Viewpoint by Alice Slater The writer serves on the Board of ‘World Beyond War’. NEW YORK (IDN) – The US mission to dominate and control the military use of space has been, historically and at present, a major obstacle to achieving nuclear disarmament and a peaceful path to preserve all life on earth. Reagan rejected […]
No Comment!… And Don’t Quote Me on That
Book Review by Roderic Grigson* NEW YORK | MELBOURNE (IDN) – It takes years to write a good book and in this insightful memoir, Thalif Deen, a former UN Bureau Chief and Regional Director at Inter Press Service news agency, recounts colourful and amusing stories from his 40-year career ‘reporting from the United Nations’. No […]
Taking Action to Repair Our World
By Ramu Damodaran The writer is Chief, United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) hosted in the Department of Global Communications. This OpEd first appeared in the #WhyWeCare, @ImpactUN on February 5. NEW YORK (IDN | UNAI) – “Nostalgia for the present“ is a phrase I once heard (or think I have), and it came to mind […]
Even the IMF Is Being Forced to Rethink Its Callousness to the Global South
It could cost as much as $5 trillion if rich countries don’t help vaccinate the rest of the world. Viewpoint by Prabir Purkayastha* NEW DELHI (IDN) – The world seems to have turned topsy-turvy when the undisputed voices of global capital start talking about the virtues of “cooperation” among nations and “universal distribution of vaccines” […]
Handfuls of the Wealthiest Could Fix Awful Inequality in the USA
Viewpoint by Sonali Kolhatkar There is no better time than now to address the ridiculous levels of wealth and income inequality in the United States. It can be done with ease through aggressive taxation of the wealthiest handfuls of individuals, writes Sonali Kolhatkar. She is the founder, host and executive producer of “Rising Up With […]
Bobi Wine and The Old African Brew
Viewpoint by Azu Ishiekwene The writer is the Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief of The Interview magazine based in Abuja, Nigeria. ABUJA (IDN) – After the presidential election in Uganda, it dawned on me that there are two people in the country who don’t fear President Yoweri Museveni: one is his tailor, and the other is his political […]
A Silver Lining on The Nuclear Weapons Front
Viewpoint by Jonathan Power* LUND, Sweden (IDN) – Last week Presidents Vladimir Putin and Joe Biden had a phone call. But many say, so what? They are so wrong. A lot was there if you read between the lines. Importantly, they reaffirmed that the New START Treaty, cutting long-range nuclear-tipped missiles by one third, (that’s […]
Activists Fear Return of Police State in Tunisia
Viewpoint by Asma Abidi* BERLIN (IDN) – Ten years after the revolution that sparked the Arab Spring, Tunisia, often hailed as its only success story, has yet to deliver the promised freedom, jobs and prosperity to its people. Civil unrest erupted on January 14 across the country when the authorities announced a four-day strict lockdown, […]
Biden Administration Has an Opportunity to Emerge as A Reliable Partner with African Countries
Viewpoint by Daniel Haile* COLLEGE STATION, Texas | USA (IDN) – The lack of engagement with African countries economically, politically, and militarily could haunt the United States in the coming decades. Washington needs to forget the trauma of the infamous “Black Hawk Down” incident in Somalia and draft a new policy for mutually beneficial cooperation […]
UN Treaty Paves the Way for a Nuclear-Weapons-Free World
Viewpoint by Sergio Duarte The writer is President of Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs. Former United Nations High Representative for Disarmament Affairs. NEW YORK (IDN) – The entry into force of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) on January 22 prompted many comments from different quarters on the importance and […]