learned how to be critical citizens for years, develop…
Resetting the clock to rethink life
Sudhirendar Sharma De-growth can help people engage life journeys with patience and compassion, rather than investing in material acquisitions to escape the daily quota of pain, sadness and frustration. Epidemics have happened in the past but the speed and scope…
Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership RCEP augurs hope
By Chandra Muzaffar Amidst of the gloom generated by the twin health and economic crises, the birth of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is a ray of light auguring hope.
How Climate Targets Can Help Economic Recovery
by Francisca Tondreau SANTIAGO – With the world gripped by the COVID-19 pandemic, policymakers have turned their attention to economic stimulus and financial support of households and firms. As a result, many countries have been delaying the preparation and submission…
The Neglected Water and Sanitation Crisis
by Kevin Rudd SUNSHINE COAST – The COVID-19 crisis has laid bare the importance of access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene. As we all know now, hand washing is one of the best frontline defenses against the virus. Yet…
The Environmental Consequences of Political Repression
by Henry Munangatire HARARE – Zimbabwe was once Africa’s rising star. Boasting robust human capital, considerable natural-resource wealth, and modern infrastructure, it was the continent’s leading producer of crops such as maize, wheat, and soybeans. Agricultural exports earned it the…
Unprecedented US Presidential Election; It’s Consequences
By Farhang Jahanpour OXFORD, Nov 20 2020 (IPS) – American democracy has survived a dangerous virus, and it has even come off the ventilator, but whether it will be restored to full health or will suffer for a long time…
Over 1.5 mn killed worldwide without single shot being fired
By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS, Nov 20 2020 (IPS) – The world’s major military powers exercise their dominance largely because of their massive weapons arsenals, including sophisticated fighter planes, drones, ballistic missiles, warships, battle tanks, heavy artillery—and nuclear weapons of…
France’s Proxy War and the Budding Turkish-Russian Alliance
By Dr Ramzy Baroud Overwhelmed by uncontrollable circumstances, the Greek government is bracing for another financial crisis that promises to be as terrible as the last one in 2015. Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, announced, on September 12, that Athens has…