Viewpoint by Yossef Ben-Meir The writer is a former Peace Corps Volunteer and president of the High Atlas Foundation MARRAKECH (IDN) — Recognizing this week’s World Environment Day reminds us of the evolution of the concept of sustainable development since the phrase was coined in a 1987 United Nations report. At that time, sustainable development […]
The Russian Town Birobidzhan Is an Alternative to Jewish Settlements in Palestine
Viewpoint by Jonathan Power* LUND, Sweden (IDN) — The Israeli government allows its settler movement to go on and on claiming more of the West Bank. Is there nothing that can be done? The might of America, combined with the influence of the European Union and the Arab world, have not been able to halt […]
Germany’s Constitutional Court Gives Teeth to Paris Climate Agreement
Viewpoint by Franz Baumann, PassBlue NEW YORK (IDN) — In September 2016, the German parliament unanimously adopted the Paris Agreement. The government then translated Germany’s commitments under the agreement into a Climate Protection Law, which was approved by the Bundestag in November 2019 with a wide majority, making Germany the first country in the world […]
Nepal Is the Boat of Democracy on The Road Ahead
Viewpoint by Manish Uprety F.R.A.S. and Jainendra Karn Manish Uprety F.R.A.S. is an ex-diplomat & ALCAP’s Special Advisor for Asia & Africa and Jainendra Karn is a senior leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Any views or opinions expressed are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of IDN-InDepth News. […]
The Jews Need to Reflect on Their History
Viewpoint by Jonathan Power* LUND, Sweden (IDN) — There are questions that even today the historians don’t seem moved to investigate. Two important ones come to mind. Why was it that Pharaonic Egypt never went to war for hundreds of years until Ramesses 11 became pharaoh in 1303 BC? Isn’t it a fact that Jews […]
Only ‘No First Use’ Policy Can Defuse Tension
Viewpoint by Ramesh Thakur * The article was first published in International Politics and Society Journal. on May 20, 2021, by Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung’s Brussels office. CANBERRA (IDN | IPS-Joural.EU) — A ‘no first use’ (NFU) policy is an official commitment by a nuclear-armed state that it will not be the first to use nuclear weapons against […]
Rivers Are Crucial for Restoring Biodiversity Worldwide
Viewpoint by Alessandra Korap Munduruku*, Darryl Knudsen** and Irikefe V. Dafe *** This article was produced by Earth | Food | Life, a project of the Independent Media Institute. ITAITUBA, Brazil | OAKLAND, USA | ADDIS ABABA | Ethiopia (IDN) — In October 2021, the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) will meet in China to […]
Netanyahu Has Raised the Stakes Over Jerusalem
Viewpoint by Jonathan Power* LUND, Sweden (IDN) — Poets as diverse as William Blake and Yehuda Amichai have sung the praises of the heavenly Jerusalem, a land without strife or rancour, war or bitterness, envy, acquisitiveness or hatred. Israel, Fatah and Hamas, in the midst of the present chaos and carnage, have the historic opportunity […]
Stop Muddying The Waters On The Appointment Of The CTBTO Executive Secretary
Viewpoint by Tariq Rauf* “And so … ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country”, President John Kennedy, 20 January 1961. VIENNA (IDN) — For the better part of a year, diplomats from more than 180 countries have been feuding over the appointment of the […]
Put People Before Runaway Military Spending
Viewpoint by Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka and Izumi Nakamitsu Ms Mlambo-Ngcuka Executive Director of UN Women and Ms Nakamitsu is UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs. This OpEd was first published on May 6. NEW YORK (IDN) — For all of us, but especially women, the pandemic is a reminder that traditional notions of “security” that fuel […]