By Kul Chandra Gautam The writer is a former UN assistant secretary general and deputy executive director of UNICEF. KATHMANDU | 26 September 2024 (IDN) — Ever since UNICEF’s legendary Executive Director Jim Grant passed away in January 1995, I have had a dream that UNICEF, ideally, or some other organization, would establish a prestigious […]
Wanted A Non-Hegemonic New International Order Under the UN Charter
By Jeffrey D. Sachs* This article was originally published in Horizons and is being republished with the author’s permission. – Though the Summit of the Future has concluded, this article by SDG Advocate under Secretary-General António Guterres is of utmost importance. The Outcome Document of the Summit reflects some of the author’s recommendations for a […]
Ukraine War: Zelensky Wants US Troops in Ukraine — And Putin Replaced
By Stephen Bryen* This article was issued by Weapons and Strategy and is being republished with their permission. WASHINGTON, D.C. | 25 September 2024 (IDN) — A friend of mine “translated” Zelensky’s UN speech as follows: Force Russia to the Negotiating Table, Return all territory taken by Russia to Ukraine; have a war crimes trial […]
Sri Lanka: Is the New President Harbinger of Hope and Change?
By Farwa Aamer The writer is Director of South Asia Initiatives at the Asia Society Policy Institute (ASPI). NEW YORK | 25 September (IDN) — Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s win (as new President) marks a period of hope and change for the Sri Lankans who are still recovering from the political and economic crisis of 2022. […]
Is The World Moving Toward Long-Term Self-Destruction?
By Jonathan Power* LUND, Sweden | 24 September 2024 (IDN) — Eleven hundred years ago Europe was a backwater. There were no grand cities, apart from Cordoba in Spain which was Muslim. The Middle East was much further ahead, still absorbing the intellectual delights and challenges of Greek science, medicine and architecture which Europeans were […]
South Asian Workers in Europe Face Harrowing Working Conditions
By Aju John* BERLIN | 22 September 2024 (IDN) — On 19 June of this year, an agricultural labourer from India named Satnam Singh lost his life on a melon farm in Latina, Italy. He had been crushed by a machine that severed one of his arms and fractured his legs — horrific injuries, but, […]
Opinion: What Does Solidarity with Ukraine Mean?
By Ingar Solty The writer is Senior Fellow for Peace and Security Policy at the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation. BERLIN | 22 September 2024 (IDN) — On 17 March 1981, the German comic book artist Rötger Feldmann gave himself a birthday present by publishing the first volume of his Werner comics. The series chronicles the adventures […]
A Cultural Feast of Folk Songs That Unveils the Soul of Sri Lanka
Reviewed by Nandi Jasentuliyana, former Deputy Director-General, United Nations. LOS ANGELES, USA | 21 September 2024 (IDN) — If you have yet to experience the mesmerizing performances of the Ranwala Balakaya, you’re missing out on a cultural feast that stirs the soul and celebrates Sri Lanka’s rich heritage. Fans of traditional Sri Lankan arts packed […]
Summit of the Future: The Importance of Youth and Future Generations
By Bisma Qamar* UNITED NATIONS | 21 September 2024 (IDN) — The Summit of the Future, best described by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to bring together political leaders to discuss the world’s pressing challenges, is aimed at negotiating solutions. Under the theme “Multilateral Solutions for a better tomorrow,” the Summit is […]
Sri Lanka Must Pivot to the BRICS for a New Dawn
Need to De-dollarize to De-colonize after Elections By Darini Rajasingham-Senanayake* COLOMBO | 20 September 2024 (IDN) — In the run up to elections the post-Marxist National People’s Party (NPP), has run a high-gloss, foreign-funded, election campaign to market its policies as a ‘new dawn’. Remarkably, the NPP and rival political parties alike had ignored wider […]