Wednesday, July 20, 2016
News and Views from the Global South
Editors' Choice
Forests: To Farm or Not to Farm? This Is the Question!
The dilemma is critical: on the one hand, there is an absolute need to produce more food for the world’s steadily growing population; on the other, there is pressing urgency to halt -and further revert- the increasing trend to deplete the forests, which are as necessary for human survival as it is for ensuring their dietary needs.
Germany’s Energy Transition: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Immerath, 90 km away from the German city of Cologne, has become a ghost town. The local church bells no longer ring and no children are seen in the streets riding their bicycles. Its former residents have even carried off their dead from its cemetery.
Biodiversity, GMOs, Gene Drives and the Militarised Mind
A recent report from the National Academy of Science of The United States, titled Gene Drives on the Horizon : Advancing Science, Navigating Uncertainty, and Aligning Research with Public Values”, warns:
‘Monster’ El Niño Subsides, La Niña Hitting Soon
As if human-made armed conflicts, wickedness, rights abuse, gender violence, cruel inequality and climate catastrophes were not enough, now the saying “God Always Forgives, Men Sometimes, Nature Never” appear to be more true than ever. See what happens.
Women Empowerment Holds the Key for Global Development
Latin America's inclusion of women in its development model, with greater participation within the work force and improved wage conditions, was a decisive factor in the region's successful diminishment of extreme poverty.
Indigenous Villages in Honduras Overcome Hunger at Schools
Barely 11 years old and in the sixth grade of primary school, this student dreams of becoming a farmer in order to produce food so that the children in his community never have to go hungry. Josué Orlando Torres of the indigenous Lenca people lives in a remote corner of the west of Honduras.
South Sudan Tense but Calm Following Intense Fighting: UN
The situation in Juba, South Sudan on Thursday was "tense" but "calm" following recent intense fighting, UN Spokesperson for the Secretary General Stephane Dujarric told journalists here Thursday.
Teachers and Students: Tip of Iceberg of Mexico’s Human Rights Crisis
Mexico is experiencing a monumental human rights crisis. There is abundant evidence of widespread human rights violations in the country, including torture, extrajudicial executions, enforced disappearances and violence against journalists and human rights defenders.
Is Sustainable Development Hindering Economic Recovery?
The global economic and employment situation is alarmingly protracted, with recovery not expected any time soon. In October 2012, then IMF chief economist Olivier Blanchard indicated he did not see a global economic recovery before 2016.
US Elections Cry Out for Reform!
As many observers around the world have pointed out, the United States is no longer a true democracy. It is an oligarchy.The US government ignores the safety, wishes and needs of the majority of its citizens, and instead makes decisions which will bring profit to enormous corporations, or satisfy the wishes of powerful lobbies.
The Global South’s Untold Human Rights Legacy
While human rights are often viewed as a Western creation, pushed against the will of developing countries, the origins of the international human rights system may prove otherwise, according to a forum held at the the International Peace Institute (IPI) here Wednesday.
Civil Society Organizations Worried About Declining Involvement
Less than a year after the adoption of the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), non-government organizations (NGOs) are concerned about declining possibilities for participation, both at the UN and in national politics.
IPS Interview with Bernadette Lahai On the Pan African Parliament Food and Nutrition Security Agenda
IPS: In what ways has the Pan African Parliament (PAP) ensured that partners are upholding their commitments following the Parliamentary meeting held during the International Conference on Nutrition (ICN2) organized by FAO and the World Health Organization?
Fighting Violence Against Children as a Global Problem
One billion children experienced physical, sexual or psychological violence in the last year, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), prompting the launch of a new global partnership to tackle the problem here Tuesday.
What Does it Really Mean to “Leave No One Behind”?
Although “leave no one behind” has become a central rallying cry around the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, more needs to be done for it to be put into practice, civil society said during a review conference of progress made on the Post-2030 agenda here this week.Next Page »
