Viewpoint by Dr Márcia Balisciano The writer is the Global Head of Corporate Responsibility, RELX. She is also Chair of the UN Global Compact Network UK; Chair of the Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability Council of the Conference Board; and a founding member of the Board of the Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens. LONDON (IDN) […]
Nigerian Presidential Elections: Politicians and the Jeopardy of Trial by Ordeal
Viewpoint by Azu Ishiekwene The writer is the Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief of LEADERSHIP newspaper based in Abuja, Nigeria. ABUJA (IDN) — “I’m going to waste my vote,” a friend told me recently. “And don’t argue with me,” he added. “It’s my right to do so.” I defied him. Regrettably, even though I also recruited help nearby […]
Abolish Political Parties in Impending New Sri Lankan Constitution
Viewpoint by P. Soma Palan COLOMBO (IDN) — I have advocated the abolition of political parties from contesting elections to form a government, in previous articles, both in the electronic and print media. In the present unprecedented political, economic, financial and social instability in the country, the need to revive this plea assumes greater relevance […]
Old and New Controversies at the 10th NPT Review Conference
Viewpoint by Sergio Duarte The writer is a former High Representative of the United Nations for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), and President of Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs. NEW YORK (IDN) — The Tenth Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) takes place in a volatile and unpredictable international […]
The Risk of a Nuclear Attack has Risen to its Highest Level Since the Cold War
By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS (IDN) — Speaking during a ceremony marking the 77th anniversary of the devastating atomic bombing of Hiroshima, UN Secretary-General António Guterres remarked on August 6 that it is totally unacceptable for states in possession of nuclear weapons to admit the possibility of nuclear war. “The elimination of nuclear weapons is […]
Beyond First Steps: Phasing out Nuclear Weapons and Energy
By M. V. Ramana* VANCOUVER, Canada (IDN) — The UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called for “all military activities in the immediate vicinity of the [Zaporizhzhia Nuclear] plant [in Ukraine] to cease immediately and not to target its facilities or surroundings” because “any potential damage to Zaporizhzhia or any other nuclear facilities in Ukraine, or […]
Bringing the Benefits and Peace of Space to Humanity
A new UNOOSA head is to be appointed soon By Aurora Weiss VIENNA (IDN) — Legend has it that a young Isaac Newton was sitting beneath an apple tree contemplating the mysterious universe. Suddenly —”boink!”—an apple unexpectedly hit him on the head. He experienced his “aha moment!”. In a flash of light, he understood that […]
The West’s Chickens Are Coming Home to Roost
Mistakes Made Since The 1990s Might End in A Disaster Viewpoint by Jonathan Power LUND, Sweden (IDN) — You can interpret it on any level you like—that the Russians are inherently parochial and out of touch with how most of the world thinks and have it coming to them; that Russia is instinctively and cleverly […]
Rising Prices, Low Incomes Bedevil Sierra Leoneans
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK | FREETOWN (IDN) — Americans aren’t alone in turning purple over the car’s skyrocketing costs for housing, food, medical care and fuel. Last month in Sierra Leone, women street vendors gathered peacefully to protest the soaring cost of living. A few days later, the number swelled to […]
Kenyans Select Presidential Winner but Not All Agree
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK (IDN) — What began as a quiet voting exercise with a low voter turnout ended with an upset victory for Kenya’s Deputy President, William Amolo Ruto, who becomes the nation’s fifth president. The race had taken a worrying turn since polls were shut down several times after […]