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Viewpoint by Jonathan Power
LUND, Sweden (IDN) — It’s always sad to see migrants up against it, whether it be the deadly waves of the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas, the slow churning processes of the US/Mexican border and, in the case now in the news, of 4,000 or so mainly Kurdish migrants trapped on the Polish/Belarus border.
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network
NEW YORK (IDN) — There will be no state funeral for South Africa’s last white president, Frederick Willem de Klerk, his foundation said in a published statement.
Instead, Mr. de Klerk will have a private burial following cremation on November 21 for family members that will be closed to the media. He was 85 years of age.
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network
NEW YORK (IDN) — The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) marked its 75th anniversary with a star-studded cast of artists and world leaders. Among the participants was American actor Forest Whitaker, a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Peace and Reconciliation since 2011.
His organization, the Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative (WPDI), works jointly with UNESCO in South Sudan, Uganda and Mexico—areas affected by conflict and violence. In 2012, the WPDI launched the Conflict Resolution Education program in the U.S. In South Sudan, the WPDI trained former child soldiers and orphans to become peacemakers for their communities.
By Lisa Vives. Global Information Network
NEW YORK (IDN) — “Gold mining is one (of the) most destructive industries in the world. It can displace communities, contaminate drinking water, hurt workers, and destroy pristine environments. It pollutes water and land with mercury and cyanide, endangering the health of people and ecosystems.”
Those factors alone, cited by Earthworks.org, a Washington, DC environmental organization, would appear to be reason enough to reconsider expansion of the Kibali gold mine—already one of the largest gold mines in Africa—in the northeast part of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Viewpoint by Kalinga Seneviratne
SYDNEY (IDN) — About a third of global gas emissions come from agriculture and land use, yet, the final communiqué of COP26 failed to make any direct reference to the relationship between climate action and the world’s food systems. This is at a time, when the World Food Program (WFP) has warned that up to 45 million people in 43 countries are on the brink of a famine.
viewpoint by Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana and Gillian Triggs
While Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana is Executive Secretary of ESCAP, Gillian Triggs is Assistant High Commissioner for Protection, UNHCR.
BANGKOK (IDN) — Most countries in the Asia-Pacific region are on track to reach universal birth registration by 2030: an incredible achievement and a significant milestone in realizing human rights and equality. However, as the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed, many weaknesses remain in official recording systems, creating gaps in knowledge about the population and affecting how authorities respond to crises and reach those in greatest need.
By Kester Kenn Klomegah
MOSCOW (IDN) — During his first official visit to Moscow under the military rule in Mali, Abdoulaye Diop, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, held extensive discussions with his counterpart, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The discussions on November focussed on increasing bilateral cooperation in economic sectors. But particularly significant was Russia's military assistance to strengthen the position of the new government and to fight rising terrorism in the Sahel region.
Viewpoint by Sugeeswara Senadhira*
COLOMBO (IDN) —Considering that half of the world’s container ships, one third of the world’s bulk cargo traffic and two thirds of the world’s oil shipments traverse through the Indian Ocean, the importance of the peace and security of the ocean cannot be overestimated. Furthermore, maritime transport and logistics are a major component of the Blue Economy, which is the future hope for the economies hit by pandemic and recession.
By Alexander Kozul-Wright
Alexander Kozul-Wright is a consultant for the Third World Network (TWN) based in Penang, Malaysia.
GENEVA (IDN) — At the end of October, Glencore—the world’s largest commodities trader—revealed that core earnings were on course to top $3.2bn, eclipsing the company’s guidance expectations. For context, last year’s trading profits of US $3bn (before tax and interest) marked a record high.
In 2020, the Switzerland-based group took advantage of an unprecedented drop in oil prices to buy cheap barrels of crude and then sell them in futures markets for significant profits.
Viewpoint by Thomas Klikauer and Meg Young*
BOSTON (IDN) — Ten years ago, one of Germany’s most violent post-war Neo-Nazi killing squad, the so-called National-Socialist Underground or NSU-network came to light when their caravan exploded and their Neo-Nazi hideout was set on fire to eliminate all evidence. This occurred in the former East-German city of Zwickau. Recently, a secret government file on the NSU was leaked.
IDN-InDepthNews offers news analyses, features, reports and viewpoints that impact the world and its peoples. It has been online since 2009. Its network spans countries around the world.