By Sanjay Srivastava, Temily Baker and Nawarat Perawattanasakul* BANGKOK, Thailand | 4 November 2024 (IDN) — This year’s World Tsunami Awareness Day (5 November) presents a moment of reflection 20 years on from the catastrophic Indian Ocean Tsunami in 2004. The tsunami resulted in 225,000 fatalities across 14 countries and emphasized the urgent need for […]
India-China Historic Agreement Brings Hope for Global Harmony
By Bhikkhu Sanghasena* LEH, Ladakh, India | 4 November 2024 (IDN) — It is with immense joy and relief that we welcome the long-anticipated news: the two great nations of Asia—India and China—have finally reached an agreement on military disengagement along their disputed border. This significant announcement brings hope to all those who have been […]
US Congress Backs Diaspora-Driven Efforts for Tamil Self-Determination
By Shyamika Jayasundara-Smits* This article was originally published in East Asia Forum Quarterly. ROTTERDAM (IDN) — On 15 May 2024, US Congressman Wiley Nickel introduced House Resolution 1230, marking the latest congressional effort to address the long-standing grievances of the Tamil people. The resolution recognises the hundreds of thousands of lives lost during Sri Lanka’s […]
No Matter Who Wins US Presidential Election, Our Work Has Just Begun
By India Walton* BUFFALO, NEW YORK | 3 November 2024 (IDN) — Those of us who “enjoy” a particular type of pain, the kind reminiscent of warm needles being inserted into your cornea, have spent the past few months trying to understand the strategy of the Democratic Party. It has been frustrating to watch Vice […]
Improving Cities — from Space
By Ladislav Charouz and Kareff Rafisura* BANGKOK | 2 November 2024 (IDN) — Despite offering a range of opportunities, urbanisation poses a set of unique challenges to sustainable development. The rapid expansion of cities often results in the growth of informal settlements, with East and South-East Asia being home to 370 million people living in […]
The BRICS Summit Should Mark the End of Neocon Delusions
By Jeffrey D. Sachs* This article was published in Common Dreams and is being republished with the author’s permission. NEW YORK (IDN) — The recent BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia should mark the end of the Neocon delusions encapsulated in the subtitle of Zbigniew Brzezinski’s 1997 book, The Global Chessboard: American Primacy and its Geostrategic […]
Tigray War 2020-2022 Documented
BRUSSELS (IDN) — A comprehensive three-volume series documenting the 2020-2022 Tigray War has beenreleased just ahead of the upcoming commemoration on November 3-4, marking both the start and ceasefire of this devastating conflict. This groundbreaking series explores how the war has irrevocably transformed the Tigray region. Drawing oncollaborative research between universities within and outside Ethiopia, […]
In 2024, 61 Journalists have Lost Their Lives in the Line of Duty
By Volker Turk The writer is UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. GENEVA | 1 NOVEMBER 2024 (IDN) — Journalists are the eyes and ears of a world on fire, and the voice of victims in crisis. They shine a light into the darkest corners of our societies; bearing witness to wars, oppression, corruption and […]
The Mystery of Arab Disloyalty to Palestine
By Salman Rafi Sheikh LOS ANGELES, California USA | 1 November 2024 (IDN) — It has been more than a year since Israel began its war on Gaza following Hamas attacks on Israel in October, yet the Arab world – which claims the closet geographical, political, and religious proximity to Palestine – has neither a […]
Noah, the Ark, and the Flood: Applying Themes of an Ancient Tale
By Yossef Ben-Meir* MARRAKECH, Morocco | 01 November 2024 (IDN) — It is worth considering, in light of humanity’s profound struggle against the world’s climate and matters of elemental justice, how the onset of the Biblical tale of Noah is relevant today. According to ancient Hebraic commentaries, Noah actually grew the timber he used for […]