Viewpoint by Jonathan Power* LUND, Sweden (IDN) – It will take a long time before America can again strut the world stage and lecture about the values of democracy, poking its finger in the eye of every authoritarian or dictatorial government it has the desire to show up. A former president, no less, is going […]
Faith-based & Other NGOs Look Forward to Entry into Force of the Nuclear Ban Treaty
By Ramesh Jaura BERLIN (IDN) – When she learned that the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) reached the 50 states parties required for its entry into force, Setsuko Thurlow said: “I was not able to stand. I remained in my chair and put my head in my hands, and I cried […]
Letter to US President-elect Joe Biden
By Azu Ishiekwene The writer is the Managing Director/Editor-In-Chief of The Interview magazine based in Abuja, Nigeria. ABUJA (IDN) – If Nigerians had a vote, you’ll probably not be the 46th President of the United States of America. A Pew Research Centre poll in January showed that two countries – Kenya and Nigeria – were […]
The Evil That Men Do Lives After Them
Viewpoint by Roberto Savio* ROME (IDN) – Now it is clear that Joe Biden is the new president of the United States. It is unlikely that Donald Trump’s legal manoeuvring will change the election results, as when a conservative Supreme Court in 2000 decided in favour of George Bush over Al Gore, who lost by […]
Ethnic Strife in Ethiopia Threatens All-Out Civil War
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK (IDN) – Those who held high hopes for peace in the Horn of Africa are troubled by the rise in conflicts across the region with fears growing of a potentially destabilizing civil war. The latest conflict pits the government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed against the Tigray […]
Breaking the Culture of Violence to Advance Peace and Security
Viewpoint by P.I. Gomes* PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad and Tobago (IDN) – The Preamble to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development refers to what is called the 5P’s of People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace and Partnership. They capture with such lucid precision what is referred to as “all areas of critical importance for humanity and the […]
Reclaiming Public Development Banks to Finance a Sustainable & Equitable Recovery Post Covid-19
Viewpoint by Thomas Marois and Maria Jose Romero * BRUSSELS (IDN) – Those who work in the world’s public development banks will meet virtually on November 11-12 to discuss their response to the Covid-19 pandemic and their role in a more sustainable future. This new summit, which they have called ‘Finance in Common’ (FiC), will […]
Defending Democracy and Our Future: Biden’s Victory and the Struggles Ahead
Viewpoint by Joseph Gerson* NEW YORK (IDN) – That was one roller coaster of a week! A nasty four years! Celebrating Biden’s election with others in my hometown, there was joy as drivers’ faces lit up with smiles, women in hijabs and Central American landscapers gave us thumbs up, and hundreds of car horns rang […]
Biden Is A Veteran Friend of Israel But Against Settlement
By Raphael Ahren The writer is the diplomatic correspondent at The Times of Israel, which published it on November 7, 2020. JERUSALEM (IDN) – Joe Biden, the newly elected 46th president of the United States, is a true friend of the Jewish state, friends and even political adversaries of the emerging president-elect agree. “He has […]
Nuclear Weapons Are Illegal Under International Law
A Landmark Victory for the United Nations Viewpoint by Somar Wijayadasa* NEW YORK (IDN) – The United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) reached on October 24 the required 50 signatories for its entry into force on January 22, 2021. It will eventually make nuclear weapons — the most dangerous weapons of […]