Viewpoint by Jonathan Power Long before the Coronavirus and global warming, the great philosopher Bertrand Russell wrote: “Unhappy men would increase their happiness more by walking 6 miles every day than by any conceivable change in philosophy.” LUND, Sweden (IDN) – Shouldn’t we be Panglossian when it comes to the progress now being made to […]
Out of the Belly of Hell: COVID-19 and the Humanisation of Globalisation – Part 4: Next
Viewpoint by Anthony Barnett* This article was originally published on openDemocracy. Any views or opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of IDN-InDepth News LONDON (IDN) – In 1957-58, a flu pandemic killed around million people world-wide. In the UK estimates of the deaths it caused vary from 14,000 to […]
Out of the Belly of Hell: COVID-19 and the Humanisation of Globalisation – Part 3: The Stepping Stones
Viewpoint by Anthony Barnett* This article was originally published on openDemocracy. Any views or opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of IDN-InDepth News LONDON (IDN) – Nine moments forged the processes described above to shape the globalisation that has now gone into shock. In identifying them I’m […]
Capping Week of Protests, UK Activists Topple Slave Trader’s Statue
By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network NEW YORK (IDN) – Years of inaction over the fate of an 18-foot statue of Edward Colston, a 17th century slave trader with the Royal African Company (RAC) was decided on June 7 with the toppling of Colston’s bronze statue in Bristol, England. The statue was pulled down by […]
79-Nation OACPS Grows into The Power of Change in The International Arena
By Ramesh Jaura BERLIN | BRUSSELS (IDN) – The interregional ACP officially became the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) on April 5, when 79 leaders of the group endorsed the revised version of the 1975 Constitutive Act, known as the Georgetown Agreement, at the December 2019 Summit in Nairobi, Kenya. One month […]
Out of the Belly of Hell: COVID-19 and the Humanisation of Globalisation – Part 2: So What Is Globalisation Then?
Viewpoint by Anthony Barnett* This article was originally published on openDemocracy. Any views or opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of IDN-InDepth News LONDON (IDN) – The word ‘globalisation’ has different meanings. In the broadest sense of ‘the interconnectedness of humanity’ it began when early homo-sapiens in […]
Out of the Belly of Hell: COVID-19 and the Humanisation of Globalisation – Part 1: We Were All Wrong
Viewpoint by Anthony Barnett* This article was originally published on openDemocracy. Any views or opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of IDN-InDepth News LONDON (IDN) – Medically we can foresee that cures or vaccines could be developed that might prevent the future rampage of COVID-19. Politically, a […]
Racism and Exceptionalism Are Backbones of Trump Doctrine
Viewpoint by John Scales Avery* COPENHAGEN (IDN) – Elimination of excessive economic inequality makes societies happier and better, underlines the incontrovertible evidence that a new freely downloadable book presents. Going back to history, the Age of Reason or the Enlightenment was an intellectual and philosophical movement that dominated the world of ideas during the 17th […]
The Thai Tourist Industry Wrecked, Despite Success in Controlling COVID-19
By Pattama Vilailert * BANGKOK (IDN) – On New Year’s Eve of 2020 when the Chinese authorities alerted the World Health Organization (WHO) of strange pneumonia cases in Wuhan City, Thailand’s tourism industry, the country’s primary gross domestic product (GDP) driver, was facing an unprecedented boom. But, six months later, the industry is on its […]
How a UN Official Got Out the Right COVID-19 Information from Venezuela
Viewpoint by Gema Cortés The writer is Public Information Officer, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Caracas. He contributed the following to UN OCHA on June 1. CARACAS (IDN) – When I arrived in Venezuela ten months ago, access to basic services and products such as food and medicines was […]