Category: OPINION

Viewpoint by John Scales Avery* COPENHAGEN (IDN) – Elimination of excessive economic inequality makes societies happier and better, underlines the incontrovertible evidence that a new freely downloadable book presents. Going back to history, the Age of Reason or the Enlightenment was an intellectual and philosophical movement that dominated the world of ideas during the 17th […]

Viewpoint by Gema Cortés The writer is Public Information Officer, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Caracas. He contributed the following to UN OCHA on June 1. CARACAS (IDN) – When I arrived in Venezuela ten months ago, access to basic services and products such as food and medicines was […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]