Viewpoint by Hamid Ali Khan BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan. 13 August 2023 (IDN) — The prevalence of social media has snowballed in recent years in Pakistan, ushering in a new era of digital interconnectedness. But with this technological advancement comes the unintended consequence of trivializing Pakistani society. Social media platforms like YouTube, Twitter, TikTok, and Facebook have […]
First Person: Life Story of a 3rd Generation Survivor of Soviet Nuclear Tests in Kazakhstan
At a side event co-organized by the Permanent Mission of Kazakhstan in Vienna, Soka Gakkai International (SGI), and Center for International Security and Policy (Kazakhstan), Dmitriy Vesselov—a third-generation Semipalatinsk nuclear-testing survivor—spoke at the first session of the Preparatory Committee for the 2026 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear […]
Bangladesh Grappling with Severe Dengue Outbreak
By Sohail Choudhury* DHAKA. 12 August 2023 (IDN) — Bangladesh is currently facing a significant challenge as it grapples with a dengue epidemic. Since January, hospitals in the country have reported a staggering 80,074 cases of dengue, with 2,046 new cases added in the latest daily count. The death toll has risen by nine in […]
A Perilous Implosion Awaits Israel Unless True Democracy Prevails
By Alon Ben-Meir* NEW YORK. 12 August 2023 (IDN) — To prevent creeping authoritarianism and the complete disintegration of Israel’s democracy, it will be crucial to not only preserve the independence of the judiciary but to embrace other central pillars on which democracy rests The socio-political turmoil in Israel which is manifested by the pervasive […]
Russian Invasion of Ukraine Triggers Self-defence
By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS. 11 August 2023 (IDN) — The Russian invasion of Ukraine—now in its 16th month—has been described by the United Nations as violations of both the UN charter and the territorial integrity of a sovereign nation. But it has also triggered the concept of self-defence: you hit me, and I’ll hit […]
It’s Time for No-First Use as Doomsday Clock Moves Closer to Midnight
By Aurora Weiss VIENNA. 11 August 2023 (IDN) — At the two-week-long Preparatory Committee meeting here for the 2026 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), the Buddhist organization Soka Gakkai International (SGI)—in consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)—and the Nuclear Age […]
The Unholy Alliance of Orientalism, Ethnocentrism, Misogynism, and Terrorism
Part II: Five False Narratives of Orientalist Taliban Apologists By Bashir Mobasher* This article was issued by the Toda Peace Institute and is being republished with their permission. ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA, USA. 9 August 2023 (IDN) — Orientalist narratives are once again displacing the interests and needs of Afghans. Orientalists are some so-called international “experts of […]
Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament Bypasses Gender Parity—Updated
By Thalif Deen The following is an updated version of the article published on 6 August 2023. UNITED NATIONS. 9 August 2023 (IDN) — The United Nations has been a vociferous and longstanding advocate of gender empowerment in its political, social and economic agenda characterized by 17 Sustainable Dvelopment Goals (SDGs), including poverty and hunger […]
The Erosion of The International Arms Control Regimes
By Sergio Duarte The writer is an Ambassador, former UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, and President of Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs. NEW YORK. 9 August 2023 (IDN) — Nuclear weapons burst into the international scenario 21 days after the signature of the Charter of the United Nations. For that chronological reason, […]
The Unholy Alliance of Orientalism, Ethnocentrism, Misogynism, and Terrorism
Part I: Understanding Taliban Apologism By Bashir Mobasher* This article was issued by the Toda Peace Institute and is being republished with their permission. ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA, USA. 8 August 2023 (IDN) — Recently, Amina J. Mohammed, UN Deputy Secretary General, and other Taliban apologists in the UN held a meeting in Doha with different regional […]