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 […]
How Pandemics Past and Present Fuel the Rise of Mega-Corporations
Viewpoint by Eleanor Russell and Martin Parker* CAMBRIDGE | BRISTOL (IDN) – In June 1348, people in England began reporting mysterious symptoms. They started off as mild and vague: headaches, aches, and nausea. This was followed by painful black lumps, or buboes, growing in the armpits and groin, which gave the disease its name: bubonic […]
Nine Countries’ UN Missions Concerned About Impact of COVID-19 on Migrants
A Joint Statement of Solidarity Initiated By Radwan Jakeem NEW YORK (IDN) – Nine Permanent Missions to the United Nations in New York have expressed concern about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on migrants, and initiated a joint statement requesting endorsement by representatives of all other countries accredited to the UN Headquarters. Once finalized, […]
Caribbean Leaders Urge Global Response to COVID Pandemic
Call for Addressing Inequality, Unsustainable Debt and Socio-Economic Disparities By Reinhard Jacobsen BRUSSELS | NAIROBI (IDN) – Caribbean leaders have joined the United Nations in calling for solidarity and increased funding, as some of the world’s most vulnerable countries scale up their efforts to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. At a virtual summit in Kenya’s capital […]
The Unravelling of America: You’ve Gotta Watch to Cry
Viewpoint by Azu Ishiekwene The writer is the Managing Director/Editor-In-Chief of The Interview magazine based in Abuja, Nigeria. ABUJA (IDN) – I first watched the movie in the lockdown. At the beginning, it was funny when the pair was fiddling with their entrée in the restaurant and wondering why they had both avoided each other […]
COVID-19 Crisis: How South-South Cooperation Can Support Economic Recovery
Viewpoint by Richard Kozul-Wright The writer is Director of Globalization and Development Strategies, UNCTAD. GENEVA (IDN) – The COVID-19 crisis is stress testing the capacity of governance arrangements to deal with unexpected shocks. Results point to considerable variation at the national level, but it’s difficult to give anything above a B minus to the response […]
“The COVID-19 Crisis Is an Opportunity to Reimagine Human Mobility”
Viewpoint by António Guterres United Nations Secretary-General launches Policy Brief on the Impact of COVID-19 on Refugees, IDPs and Migrants. NEW YORK (IDN) COVID-19 continues to devastate lives and livelihoods around the globe — hitting the most vulnerable the hardest. This is particularly true for millions of people on the move — such as refugees […]
The Murder of George Floyd is Normal in an Abnormal Society
Viewpoint by Vijay Prashad* This article was originally produced by Globetrotter, a project of the Independent Media Institute. NORTHAMPTON, Massachusetts (IDN) – There is no need to wonder why George Floyd (age 46) was murdered in broad daylight in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on May 25, 2020. The script of his death is written deep in the ugly […]
In Quest of The Israeli De Klerk
Viewpoint by Jonathan Power LUND, Sweden (IDN) – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel has announced that in a month’s time he will start to annex the large-scale Jewish settlements inside Palestinian territory, a step as provocative as one can imagine. Not even President Donald Trump’s Administration which has supported Israel with many measures has […]