By Dario José Mejía Montalvo* The writer is Chair of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues NEW YORK | 1 April 2024 (IDN) — The recent sessions of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) have addressed crucial issues and persistent and emerging challenges for the realization of Indigenous Peoples’ rights. For […]
West African Philosopher Who Challenged Colonialism Leaves Major Legacy
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK | 31 March 2024 (IDN)—Paulin Jidenu Hountondji of Benin, West Africa, considered one of the founding fathers of modern African philosophy, has recently passed away at the age of 82. His work “On African Philosophy” (1976) greatly clarified the debate over African philosophy—freeing it from the colonial […]
FAO Chief Pleads for Investing in the “Super-Powers” of Millets
By Jaya Ramachandran ROME | 31 March 2024 (IDN)—The Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), QU Dongyu, has called for investments to tap into the potential of millets. These are highly nutritious and resilient alternatives to staple grains that can play a crucial role in ensuring global food security. […]
Revival of the Cold War and Decarbonization of the Economy
By Leonam dos Santos Guimarâes* RIO DE JANEIRO | 31 March 2024 (IDN)—The wars in Ukraine and Gaza can be seen as manifestations of intensified geopolitical tensions that resemble the Cold War period, although the contexts and circumstances are different. During the Cold War, the world was divided into two main blocs, led by the […]
‘Cataclysmic’ Situation in Haiti Needs Bold Action
By Jaya Ramachandran GENEVA | 30 March 2024 (IDN) — A UN report has called for immediate and bold action to tackle the “cataclysmic” situation in Haiti. The international community has funded only seven per cent of 624 million US dollars in response to the UN humanitarian appeal in February for the Caribbean country. It […]
Prioritising National Unity to Rescue Pakistan from Economic Crisis
By M A Hossain* DHAKA | 30 March 2024 (IDN) — In the wake of ongoing economic turmoil, Pakistan stands at a critical juncture with severe financial challenges despite its abundant resources. Once hailed for its potential and economic growth, the nation now faces the spectre of bankruptcy. In the South Asian region, even a […]
Erdogan Should be Held Accountable for Rampaging Against his People
By Dr Alon Ben-Meir* NEW YORK | 29 March 2024 (IDN) — It is time to hold Turkey’s President Erdogan accountable for his egregious human rights violations and defiance of NATO’s charter, which weakens the alliance and plays directly into the hands of Russia and China. It is hard to fathom why, over the past […]
Mekong Delta Adopts Water-Saving Irrigation
By Le Thanh Binh HO CHI MINH CITY | 28 March 2024 (IDN)—The Mekong Delta region in South Vietnam is a major food production base for the country. Approximately two million hectares of land are allocated for rice and fruit farming, and about a third of this land is regularly affected by drought and salinity […]
Will Agenda 2030 be Postponed to 2062?
By Jan Servaes BANGKOK| 28 March 2024 (IDN) — The widening gap between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have nots’ is reflected in the progress reports on the feasibility of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). After the African Union already postponed the date for achieving their development goals to 2063, the United Nations Economic and Social […]
Spending Billions Preparing for Hot Wars When Water Wars are Looming
Analysis by Kalinga Seneviratne SINGAPORE | 27 March 2024 (IDN) — Since the pandemic, governments have been spending billions on arming themselves for imagined hot wars when billions of dollars are needed to mitigate a global water crisis that needs the building of sustainable water infrastructure and management regimes. Presenting a series of articles from […]