By Jonathan Power* LUND, Sweden. 28 August 2023 (IDN) — Sixty years ago, Martin Luther King made his earth-shattering “I Have a Dream” speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC. Is there anybody who watches and listens to it on YouTube not moved to the soles of their shoes? I’ve heard […]
Gabonese President Seeks 3rd Term Amidst Questions of Voting Legitimacy
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK. 28 August 2023 (IDN) — As voters went to the polls in Libreville, the capital of the oil-rich nation of Gabon, polling stations were already opening late. Scheduled to begin in the morning of August 26, many sites had failed to open as of 2 p.m. Incumbent […]
International Criminal Court Is No Longer a Paper Tiger
By Jonathan Power* LUND, Sweden. 23 August 2023 (IDN) — There can be no question that if President Bashar al-Assad of Syria falls the International Criminal Court (ICC) will want to put him on trial for war crimes. The long arm of international law will reach him wherever he flees to. The ICC has an […]
Polarisation as a Challenge to Democracy
By Wolfgang Merkel* This article was issued by the Toda Peace Institute and is being republished with their permission. BERLIN. 22 August 2023 (IDN) — It is above all social conflicts that shape politics, its disputes and its effects on democracy. The effects can be positive or negative, depending on the degree of conflict and […]
UN Dilemma: Terrorists vs Freedom Fighters
By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS. 21 August 2023 (IDN) — A former UN Ad Hoc Committee chairman to Eliminate International Terrorism once predicted the UN will never agree on a definition of terrorism because “one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter”. As someone rightly remarked: to the Indians, it is the Muslims in Kashmir; […]
The UN Charter Must Remain the Heart and Soul of Any New Peace Architecture
By Michael von der Schulenburg* This article is a contribution to the German peace movement’s pamphlet on the occasion of this year’s Anti-War Day on September 1. On this day, 84 years ago, the German Reich marched into Poland and ignited the Second World War, bringing indescribable destruction, misery and suffering to Europe and the […]
Opinion: Joe Biden’s Disastrous Diplomatic Gamble
By Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury* DHAKA, Bangladesh. 20 August 2023 (IDN) — In a series of swift and ill-conceived diplomatic moves, US President Joe Biden has plunged into catastrophic decision-making, most notably concerning Afghanistan. Biden’s first significant move involved the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan, a decision that has had dire repercussions. His statement […]
NATO Enlargement Enthusiasts Look to the Indo-Pacific
By Ramesh Thakur* This article was issued by the Toda Peace Institute and is being republished with their permission. CANBERRA, Australia. 16 August 2023 (IDN) — Lord Ismay, NATO’s first secretary-general (SG), famously said the purpose of NATO was to “keep the Americans in, the Russians out, and the Germans down”. The end of the […]
Impact of Social Media: Trivialization of Pakistani Society
Viewpoint by Hamid Ali Khan BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan. 13 August 2023 (IDN) — The prevalence of social media has snowballed in recent years in Pakistan, ushering in a new era of digital interconnectedness. But with this technological advancement comes the unintended consequence of trivializing Pakistani society. Social media platforms like YouTube, Twitter, TikTok, and Facebook have […]
Russian Invasion of Ukraine Triggers Self-defence
By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS. 11 August 2023 (IDN) — The Russian invasion of Ukraine—now in its 16th month—has been described by the United Nations as violations of both the UN charter and the territorial integrity of a sovereign nation. But it has also triggered the concept of self-defence: you hit me, and I’ll hit […]