By Neville de Silva* LONDON 2 July 2023 (IDN) — Politics, say those not averse to giving Shakespeare’s words a little twist, make strange bed fellows. Last July two of Sri Lanka’s leading political parties and arch enemies decided to bed together, not because of a newfound intimacy but rather for their political survival.
Building Trust and Resilience in Democratic Systems Requires More Effort
By Jaya Ramachandran PARIS 1 July 2023 (IDN) — A series of crises have hit democracies in recent years, including Russia’s unprovoked aggression against Ukraine and the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite these challenges, they have managed to remain effective, working at scale and at speed in many cases.
A Legally Binding Treaty on Business & Human Rights is Needed
By Simone Galimberti The writer is the co-founder of ENGAGE and of the Good Leadership, Good for You & Good for the Society. KATHMANDU, Nepal 1 July 2023 (IDN) — Communities can become truly empowered while dealing with grievances or alleged abuses perpetuated by the corporate sector. Katherine McDonnell, an expert on human rights and […]
US Foot-dragging at the Paris Finance Summit
By Jeffrey D. Sachs* This article was published in as part of a series of columns The New World Economy and is being republished with the author’s permission. NEW YORK, 30 June 2023 (IDN) — Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley and French President Emmanuel Macron invited world leaders to Paris on June 22-23 to reach […]
Five Titanic Tourists Killed Is the Big Story, not 500 Dead Migrants
By Azu Ishiekwene The writer is the Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief of LEADERSHIP newspaper based in Abuja, Nigeria. ABUJA, 30 June 2023 (IDN) — It doesn’t make sense to weigh tragedies on a scale. How do you measure them? Leo Tolstoy got it right in Anna Karenina when he said whereas all happy families are alike, every […]
The Caribbean: Climate Change Triggers Water Crisis, Financing Exacerbates
By Linda Hutchinson-Jafar PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, 29 June 2023 (IDN) — With an estimated 4 billion people facing water scarcity around the world, a regional water conference held earlier this month addressed the unique issues small island nations of the Caribbean face in confronting this challenge. These include climate change, which is having a […]
Will Israeli-Saudi Rapprochement be Linked to an Eventual Nuclear Deal?
By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS, 29 June 2023 (IDN) — As geopolitics in the militarily-volatile Middle East are undergoing radical changes, including a rapprochement between two former bitter enemies, Iran and Saudi Arabia, the United States is trying to broker a deal described as ground-breaking: diplomatic ties between Saudi Arabia and Israel. But how realistic […]
Is Patriotism Confined to Killing and Being Killed?
By Norman Solomon* SAN FRANCISCO, USA, 29 June 2023 (IDN) — The Fourth of July—the ultimate patriotic holiday—is approaching again. Politicians orate, American Flags proliferate and, even more than usual, many windows on the world are tinted red, white and blue. But an important question remains unasked: Why are patriotism and war so intertwined in […]
Thailand’s ‘Sufficiency Economy’ Philosophy Bears Fruits in Laos
By Pattama Vilailert VIENTIANE, Laos. 28 June 2023 (IDN) — It was at the height of the Thai Economic Crisis in 1997 that the term “sufficiency economics” came into prominence when the late King of Thailand Bhumibol Adulyadej told his people that rather than building factories to become another Asian Tiger, the important thing for […]
A Viable Path for Moving Back to Nuclear Arms Control
By Daryl G. Kimball The writer is the Executive Director of the Arms Control Association (ACA). The following text was published in the organization’s monthly journal, Arms Control Today. WASHINGTON, D.C., 28 June 2023 (IDN) — Deteriorating relations between the major nuclear powers have stymied progress on nuclear arms control and disarmament for more than […]