Viewpoint by Eleanor Russell and Martin Parker* CAMBRIDGE | BRISTOL (IDN) – In June 1348, people in England began reporting mysterious symptoms. They started off as mild and vague: headaches, aches, and nausea. This was followed by painful black lumps, or buboes, growing in the armpits and groin, which gave the disease its name: bubonic […]
The Unravelling of America: You’ve Gotta Watch to Cry
Viewpoint by Azu Ishiekwene The writer is the Managing Director/Editor-In-Chief of The Interview magazine based in Abuja, Nigeria. ABUJA (IDN) – I first watched the movie in the lockdown. At the beginning, it was funny when the pair was fiddling with their entrée in the restaurant and wondering why they had both avoided each other […]
COVID-19 Crisis: How South-South Cooperation Can Support Economic Recovery
Viewpoint by Richard Kozul-Wright The writer is Director of Globalization and Development Strategies, UNCTAD. GENEVA (IDN) – The COVID-19 crisis is stress testing the capacity of governance arrangements to deal with unexpected shocks. Results point to considerable variation at the national level, but it’s difficult to give anything above a B minus to the response […]
“The COVID-19 Crisis Is an Opportunity to Reimagine Human Mobility”
Viewpoint by António Guterres United Nations Secretary-General launches Policy Brief on the Impact of COVID-19 on Refugees, IDPs and Migrants. NEW YORK (IDN) COVID-19 continues to devastate lives and livelihoods around the globe — hitting the most vulnerable the hardest. This is particularly true for millions of people on the move — such as refugees […]
The Murder of George Floyd is Normal in an Abnormal Society
Viewpoint by Vijay Prashad* This article was originally produced by Globetrotter, a project of the Independent Media Institute. NORTHAMPTON, Massachusetts (IDN) – There is no need to wonder why George Floyd (age 46) was murdered in broad daylight in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on May 25, 2020. The script of his death is written deep in the ugly […]
In Quest of The Israeli De Klerk
Viewpoint by Jonathan Power LUND, Sweden (IDN) – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel has announced that in a month’s time he will start to annex the large-scale Jewish settlements inside Palestinian territory, a step as provocative as one can imagine. Not even President Donald Trump’s Administration which has supported Israel with many measures has […]
Tackling the COVID-19 Crisis the Wrong Swedish and Effective Indian Way
Viewpoint by Manish Uprety F.R.A.S. and Jainendra Karn * NEW DELHI (IDN) – Since time immemorial, humanity has confronted natural disasters and pandemics continually, and yet survived. But COVID-19 is unique in the sense that it has shaken and stirred both the UN World Health Organization (WHO) and the world to the core. With over […]
Multilateralism, The Covid-19 Pandemic and The NPT Review Conference
Viewpoint by Sergio Duarte Ambassador, former UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs. President of Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs. NEW YORK (IDN) – On April 24, the International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace was observed at the United Nations. At the occasion, Secretary-general António Guterres called for a “networked multilateralism, strengthening […]
Australia Loses Big If China Ties Unravel
Viewpoint by James Laurenceson The author is Professor and Director of the Australia-China Relations Institute at The University of Technology Sydney (UTS). This article first published on May 24 in EastAsiaForum, is part of an EAF special feature series on the novel coronavirus crisis and its impact. SYDNEY (IDN) – In 2016, the Executive Director […]
India Pivots to The United States to Balance China
Viewpoint by C Raja Mohan The writer is Director of the Institute of South Asian Studies at The National University of Singapore. This article first appeared on EastAsiaForum on 19 May 2020. A longer version is available in the most recent edition of East Asia Forum Quarterly, ‘Middle Power Game’, Vol. 12 No. 1. SINGAPORE (IDN) […]