Viewpoint by Jonathan Power LUND, Sweden (IDN) — “George, you have to understand that Ukraine is not even a country. Part of its territory is in Eastern Europe and the greater part was given to us.” These were the ominous words of President Vladimir Putin of Russia to President George W. Bush in Bucharest, Romania, […]
‘Coronavirus Is Here to Stay’
By Caroline Mwanga NEW YORK (IDN) — It is “dangerous to assume that Omicron will be the last variant, or that we are in the endgame” of the pandemic. “On the contrary, globally, the conditions are ideal for more variants to emerge,” exactly two years and a day since he declared the deadly virus a […]
Health System in Afghanistan Is on The Brink of Collapse
By Jaya Ramachandran GENEVA (IDN) — The World Health Organization (WHO) a specialized agency of the United Nations, has warned that fundamental and life-saving primary health care services in Afghanistan are under severe threat. It is, therefore, making an urgent appeal to international donors to rapidly finance the Sehatmandi programme, as they have done for […]
Court Freezes Planned Amazon HQ in Cape Town on Historically Significant Site
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK (IDN) — A massive new complex housing Amazon’s proposed South African headquarters along with a hotel and other businesses continues to face stiff opposition from indigenous Khoisan, environmental and community groups despite city officials already approving of construction of the nine-story construction. Opponents say the project will […]
Concern Over ‘Fortress Conservation’ and Evictions of Kenyans from Ancestral Homelands
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK (IDN) — Nature conservancies, with the stated goal of protecting wilderness and endangered wildlife, have enabled the removal of tribal peoples from their ancestral homelands in Africa to allow superior “western” models of conservation to prevail, according to the activist group Survival International. Under the western model, […]
“Africa Has Been the Linchpin of The Machine of Modernity”
By Jan Servaes* BRUSSELS (IDN) — This remarkable quote appears on page 6 of Howard French’s latest book, published in October 2021, “Born in Blackness. Africa, Africans, and the Making of the Modern World. 1471 to the Second World War“. In doing so, he casts a lot of doubt on traditionally held opinions about Africa […]
The Global Corporate Tax Deal–An African Perspective
Viewpoint by Orria Goni and Luckystar Miyandazi Orria Goni is SDG Financing and South-South Cooperation Advisor, UNDP, and Luckystar Miyandazi is Regional Tax Specialist, UNDP. This article was posted on UNDP Blog. NEW YORK (IDN) — On October 30, 2021, the leaders of the world’s 20 largest economies, the G20, endorsed a two-pillar blueprint to […]
Gender Inequality Might Explain Why Women Outlive Men
Viewpoint by Azu Ishiekwene The writer is the Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief of LEADERSHIP newspaper based in Abuja, Nigeria. ABUJA (IDN) — My wife occasionally jokes that my stressful, high-strung lifestyle could mean I’ll die before her. I’ve hardly paid any attention, until recently. Three weeks ago, we both visited a friend who lost his father on […]
The Anti-Colonial Roots of Relations Between Cuba and Africa
By Kester Kenn Klomegah* MOSCOW (IDN) — Many Africans remember Fidel Castro and Ernesto Guevara, internationalist symbols in the struggles for the independence of the peoples in Latin America and the Caribbean. Africa and Cuba have maintained cordial relations for decades, before and after the Cold War.
Behind Russia’s Security Concerns
Viewpoint by Alexey Gromyko* This article was issued by the European Leadership Network on January 20, 2022. MOSCOW (IDN) — The current discussions between Russia and NATO pivot on Russia’s requirement for the Alliance to provide legally binding security guarantees: specifically, that the alliance will not expand east, which will require revoking the 2008 NATO […]