A “Demilitarization Zone” Would Divide the War-Torn Country into Two Parts Viewpoint by Vijay Prashad* This article was originally produced by Globetrotter, a project of the Independent Media Institute. NORTHAMPTON, Massachusetts (IDN) – Ahmed, who lives in Tripoli, Libya, texts me that the city is quieter than before. The army of General Khalifa Haftar—who controls […]
EU & The Other Developed Countries Should Spend Some Of The ‘Magic Money’ To Help Africa
Viewpoint by Jonathan Power* LUND, Sweden (IDN) – There is “Magic Money” around in case you didn’t know. Not quite made out of thin air, but getting on that way. This is a phrase invented by the economic writer, Sebastian Mallaby, in the new issue of Foreign Affairs, America’s leading foreign policy bi-monthly journal. It […]
After Downing Statues, Africans Turn to Change at Home
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK (IDN) – Africa has been pulling down statues for years – from Cecil Rhodes at the University of Cape Town to Britain’s Queen Victoria in Kenya, to King Leopold of Belgium in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Now, change is moving ahead in Sudan, Gabon and other […]
Africa’s Largest Hydro Dam Held Hostage as Horn of Africa Countries Wage ‘Water War’
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK (IDN) – Three neighbouring countries locked in a bitter dispute over rights to the precious waters of the Nile River may provide a preview of water wars around the world as global temperatures rise and droughts leave populations with insufficient water to drink or for farms. The […]
The Spectre of the Big Three
Viewpoint by Glauco Benigni* This article was originally published by Other News and is reproduced with permission. ROME (IDN) – They are called Vanguard, BlackRock and State Street Global Advisors and they are the world’s 3 largest mutual funds. They are also known as asset managers or investment funds, operated by professional experts who collect […]
A Slaughterhouse for Workers
It’s Not Romanians Spreading The Virus, It’s Capitalism Viewpoint by Vladimir Bogoeski * BERLIN (IDN) – While the world heaps praise on Germany’s successful response to the Covid-19 pandemic, recent events have thrown a dark shadow on the shiny image. Although its political leadership, unlike that of France and the US, did not frame the […]
UN Chief Makes a Passionate Plea for Discarding Fallacies and Falsehoods
The Rich and Poor are Not Sailing in the Same Boat By Jaya Ramachandran NEW YORK (IDN) – UN Secretary-General António Guterres has in a surprise dramatic move, castigated a series of “fallacies and falsehoods” perpetrated particularly on the deprived of the world. The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed all lies such as the lie that […]
UN Gathering To Call for Robust and Urgent Actions to Advance Gender Equality
By Caroline Mwanga NEW YORK (IDN) – Twenty-five years after its adoption the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, member states and observers, civil society organizations, gender equality leaders, CEOs, and heads of academia will gather virtually on July 21 in a multi-stakeholder hearing. The purpose is to bolster priority actions at the global and […]
China-India Conflict a Potential Threat to Five-Nation BRICS
By Kester Kenn Klomegah MOSCOW (IDN) – Tension between China and India threatens to paralyse BRICS – the association of five major emerging national economies: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. While struggling to manage the devastation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, China and India have locked horns over issues in their “bilateral relations”, ranging […]
Human Nature Is a Central Theme of Philosophy
Viewpoint by John Scales Avery* COPENHAGEN (IDN) – What is human nature? Are we humans good or evil? To what extent is the character of a person produced by heredity, and to what extent by environment? Is competition more central to our existence than cooperation, or is it the other way around? How can a […]