By Dr Asoka Bandarage The writer, a scholar and practitioner, has taught at Yale, Brandeis, Mount Holyoke (where she received tenure), Georgetown, American and other universities, and colleges in the U.S. and abroad. COLOMBO (IDN) — Fear and distress prevail. Although less reported, there are developments bringing peace and happiness to people’s lives. One such […]
“They”, The Blob, Are Pushing for War Over Ukraine
Viewpoint by Jonathan Power LUND, Sweden (IDN) — You can insult them, call them the “Blob”, “group thinkers”, or even worse. You can challenge their scholarship and their prejudices. You can demonstrate that the policies they advocated for former wars were dead wrong and met failure. You can prove they don’t know their history and […]
Superstar Angelique Kidjo on Africa: “We Never Had Independence”
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK (IDN) — For those unfamiliar with African superstar Angelique Kidjo, her unflinching views on everything from the colonial mentalities of her French schoolmates to African politics and American history and her decision to call out slavery in her music can be found in a recent freewheeling interview […]
Nuclear Disarmament Requires Prompt Resolution, Says a Buddhist Peacebuilder
By Ramesh Jaura BERLIN | TOKYO (IDN) — Along with the United Nations, the community-based Buddhist organisation Soka Gakkai International (SGI) offers a beacon of hope particularly when the world is plagued by crises threatening the survival of humankind. Every year since 1983, SGI President Daisaku Ikeda, a Buddhist philosopher, peacebuilder and educator, has issued […]
In The Age of Fake News, Radio Aims for Trust and Accountability
By Arlene Mukoko, Global Information Network NEW YORK (IDN) — Radio, it is generally agreed, is the most useful medium of social communication for humanity. Radio waves go beyond borders, reaching everybody everywhere, and being a very affordable receiver compared to other forms of media. We remember the pioneers who contributed to the great invention […]
African Billionaire Targeted by Union Seeking Decent Working Conditions
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK (IDN) — Africa’s richest man is in the sights of a labour union in Zambia where his cement plant has been outsourcing labour that pays low wages for its 1,300-workforce. After a wildcat strike last month, unionized workers at the Dangote Industries Zambia Limited cement plant outside […]
A Journey to the World’s Largest Camp for Syrian Refugees
By H.D. Wright The writer was recently elected to serve as Global Youth Representative at Education Cannot Wait, the UN fund for education in emergencies, marking the first example of a young person being democratically elected to the governing body of a global humanitarian fund. Now, he represents over 100 youth-led NGOs from across Africa, […]
Drought and Hunger Stalk the Horn of Africa While the Continent Is in the Grip of Coups
Viewpoint by Azu Ishiekwene The writer is the Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief of LEADERSHIP newspaper based in Abuja, Nigeria. ABUJA (IDN) — There’s a severe, earth-baking drought in the Horn of Africa. About 13 million people in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and Djibouti are in the grip of acute hunger. The rains have failed in three consecutive years, […]
Ukraine Conflict: Need to Re-Evaluate NATO’s Role
Viewpoint by Medea Benjamin and Nicolas J.S. Davies* NEW YORK (IDN) — Every day brings new noise and fury in the crisis over Ukraine, mostly from Washington. But what is really likely to happen? There are three possible scenarios: The first is that Russia will suddenly launch an unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
Two Sides of The Same Coin — The Legal Controversy of China’s Naturalisation Practice in Sport
Viewpoint by Dr Yiyong Liang The writer is a Sport business consultant and an independent researcher. HEBEI (IDN) — Athletes’ naturalisation has been common practice in international sports, many countries have turned to foreign nations for success. It is not until recent years the Chinese government adopted such an approach in order to shine on […]