Peace & Justice

Five Nuclear Powers Urged to Turn 'Nuke-Speak' into Real Action to Prevent Nuclear War

By Radwan Jakeem

NEW YORK (IDN) — Disarmament advocates working within the Global Council of the Abolition 2000 Global Network to Eliminate Nuclear Weapons have called on the five Nuclear-Weapon States Parties to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) to follow up the affirmation made by them in their Joint Statement of January 3, 2022, that "a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought". The Abolition 2000 has urged the United States, Russia, the UK, France and China to undertake "genuine action" to change current nuclear-war fighting policies, end the costly and destabilizing nuclear arms race, and eliminate nuclear weapons.

: Radwan Jakeem; ARMAMENTS; Nuclear Weapons; 10 January 2022

Sustainable Development Observer Issue 4 Focuses on Global Health Crisis

By Kalinga Seneviratne

SYDNEY (IDN) — This fourth issue of Sustainable Development Observer focuses on the global health crisis that has been exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic and pharmaceutical industry’s greed—at the cost of peoples' health. While the world’s media has gone berserk about a new "Omicron" variant of the COVID virus, the World Trade Organisation has quietly postponed a ministerial conference that had as its main agenda item, an Indian and South African initiative supported by over 100 countries to waive patents on COVID vaccines and other medical testing systems and equipment.

: Kalinga Seneviratne; SUSTAINABILITY; Peace & Justice; 07 January 2022

Putin and Biden: Who Will Blink First?

Viewpoint by Herbert Wulf

This article was issued by the Toda Peace Institute and is being republished with their permission.

After constant Cold War rhetoric and sabre-rattling, the presidents of the USA and Russia talk to each other about the Ukraine conflict and more generally about the security architecture in Europe. The EU is directly affected but is left out and wonders.

BONN (IDN) — In recent years, observers of the security situation in Europe have been reminded of the times of the Cold War. Ice age, confrontation and mutual mistrust prevail.

: Opinion Editor; OPINION; 06 January 2022

'Unity in Diversity' Is an Essential Part of Indian Culture

Viewpoint by Dr Ram Puniyani

This article is the 17th in a series of joint productions of South Asian Outlook and IDN-InDepthNews, the flagship of the International Press Syndicate. The writer is a former professor of biomedical engineering and former senior medical officer affiliated with the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (now Mumbai) and meanwhile a social activist and commentator. This article was first published on NEWSclick on January 3, 2022.

: Suresh Jaura; OPINION; 05 January 2022

Image: Map of the South Pacific Island region with the participating countries circled. Source: Sabera Turkmani | ResearchGate

'Secret plots', sovereignty and Climate Change Challenges face Pacific in the New Year

Analysis by David Robie

Dr David Robie is a retired professor of journalism and founding director of AUT University’s Pacific Media Centre.

AUCKLAND (IDN) — In the South Pacific, the year 2021 has closed with mounting tensions over sovereignty and self-determination issues and growing stress over the ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic in a region that was largely virus-free in 2020. Pacific leaders are also raising their voices globally on the devastation brought about by climate change on their islands.

: Kalinga Seneviratne; THE WORLD; Asia-Pacific; 03 January 2022

Image: The Solomon Islands are a group of islands located in the South Pacific Ocean. The Solomon Islands are east of Papua New Guinea and northeast of Australia. Source: geology.com

Geo-Political Battle in The South Pacific Hots Up as China Prepares to Send Police Officers to Solomon Islands

By Kalinga Seneviratne

SYDNEY (IDN) — China will be sending a number of police officers along with riot-control gear such as shields and helmets for the Solomon Islands police, to help train the local police to stem any more violence against Chinese interests and their citizens in the South Pacific nation.

The announcement on Christmas Eve by Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare's besieged government that it would accept Beijing's offer of assistance to strengthen its anti-riot policing capabilities has created shockwaves in Canberra.

: Kalinga Seneviratne; THE WORLD; Asia-Pacific; 03 January 2022

UN Committee Rewards Countries for Protecting Human Rights Despite COVID-19

By Jamshed Baruah

GENEVA (IDN) — The Human Rights Committee periodically scrutinizes the implementation of the legal obligations of countries that have ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Despite the challenges to its work brought on by the global COVID-19 pandemic, the Committee was able to hold online follow-up reviews of 12 countries during its three regular sessions in 2021.

To date, 173 countries have ratified the Covenant. An additional six countries have signed the Covenant but have yet to ratify it, while 18 have taken no action.

: Jamshed Baruah; UN INSIDER; 02 January 2022

Photo: Embassy of Switzerland in Sri Lanka © FDFA

Weaponizing Human Rights—Swiss on The Frontlines

By Sugeeswara Senadhira

COLOMBO (IDN) — Many Sri Lankans seeking visas to Switzerland end up filling forms listing out all their personnel information including details about Police records, if any. A vast majority of Sinhalese end up with a curt denial of visas despite their clean records.

: Asia Editor; THE WORLD; Asia-Pacific; 31 December 2021

Photo: Japan’s Ground Self-Defence Force demonstrated joint training with the US Marine Corps to the media in Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture, on the December 7. Credit: ChinaNews.com

A Japan-US ‘Island Chain’ Threatens to Provoke Backlash from China and Russia

Viewpoint by M K Bhadrakumar *

NEW DELHI (IDN) — A Kyodo News agency report on December 23 cited Japanese government sources to the effect that Tokyo and Washington have drawn up a draft joint operation plan that would enable the setup of an attack base along the Nansei island chain in Japan’s southwest in the event of a Taiwan contingency.

: Opinion Editor; OPINION; 30 December 2021

Photo: Ambassador Chowdhury with 1984 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Bishop Desmond Tutu at the Church of the Epiphany at Gramercy Park in New York City in 1985.

Homage to the 1984 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Bishop Desmond Tutu

By Ambassador Anwarul K. Chowdhury
Former Under-Secretary-General and High Representative of the UN

Following is the text of a brief homage on December 26 for the Culture of Peace global network.

Dear co-activists! Today the world has lost a precious treasure of humanity with the demise of Desmond Mpilo Tutu, globally respected and loved as Bishop Tutu. To the South Africans, he was the Arch.