Reviewed by Nandi Jasentuliyana, former Deputy Director-General, United Nations. LOS ANGELES, USA | 21 September 2024 (IDN) — If you have yet to experience the mesmerizing performances of the Ranwala Balakaya, you’re missing out on a cultural feast that stirs the soul and celebrates Sri Lanka’s rich heritage. Fans of traditional Sri Lankan arts packed […]
Exceptional AI-Powered Art Brings Digital Environmentalism to the UN
World renowned media artist Refik Anadol’s work on nature highlights transformative power of technology during UN General Assembly NEW YORK | 21 September 2024 (IDN | UN) — At the United Nations headquarters, where world leaders will gather to address critical global challenges during the General Assembly (UNGA) high-level week, they will have a unique […]
Summit of the Future: The Importance of Youth and Future Generations
By Bisma Qamar* UNITED NATIONS | 21 September 2024 (IDN) — The Summit of the Future, best described by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to bring together political leaders to discuss the world’s pressing challenges, is aimed at negotiating solutions. Under the theme “Multilateral Solutions for a better tomorrow,” the Summit is […]
Sri Lanka Must Pivot to the BRICS for a New Dawn
Need to De-dollarize to De-colonize after Elections By Darini Rajasingham-Senanayake* COLOMBO | 20 September 2024 (IDN) — In the run up to elections the post-Marxist National People’s Party (NPP), has run a high-gloss, foreign-funded, election campaign to market its policies as a ‘new dawn’. Remarkably, the NPP and rival political parties alike had ignored wider […]
The Four Psychological Dimensions Behind Hamas’ Attack and Israel’s Retaliation
By Alon Ben-Meir* NEW YORK | 20 September 2024 (IDN) — Hamas’ attack and Israel’s retaliatory war are the dire by-products of decades-long psychological impediments—historical, ideological, religious, and humanitarian—that have hindered any progress toward a solution while making the conflict ever more intractable Hamas’s savage October 7 attack on Israel and the latter’s massive retaliatory […]
UN Needs to Open Doors to Citizens, Elected Representatives and Civil Society
By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS | 19 September 2024 (IDN) — As the UN plays host to four high-level summit meetings next week—with possibly over 150 world leaders in attendance—a group of over 160 civil society organizations (CSOs) is calling on the United Nations to make global governance more “inclusive and accountable.” The UN needs […]
Bangladesh: Political Crisis Is Deeply Impacting the Economy
By Tajul Islam* DHAKA, Bangladesh | 19 September 2024 (IDN) — Bangladesh is currently facing a political crisis that is not only disrupting its social structure but also casting a significant shadow over the country’s economic outlook. The economic challenges caused by this political instability are widespread, impacting everything from households to industries. The Ready-made […]
Women in Afghanistan: Efforts Underway to Plant the Seeds of Change
By Sima Bahous The following are excerpts from the speech delivered by Ms. Sima Bahous, UN Under-Secretary-General and UN Women Executive Director, to the UN Security Council meeting on Afghanistan on 18 September 2024 at UN Headquarters. NEW YORK | 19 September 2024 (IDN) — We have heard and will continue to hear today about […]
Gulf States: Huge Economic Cost of Keeping 13 million Women Out of Workforce
By Amr Saber Algarhi and Konstantinos Lagos* This article was published on The Coversation under Creative Commons licence. SHEFFIELD, South Yorkshire, England | 18 September 2024 (IDN) — When you think of modern, oil-rich Gulf states like Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), you may picture a life of luxury. But beneath […]
Bangladesh: Interim Government Accused of Political Persecution of Journalists
By Abdul Rahman This article was originally published in Peoples Dispatch and being re-published with the author’s permission. DHAKA, Bangladesh | 18 September 2024 (IDN) — On September 16, the Bangladeshi police arrested two senior journalists, Mozammel Babu and Shyamal Dutta when they were allegedly trying to leave the country. With their arrests, the total […]