Democracy
INDIA: Modi Won Power, Not the Battle of Ideas
By Amartya Sen* – The New York Times The Hindu nationalists were victorious. What does that say about India?
Inequality and Social Justice
Elections
What and Who Gave Us Trump?
By Ralph Nader* Donald J. Trump’s presidential ambition has simmered for decades.
Human Rights
UN’s Mandate to Protect Human Rights Takes Another Hit
By Thalif Deen* UNITED NATIONS, May 20 2019 (IPS) – The UN’s longstanding mandate to promote and protect human rights worldwide –- undermined recently by right-wing nationalist governments and authoritarian regimes – has taken another hit. The Geneva-based Office of the UN High…
Immigration and Refugees
Trump lauds Hungary's nationalist PM Orbán for 'tremendous job'
The Guardian Trump tells visiting PM: ‘You’re respected all over Europe’ Critics attack Orbán for eroding democracy and human rights Trump praises Hungary’s far-right leader Orbán: ‘He’s a respected man’ – as it happened Julian Borger (*) in Washington and Shaun Walker (**) in…
Economy / Finance
Has Privatization Benefitted the Public?
By Jomo Kwame Sundaram* To ensure public acceptability, some benefits accrue to many in the early stages of privatization in order to minimize public resistance. However, in the longer term, privatization tends to enrich a few but typically fails to deliver on its ostensible…
Elections
The gender gap at EU elections
Nikolaj Nielsen – EUobserver.com ,Brussels (*) Women across Europe don’t tend to vote as much in European elections, compared with men, posing questions on the growing gender gap in both politics and representation in the European Parliament. Data, based on the European…
Civil Society
Global Commons or Billionaire Netocracy?
By Roy Morrison* – EcoCivilization Our current path is that of a netocracy and triumph of the billionaires. Jeff Bezos and his billionaire cohort will successfully follow their plans for customer service, fast delivery, cost cutting, labor saving and eventually own almost…
Civil rights
Women as Forerunners of Change: When Financial Inclusion Meets Digital Transformation
By Karessa Ramos* MADRID, Mar 8 2019 (IPS) – Imagine a world where women fully participate in society, and enjoy equal access to resources and opportunities. Most probably, the 2030 Agenda would be nearing its fulfillment and we would be closer to achieving the better planet we…
Economy / Finance
Elite Banking at Your Expense: How Secretive Tax Havens are Used to Steal Your Money
Burrowes* Tax havens are locations around the world where wealthy individuals, criminals and terrorists, as well as governments and government agencies (such as the CIA), banks, corporations, hedge funds, international organizations (such as the Vatican) and crime syndicates…
Civil Society
A WORLD PARTY
By Roberto Savio* Rome, Feb., 2019 – I have been a member of the first international party: the Transnational Radical Party, founded in 1956 by Marco Pannella and Emma Bonino. Then in 1988, I was a wetness of the large protest, in Berlin West, against the meeting of the…