By Medea Benjamin* 30 June 2025 (IDN) — At last week’s NATO summit in The Hague, leaders announced an alarming new goal: push military spending to 5% of nations’ GDP by 2035. Framed as a response to rising global threats, particularly from Russia and terrorism, the declaration was hailed as a historic step. But in truth, it represents a major […]
Persistent School Dropout Issue in Majengo: A Community Call to Action
By Whitney Atieno 30 June 2025 (IDN) — Despite numerous government interventions aimed at promoting free and compulsory education for all children, the community of Majengo continues to struggle with a high rate of school dropouts. This worrying trend undermines national education goals and threatens the future of our children. Recently, I encountered a troubling […]
The ‘Latino’ Does Not Exist
By Jan Servaes MIAMI | 26 June 2025 (IDN) — Before, during, and since the 2024 U.S. presidential election, approximately 15 percent of the American voting-age population—the so-called Latinos or Hispanics—has remained in the public eye. According to some observers, they played an important role in the election of Trump, despite his “vile remarks” about […]
I Refuse to Defend the Indefensible
By Alon Ben-Meir* NEW YORK | 25 June 2025 (IDN) — Israel’s refusal to acknowledge Palestinian rights and humanity perpetuated a zero-sum narrative where Jewish safety is predicated on Palestinian dehumanisation and death Israel’s and the US’s attack against Iran’s nuclear installations and the still-unfolding repercussions of these attacks, following the ceasefire brokered by Trump, […]
No More Business as Usual to defeat Child Labour
By Simone Galimberti* KATHMANDU, Nepal | 24 June 2025 (IDN) — The year 2025 should have been one celebrating the end of child labour. This was the plan as per the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with Target 8.7 tackling the most nefarious of children’s exploitation. Unfortunately, we are still a long way away from achieving […]
“Success Leads Many Astray to Their Ruin”
By Alon Ben-Meir* NEW YORK | 22 June 2025 (IDN) — The ancient quote from the Greek philosopher Phaedrus, to not let success go to one’s head and inflating one’s ego, which can lead to terrible failure, is a timeless warning to Trump and Netanyahu. Having tested the sweetness of Israel’s impressive success in destroying […]
Israel Fights Wars to Prevent Peace
By James E. Jennings* ATLANTA, USA | 21 June 2025 (IDN) — Israel’s blatant aggression against Iran in the current “Star Wars” conflict between Tel Aviv and Tehran was designed not to ensure peace, but to prevent it. Diplomatic talks over Iran’s nuclear program were scheduled to begin within a few days, so a new […]
The Evolving Persian Gulf: Iran’s New Reality
By Azu Ishiekwene The writer is the Editor-In-Chief of LEADERSHIP and the author of the new book Writing for Media and Monetising It. ABUJA, Nigeria | 21 June 2025 (IDN) — On paper, it looked like a mismatch. Iran is not only one of the oldest and most established places in the Persian Gulf but also at […]
Russia-Africa Youth Engagement: Fostering Significant Diplomatic Collaboration
By Kester Kenn Klomegah* MOSCOW | 20 June 2025 (IDN) — Russia and Africa seek multipolarity and economic sovereignty through technology transfer, vocational training, and cultural exchange. The Russia-Africa Youth Committee at the Diplomatic Academy supports academic diplomacy, youth diplomacy, and strategic networking by connecting students with practitioners to develop policies and solutions. The first […]
Fair Fiscal Policies Must Start with the People Who Know the System Best
By Michael Jarvis* WASHINGTON DC | 20 June 2025 (IDN) — Fiscal justice is often treated as a technical topic, the domain of economists and policymakers. But at its core, it’s about fairness. For example, it’s about how public money is raised and spent, and who gets a say in those decisions. It also means […]