By Alon Ben-Meir and Arbana Xharra* NEW YORK, 10 May 2023 (IDN) — Whether or not Erdogan wins the May 14 presidential election, his legacy will be marred by his authoritarianism, corruption, and ruthlessness. The Turkish people have now a historic opportunity to oust him and begin a process of healing the nation under the […]
‘Settle the Ukraine Crisis, Avoid a Nuclear Confrontation’
Japanese Buddhist Leader’s Urgent Appeal to G7 Hiroshima Summit Viewpoint by Daisaku Ikeda* TOKYO, 10 May 2023 (IDN) — The Ukraine crisis, which in addition to bringing devastation to the people of that country has had severe impacts on a global scale—even giving rise to the specter of nuclear weapons use—has entered its second year. […]
There Is More to Immigration Than Cheap Labour and Racism
By Jonathan Power* LUND, Sweden, 9 May 2023 (IDN) — Every developed country is importing cheap labour, yet all too rarely are the pro and con arguments discussed with real profundity. The path-breaking book “The British Dream” by David Goodhart, the founder of the intellectual magazine, “Prospect”, dared to deal with the shibboleths. There are […]
Is Peace Possible in Ukraine?
By Sergio Duarte The writer is a former UN High Representative for Disarmament. NEW YORK, 9 May 2023 (IDN) — Under the inspiration of the five powers that won World War II, the United Nations Charter was adopted in 1945 with the objective of regulating international relations and preventing war. Its Preamble expresses “the determination […]
India: Gandhi, His Murderer Godse and the RSS
Viewpoint by Ram Puniyani* NEW DELHI, 7 May 2023 (IDN) — In April 2023, the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) decided to make many deletions from school textbooks. Apart from the parts related to Mughal history, the mention of Gujarat violence and the origin of Caste Varna system, what stands deleted is […]
Sri Lanka: The Die is Cast
By Neville de Silva* LONDON, 5 May 2023 (IDN) — Sri Lanka’s stand-in president Ranil Wickremesinghe is no Julius Caesar. But he is ready to cross his own Rubicon as he must. For time is running out fast for him after almost 50 years in politics and slowly nudging his 75th birthday.
The U.S. Has Problems Adjusting Sensibly to a Multipolar World
This article was issued by the CODEPINK and is being republished with the permission. By Medea Benjamin and Nicolas J. S. Davies* NEW YORK, 4 May 2023 (IDN) — In his 1987 book The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers, historian Paul Kennedy reassured Americans that the decline the United States was facing after […]
Implications of the Fraying of the Liberal International Order for Policy Oriented Research
By Ramesh Thakur* This article was issued by the Toda Peace Institute and is being republished with their permission. CANBERRA, Australia, 4 May 2023 (IDN) — For several years now many analysts have commented on the looming demise of the liberal international order constructed at the end of the Second World War under US leadership.
UNESCO Needs to Rethink Freedom of Expression
Viewpoint by Kalinga Seneviratne SYDNEY, 3 May 2023 (IDN) — At a time when the West has weaponised human rights, the United Nations body that promotes freedom of expression need to rethink what it means. Every year UNESCO (United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation) mark World Press Freedom Day (WPFD) on May 3 with […]
Bush’s “Mission Accomplished,” 20 Years Later
By Norman Solomon* SAN FRANCISCO, USA, 2 May 2023 (IDN) — Twenty years ago, President George W. Bush landed in a twin-engine Navy jet on an aircraft carrier, strode across the deck in a bulky flight suit and proceeded to give a televised victory speech under a huge red-white-and-blue banner announcing “Mission Accomplished.”