Viewpoint by Jonathan Power LUND, Sweden (IDN) — Brazil has long lived out its personal fantasy as the archetypal relaxed, tolerant and gregarious country with Copacabana beach, the samba, the carnival and a great deal of sexual freedom. But, as it was often said when Luiz Inacio “Lula” da Silva came to power in 2003, […]
Pope Appeals for Release of Catholics Kidnapped in Cameroon
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK (IDN) — Pope Francis has added his voice to calls by the bishops of Cameroon for the release of five priests, a religious sister, a cook, a catechist and a 15-year-old girl kidnapped in southwest Cameroon, where a civil war has been raging between the French and […]
UN Development Goals Can be Best Achieved with Civil Society Participation
By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS (IDN) — A coalition of over 1,000 civil society organizations (CSOs) from 127 countries, under the umbrella of the Global People’s Assembly (GPA), has declared that the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) can be best achieved—and on its 2030 deadline—only with the active participation of civil society. “Seven years […]
Possible Deployment of North Korea’s Nuclear Weapons: “Automatically and Immediately”
Viewpoint by Herbert Wulf This article was issued by the Toda Peace Institute and is being republished with their permission. BONN (IDN) — In the shadow of the Ukraine war and the extraordinary media attention, the conflict over North Korea’s nuclear ambitions is currently receding into the background. For years, the government in Pyongyang has […]
Kenyan Youth Seek Compensation from Rich Countries Responsible for Climate Change
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK (IDN) — Hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets of Nairobi on September 24 to demand that wealthy countries pay more in the fight against climate change. “We need the Global North to pay for the damages they are causing,” said Duncan Omwami, an activist who joined […]
Late Archbishop Tutu’s Daughter Barred from Godfather’s Funeral
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK (IDN) — The daughter of the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu said she was “stunned” by the Church of England when they denied her the right to officiate at her godfather’s funeral because she is married to a woman. According to the Rev. Mpho Tutu van Furth, an […]
In Memoriam: Dr. M.I.M Jameel
By A. L. A. Azeez COLOMBO (IDN) — Much-loved and respected Dr Mohamed Jameel of Sainthamaruthu passed away on September 24. The last time I visited him in 2020, he received me with open arms, shared with me his anxiety over what was then going on in the country and within the community, and discussed […]
Exhibition Educates Youth on Dangers of Nuclear Weapons
By Kalinga Seneviratne NUR-SULTAN, Kazakhstan (IDN) — An exhibition that opened at Keruen Mall, an upmarket shopping centre here on September 16 and continues until the end of the month, uses a novel method to reach out to young people with the message of the dangers of nuclear weapons. The exhibition depicts over 70 years […]
Act Now to Transform Education into 21st Century Learning
Viewpoint by Dr Randa Grob-Zakhary The author is the Founder and CEO of Education.org ZURICH (IDN) — At the recent Transforming Education Summit in New York, 130 countries pledged to reboot their education systems and accelerate action to tackle the global learning crisis. Fifty foundations pledged to support those ambitions. As UN Secretary-General António Guterres […]
A Conversation About Life Love and Career
A Review by Nandi Jasentuliyana The writer is the former Deputy Director-General of the United Nations. LOS ANGELES, USA (IDN) — Love, heartache, and euphoria wrapped in a treasure trove of the author’s life experiences narrated within these pages depict the lonely abyss and the dizzy heights of glory that people experience. In ‘Lessons Learnt’, […]