By Dr. Daisaku Ikeda, President, Soka Gakkai International (SGI) TOKYO (IDN) – “That which is common to the greatest number has the least care bestowed upon it,” observed Aristotle, highlighting an all-too-common human tendency. His warning is still relevant today, especially in our fight against climate change. The Paris Agreement, adopted in December 2015, is […]
Censorship at the Heart of the UN is a Betrayal of its Charter
Viewpoint by Jonathan Power LUND, Sweden (IDN-INPS) – The UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) has long been controversial. Back in the days of the Soviet Union, Moscow protected communist and ultra-socialist dictators around the world from any attack on their human rights abuses. At the same time routine attacks on Israel, even the extravagant ones, […]
Keeping Up Anti-Corruption Momentum in the Post-Lagarde IMF
Viewpoint by M. Emilia Berazategui The author is Global Advocacy Coordinator at Transparency International, the global civil society organisation leading the fight against corruption BERLIN (IDN) – In recent years, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has repeatedly demonstrated its ambition to play a leading role in tackling corruption worldwide. Under the leadership of Christine Lagarde, […]
Burning Down the House
Viewpoint by John Feffer The author is the director of Foreign Policy in Focus at the Washington-based Institute for Policy Studies and this viewpoint is published with his kind permission. It was written prior to the latest events in the UK Parliament. WASHINGTON (IDN) – Doesn’t idiocy ever take a vacation? As August wound down, […]
The Emerald Forests Need Not Die
Viewpoint by Jonathan Power LUND, Sweden (IDN-INPS) – Belem is the Brazilian city at the mouth of the Amazon. Unlike its slummy counterpart, Kinshasa, at the mouth of the Congo, it’s full of resplendent streets with beautiful nineteenth century houses. It has squares and marketplaces full of cafes, fountains and life. The large city grew […]
Continuing Upsurge in Costs of U.S. Nuclear Warheads
Viewpoint by Kingston Reif The writer is the Director for Disarmament and Threat Reduction Policy at the Arms Control Association. This article was first published in Arms Control Today (ACT). WASHINGTON, DC (IDN | Arms Control Association) – The estimated cost of sustaining U.S. nuclear warheads and their supporting infrastructure continues to rise, according to […]
Everything Has to Change for Our Planet to Stay the Same
By António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations NEW YORK (IDN) – Our planet is changing dramatically. Forests are burning, sea ice is shrinking, and the Greenland icecap is pouring unprecedented amounts of water into the ocean. Levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are higher than they have been in human history, climate disruption […]
Non-violence Is the Need of the Hour in Hong Kong
Viewpoint by Jonathan Power LUND, Sweden (IDN-INPS) – The gloves are off in Hong Kong. Judging from the pictures on September 3 BBC News the police no longer have any compunction about beating protestors. Ironically, they don’t appear to get close to the fringe of protestors who are using violent tactics. Rather they are swinging […]
It Is Time to Close and Lock the Door on Nuclear Testing
Viewpoint by Daryl G. Kimball The writer is Executive Director of the Arms Control Association. The following is the text of his article published in Arms Control Today. WASHINGTON, DC (IDN | Arms Control Association) – Everybody knows that nuclear weapons have been used twice in wartime and with terrible consequences. Often overlooked, however, is […]
Remembering a Founding Tragedy of Our Modern World
Viewpoint by Ali Moussa The writer is Coordinator of UNESCO’s Slave Route Project. This article first appeared on UNESCO Website on 22 August 2019, a day before the International Day of Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolion initiated by UNESCO. PARIS (IDN-INPS) – Among the major crimes that have marked human history, the […]