By A.D. McKenzie LIEGE (IDN | SWAN) – While scholars discussed “Violence in the Postcolonial and Neocolonial World” at a conference in this eastern Belgian city, news of various acts of violence filled the airwaves, underlining the extent to which people have to deal with the issue on a constant basis. The Liège meeting, February 15-16, […]
Religious Leaders Plan Action Against Inciting Atrocity Crimes
By Jaya Ramachandran VIENNA (IDN) – The United Nations has taken an important step towards preventing incitement to violence that could lead to atrocity crimes. More than 150 religious leaders from around the world, member states and UN officials, gathered in Vienna to discuss the implementation of the Plan of Action launched by Secretary-General António […]
Nuclear-Weapons Ban Will Help Usher In Peace, Human Rights
By Jamshed Baruah NEW YORK | TOKYO (IDN-INPS) – Eminent Buddhist philosopher Daisaku Ikeda, president of the Soka Gakkai International (SGI), has welcomed the July 2017 adoption of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) as a turning point in the global history of efforts to achieve peace and disarmament, emphasizing that while […]
CSOs, Experts Address the Plight of People on the Move
By Geneva Centre for Human Rights Advancement GENEVA (IDN-INPS) – In response to the protracted migrant and refugee crisis that has affected primarily Europe and the MENA region, a coalition of international organizations took the initiative to adopt the 2017 Geneva Declaration entitled “Mobility and human solidarity, a challenge and an opportunity for Europe and […]
Landmark Vatican Conference on Nuclear Disarmament Brings a Breeze of Expectation
By Ramesh Jaura The following article is based on an interview with Hirotsugu Terasaki, the Director General of Peace and Global Issues of the lay Buddhist organization Soka Gakkai International (SGI), in Tokyo, Japan. SGI was the sole Buddhist organization that participated in the Vatican Conference on nuclear disarmament on November 10-11, 2017. BERLIN | […]
Astana Process On Syrian Peace Enters Critical 8th Round
By Jaya Ramachandran UNITED NATIONS (IDN) – As Kazakhstan prepares to chair the UN Security Council for the month of January 2018, the Central Asian country’s contribution in the process of de-escalation of the nearly seven-year old conflict in Syria has been commended during Foreign Minister Kairat Abdrakhmanov’s recent visits to London and Vienna. The […]
Religious Scholars Discuss Peace-building in Afghanistan
By J Nastranis NEW YORK (IDN) – Religious leaders came together in support of efforts to build a culture of tolerance and non-violence in Afghanistan at an event organized by the Bamyan regional office of UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). More than 30 scholars, including female scholars from different religious institutions attended the event […]
More Steps Forward on Human Rights than Backwards
Viewpoint by Jonathan Power* LUND, Sweden (IDN-INPS) – When Donald Trump stretched his hand across our television screens on Sunday (November 12) to shake the hand of the Philippines’ president, Rodrigo Duterte, and then said he had “a great relationship” with him I felt my gorge contracting. Having tasted the great, if sometimes flawed, (remember the […]
New Report Tells Business How It Can Help Build Just, Peaceful and Strong Institutions
By Santo D. Banerjee
NEW YORK (IDN) – Hundreds of millions of people in civil society contribute to peace and justice every day, by public service, supporting thousands of public and private organizations, solid citizenship or leadership, and perhaps most importantly of all, by simply practicing peaceful behaviour in all situations.
However, in an era dominated by large organizations, whether governmental or private, individual contributions to social stability have their limitations. A new report says that companies can play a critical role in helping achieve particularly Goal 16 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Inter-Religious Coalition Aims For Peace in the Middle East
By Joan Erakit
NEW YORK (IDN) – There is a famous bible passage that alludes to the unfortunate kinship between siblings; a child is questioned by God about his brother and he, at the time having killed his brother, denies allegiance by asking: “Am I my brothers keeper?”
Some may interpret the parable about Cain and Abel as follows: being humans, we are brothers by birth meant to look out for one another, yet circumstances have arisen that have turned us against each other. In the end, it is religion that is called upon to solidify bonds, bringing people from various backgrounds and points of view, together on the same page.