By Kalinga Seneviratne This article is the 22nd in a series of joint productions of Lotus News Features and IDN-InDepthNews, flagship of the International Press Syndicate. BANGKOK (IDN) – A 76-year old Buddhist monk living on his own in his forest monastery in North-eastern Thailand has appealed for international help after receiving death threats from illegal loggers according […]
Women Farmers in Africa Fight Impact of Climate Change
By Ronald Joshua NEW YORK | BAMAKO (IDN) – Fatou Dembele is a farmer in landlocked Mali, where half of the population engaged in agriculture are women. Agriculture is a key sector to lift women out of poverty. But the increasing degradation of land and natural resources caused by climate change is making women more […]
The Role of NGOs in Africa: Are They a Force for Good?
By Sally Matthews Dr. Sally Matthews is Senior Lecturer in Politics, Rhodes University, South Africa. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. JOHANNESBURG (IDN) – Non-governmental organisations have become key actors in responding to poverty and related suffering. In Africa, NGOs play a leading role in providing health care and […]
UAE Lauded for Enhancing Access to Justice for Foreign Workers
By Jaya Ramachandran GENEVA (IDN) – Labour law experts have praised the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for launching an initiative to facilitate access to justice for foreign workers, and expressed the hope that this initiative would be replicated by the other five Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries: Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman. In […]
A New Book Shows Ways to ‘Decolonize’ the Minds of Asian Communicators
By Kannan Salazar Mindful Communication for Sustainable Development: Perspectives from AsiaEdited by: Kalinga Seneviratne – Lecturer, Faculty of Communication Arts, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok. February 2018 | 372 pages | SAGE Publications Pvt. Ltd. Electronic version: £38.00https://uk.sagepub.com/en-gb/eur/mindful-communication-for-sustainable-development/book261649 BANGKOK (IDN) – The book tries to wean away the reader from the old paradigm of development communication, which […]
White Australians Debate Fast-Track Visas for Afrikaners Fleeing Land Reform
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK (IDN) – Australia’s national security minister has proposed fast-tracking immigrant visas for white South Africans facing “horrific circumstances” under Cyril Ramaphosa, the country’s President since February 15, 2018. He was elected head of the African National Congress in December 2017. Barely a month into his presidency, Ramaphosa […]
Asylum-Seeking Mother and 7-Year-Old Daughter Reunited
By Global Information Network NEW YORK (IDN) – After an episode described as both cruel and horrific, an asylum-seeking mother and her daughter have been reunited in Chicago. The daughter, who just turned 7, had been held thousands of miles apart from her mother since November 2017. According to an American Civil Liberties Union attorney […]
Economic Cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region and the One Belt One Road Initiative: A Threat or an Opportunity?
Viewpoint by Dr Palitha Kohona The writer is former Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations and former Foreign Secretary. – The Editor COLOMBO (IDN) – The Indian Ocean region is experiencing a fondly anticipated luxury. Almost every one of the economies of the region is expanding at a rate that gives hope […]
Why Eye Care is Important – for Bangladesh and Other Countries
By Naimul Haq DHAKA (IDN) – John Bob Ranck, also known as Bob, Chief Executive Officer and President at Orbis International, recently visited Bangladesh on a special mission. He travelled to some of the hospitals where Orbis as a partner has been supporting Bangladesh’s efforts in addressing avoidable blindness. Bob, a retired United States Air […]
Sri Lankan Academics Abroad Condemn Violence Against Muslim Community
By Shanta Roy NEW YORK (IDN) – A group of Sri Lankan academics teaching in educational institutions abroad – and numbering about 50 – has written to condemn ongoing violence against Sri Lanka’s Muslim community, especially the “brutal attacks” perpetrated early March. In a letter published by ‘Groundviews‘, they say: “We are outraged that the […]