Viewpoint by Sugeeswara Senadhira * COLOMBO (IDN) – Clark Kent alias Kal-El of the fictitious planet Krypton, known popularly as Superman usually travels at lightning speed, makes flying visits or air-dashes to fight evil forces. Super Global cop’s Secretary of State or Foreign Minister air-dashes from place to place when he is on flying visits […]
Nuclear Ban Treaty Is Based on Common Sense
The following is the text of a statement by Sergio Duarte, President, and Paolo Cotta Ramusino, Secretary-General of the 1995 Nobel Peace Laureate Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs on the Ratification of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons by 50 States. ROME (IDN) – Pugwash notes with deep appreciation the deposit […]
Towards Banning the Bomb
The following is the text of a statement by Mr. Hirotsugu Terasaki, Director General, Peace and Global Issues of Soka Gakkai International (SGI) on the Ratification of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons by 50 States. TOKYO (IDN) – We wish to wholeheartedly welcome the ratification, on October 24, 2020, UN Day, of […]
The Promise of the Treaty on Prevention of Nuclear Weapons
Viewpoint by Dr Joseph Gerson* NEW YORK (IDN) – The Treaty on the Prevention of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) has received its 50th ratification and will go into force in 90 days – January 22, 2021. Hiroshima and Nagasaki A-bomb survivors, activists from ICAN (International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons) and the diplomats are celebrating this […]
Precarious Multilateralism Seizes CTBTO Nuclear-Test-Ban Organization
By Stephanie Liechtenstein*, Passblue VIENNA (IDN) – For the first time in its 24-year history, state parties to the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, a multilateral agreement that bans all nuclear testing worldwide, have taken a controversial decision by a two-thirds majority. Decisions in the treaty’s body are usually taken by consensus. The majority decision on […]
Financing and Political Will Critical to Avert A ‘Generational Crisis’ Triggered by COVID-19
By Santo D. Banerjee NEW YORK (IDN) – The world is at risk of suffering “a generational catastrophe”, as COVID-19 wreaks havoc on the education of students globally, the Secretary-General António Guterres has warned. In a video message to the UN Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) Global Education Meeting (GEM), on October 22, he […]
Breaking Media Stereotypes with Indigenous Storytelling
By UN Academic Impact NEW YORK (IDN) – There are an estimated 476 million indigenous peoples in the world, living across 90 countries. They speak an overwhelming majority of the world’s estimated 7,000 languages and represent 5,000 different cultures. COVID-19 has posed a grave threat to Indigenous peoples around the world, who already lack access […]
The ‘Lekki Toll Gate’ Massacre and What It Means for Nigeria
Viewpoint by Azu Ishiekwene The writer is the Managing Director/Editor-In-Chief of The Interview magazine based in Abuja, Nigeria. ABUJA (IDN) – It was hard to keep up with the torrent of posts as the power of social media was deployed in all its ferocity for good and evil. Through it all though, one thing was […]
2045: A New Rallying Call for Nuclear Abolition
Viewpoint by Alyn Ware, Vanda Proskova and Saber Chowdhury* NEW YORK (IDN) – On October 2, 2020, 77 Heads of State and Government Ministers addressed a United Nations High-Level meeting on the elimination of nuclear weapons, along with the UN Secretary-General, the President of the UN General Assembly and two representatives of civil society. One […]
BRICS Civil Forum Evolving from Strength to Strength
By Kester Kenn Klomegah* MOSCOW (IDN) – Since its establishment in 2009, BRICS, an association of five major emerging economies Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, has had a significant influence and expanded in many directions, one of which is the BRICS Civil Forum. Significant to recall that during the 7th summit held in […]