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 #WhyWeCare, @ImpactUN on February 5. NEW YORK (IDN | UNAI) – “Nostalgia for the present“ is a phrase I once heard (or think I have), and it came to mind […]
Rohingya Continue to Suffer Even After Escaping to Supposed Safe Land
By Bahauddin Foizee* DHAKA (IDN) – The horrible scenes of hungry, tired and almost lifeless Rohingya refugees entering Bangladesh shocked the world in 2017. Even today, many Rohingyas are attempting to make the journey from Myanmar to Bangladesh, believing that a foreign land (Bangladesh) would be safer than their homes (Myanmar). Although they aren’t migrating […]
Even the IMF Is Being Forced to Rethink Its Callousness to the Global South
It could cost as much as $5 trillion if rich countries don’t help vaccinate the rest of the world. Viewpoint by Prabir Purkayastha* NEW DELHI (IDN) – The world seems to have turned topsy-turvy when the undisputed voices of global capital start talking about the virtues of “cooperation” among nations and “universal distribution of vaccines” […]
‘Africa No Filter’ Encourages African Media to Abandon Clichéd Narratives
Interview by Kester Kenn Klomegah* MOSCOW (IDN) – Africa No Filter is a not-for-profit set up last year to help shift harmful and stereotypical narratives about Africa through research, advocacy and grant-making to storytellers. It is funded by the Ford Foundation, Bloomberg, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Luminate, Open Society Foundation, Comic Relief, the Hilton Foundation and […]
Handfuls of the Wealthiest Could Fix Awful Inequality in the USA
Viewpoint by Sonali Kolhatkar There is no better time than now to address the ridiculous levels of wealth and income inequality in the United States. It can be done with ease through aggressive taxation of the wealthiest handfuls of individuals, writes Sonali Kolhatkar. She is the founder, host and executive producer of “Rising Up With […]
The United States and Russia: Warmongers and Peacemakers
By Somar Wijayadasa* NEW YORK (IDN) – Just days after the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) that explicitly and unequivocally prohibits the use of nuclear weapons entered into force on January 22, 2021 – a remarkable victory for humanity – the United States and Russia extended their Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New […]
Myanmar Military Regime Can Rely on China, Russia and India
By Thalif Deen* NEW YORK (IDN) – When million-dollar arms sales knock on the door, human rights violations and war crimes fly out of the window. As the United Nations grapples for a reaction to the military coup in Myanmar, both China and Russia, two veto-wielding permanent members of the UN Security Council (UNSC), refused […]
Myanmar Coup: Asian Response Echoes the Adage ‘Democracy Comes with Stability’
By Kalinga Seneviratne SYDNEY (IDN) – Both coverage in the Asian press and statements by neighbouring Asian governments reported in the media on the grabbing of exclusive power by the military in Myanmar, reflects the traditional Asian adage that democracy should go hand in hand with economic and political stability. Thus, sanctions and external funding […]
The 1961 Feature Film Continues to Stimulate Chinese Women
On the eve of the Communist Party of China’s centenary in July 2021, the story of the country’s first women’s military brigade in the 1930s continues to find life in popular culture and the imagination of the Chinese people. Viewpoint by Tings Chak * HAVANA (IDN) – “Are you a proletarian?” asks the brigade commander. […]
Bobi Wine and The Old African Brew
Viewpoint by Azu Ishiekwene The writer is the Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief of The Interview magazine based in Abuja, Nigeria. ABUJA (IDN) – After the presidential election in Uganda, it dawned on me that there are two people in the country who don’t fear President Yoweri Museveni: one is his tailor, and the other is his political […]