Viewpoint by Jonathan Power* LUND, Sweden (IDN) — “Diplomacy is back”, President Joe Biden said recently. But then in the middle of a delicate diplomatic dance with Iran he goes and bombs a small, politically inconsequential, Iranian surrogate in Syria, in retaliation for the killing of one American soldier. This seems to go against everything […]
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala Leads A New Era for the WTO
Viewpoint by Yvonne Bartmann* This article first appeared on International Politics and Society, an e-Journal published by Germany’s Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung’s office in Brussels. GENEVA (IDN) — When problems proliferate, expectations tend to be high. The World Trade Organization (WTO) is facing many problems, indeed a whole raft of them. Accordingly, there’s a lot of pressure on […]
A Woman, a Latin American and a Future Force of Change
By Isabella Duque Muñoz This article first appeared as one of Youth Community’s Spotlight Stories on February 26, 2021, as a part of UNODA’s #Youth4Disarmament Initiative. BOGOTA (IDN) — As a Colombian, I grew up in a nation marked by violence and armed conflict. These matters seized my interest from a very young age; learning […]
Doubts Whether Return to Exceptionalism Will Serve Perceived U.S. Interests
Viewpoint by M.K. Bhadrakumar The writer is a former Indian diplomat. This article was produced in partnership by Indian Punchline and Globetrotter, a project of the Independent Media Institute where it first appeared. NEW DELHI (IDN) — In a statement marking the “return” of the United States to the United Nations Human Rights Council on […]
Buddhism Under Threat in Asia, Warns New Report
By Krishan Dutta BANGKOK (IDN) — A new report released by the Sydney-based Lotus Communication Network (LCN) on February 26 warns that Buddhism is under threat across Asia, both from within and outside, and calls for concerted action by Buddhists across the region to empower themselves. The 238-page report produced as an eBook identifies six […]
Seven Years Since Chibok, Search on for Missing Schoolgirls in Latest Nigerian Kidnap
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK (IDN) — Nail-biting negotiations are underway for the release of 317 schoolgirls kidnapped on February 26 in north-western Nigeria — a region beset by banditry that takes thousands of lives each year. Terms of a large ransom are reportedly being discussed but officially denied. Frightened parents who […]
U.S. President Biden Concerned About “Deteriorating Humanitarian Crisis” in the Horn
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK (IDN) — In what may be U.S. President Joe Biden’s first major test in Africa, a key U.S. ally stands accused of undertaking a campaign of ethnic cleansing, massacring hundreds of unarmed civilians and threatening the fragile stability of the region. President Biden, confronting the scenario linked […]
UN Youth4Disarmament Recognized by ‘Billion Acts of Peace’
By Devinder Kumar NEW DELHI (IDN) — Disarmament is at the heart of the collective security system set out in the United Nations Charter, with its goal to “save succeeding generations from the scourge of war”. In commemoration of the United Nation’s 75th anniversaries and the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the UN Office […]
Nuclear Modernization Race Continues Despite New START
By J C Suresh TORONTO | WASHINGTON, D.C. (IDN) — While independent arms control experts around the world heaved a sigh of relief at Joe Biden’s signature decision to extend the New START Treaty with Russia through February 4, 2026, Pentagon officials say it is “just the beginning of a larger discussion with Russia and […]
From Moments to Movements: Solidarity for Sustainability
By Ramu Damodaran The writer is Chief, United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) hosted in the Department of Global Communications. This OpEd first appeared in the latest #WhyWeCare, @ImpactUN. NEW YORK (IDN | UNAI) — “STOP” said the imperious red sign (actually two red signs) as I ventured to the frostily frigid February frontline of the […]