HIV/AIDS Killed 40 Million People, And Continues To Kill 4000 A Day
By Somar Wijayadasa* | IDN-InDepthNews Analysis
Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali (third from right) meets with the keynote speakers at an event on the occasion of the World AIDS Day, with the theme "One world. One hope" on December 2, 1996 at the UN Headquarters. From left to right: Martina Clark; Marina Mahathir; Cristina Saralegui; Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali; Elizabeth Taylor and Noerine Kaleeba. | Credit: United Nations, New York - Photo # 158026
NEW YORK (IDN) - The World AIDS Day, observed on December 1 every year, inspires me to recall how the United Nations acted – hesitantly but resolutely – when the AIDS pandemic killed millions of people around the world causing a substantial impact on the health and economy of many nations.
Since the first identification of HIV/AIDS among gay men in the United States of America, in 1981, approximately 76 million people have been infected with HIV, and 39.6 million people have died of AIDS – the highest global death toll of all time, and also the most politicized, feared and controversial disease in the history of modern medicine.
The Syrian War is Not Triggered by Syrians Alone
By Roberto Savio* | IDN-InDepthNews Analysis
ROME (IDN | Other News) - The U.S. Congress, under the valiant leadership of Republicans, has vetoed the entry of Syrian refugees, including women and children, into the United States against Obama's intention to accept 10,000 – a symbolic amount in a country, which accepts over 50.000 refugees every year – while Germany is accepting at least 800,000 Syrians.
What is frightening is the total ignorance of the world behind that veto.
Global Report Calls for End to ‘Media Sexism’
By Jutta Wolf | IDN-InDepthNews Report
BERLIN | BRUSSELS (IDN) - A new report finds that progress towards equality of women and men in the news media has virtually ground to a halt over the past five years. In fact, “progress towards news representation that acknowledges women’s participation in economic life remains elusive”. The report calls for “an end to media sexism by 2020”.
According to the findings of the Global Media Monitoring Project (GMMP), released on November 23, worldwide, women make up only 24% of the people heard, read about or seen in newspaper, television and radio news, exactly the same level found in 2010.
Costa Rica Aims at Being the World’s First Decarbonised Economy
The Central American country of Costa Rica is a model state that embodies the concept of global citizenship by pursuing a culture of peace and aspiring to achieve complete carbon-neutrality.
By Fabíola Ortiz | IDN-InDepthNews Analysis
SAN JOSE (IDN) - With less than five million inhabitants, Costa Rica became famous for abolishing its army in the late 1940’s, when its Central American neighbours were involved in armed conflicts. After becoming a model of peace in the region, the country now wants to be known as a laboratory for a deep decarbonisation process of the world economy.
Gender Mainstreaming Essential to Combat Climate Change
By Ana Maria Currea* | IDN-InDepthNews Viewpoint
NEW YORK (IDN | UNDP) - It is well established that the poor are most vulnerable to the effects of climate change, and that women, who account for the majority of the world’s poor, are disproportionately impacted.
Why is this fact so important? And what are we doing to address it?
Women farmers account for 45 to 80 percent of all food production in developing countries. This means that any changes in climate – such as droughts and floods –affect their livelihoods, incomes and food security more than they do men.
Renewable Energy Can Sustain Growth in ‘Emerging Asia’
By Krishan Dutt | IDN-InDepthNews Analysis
KUALA LUMPUR (IDN) - The need for sustainable development, aligning multiple economic and environmental priorities, stressed by the leaders of the 21 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) member economies, in their Manila declaration on November 19, has been reiterated in a new report that forecasts a robust growth for ‘Emerging Asia’ in 2015 and in the next five years.
From Riyadh to Paris via Kabul and Baghdad
By Julio Godoy | IDN-InDepthNews Analysis
BERLIN (IDN) - It happened at least twice in January and February 2014: U.S. senator John McCain expressly thanked “God for the Saudis and Prince Bandar and our Qatari friends” for supporting the Sunni Islamic opposition to Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad. The first time McCain said so to the U.S. television network CNN in January 2014, the second time one month later during a speech at the Munich Security conference.
McCain was simply referring to Saudi Arabian help to create the Islamic State guerrilla group terrorising its way to Damascus. Prince Bandar bin Sultan was once Saudi ambassador in Washington – curiously enough, during 2001, coinciding with the attacks against the World Trade Centre and Washington.
UN Chief Pleads for Peace, Development and Human Rights
By Ramesh Jaura | IDN-InDepthNews Analysis
BERLIN | NEW YORK (IDN) - While Europe and the United States are engrossed in a highly emotional debate and punitive military actions against perpetrators of terrorism – with President Francois Hollande declaring that “France is at war” – UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s pronouncements reflect an approach characterised by robust reasoning.
Behind the Scenes of a Massacre
By Roberto Savio* | IDN-InDepthNews Viewpoint
ROME (IDN) - In the aftermath of the massacre in Paris on November 13, media throughout the world are calling for unity of the West and intensification of military action against the Islamic State (IS).
Of course, the Paris slaughter can only cause horror and mourning. But why can some very young people act so atrociously … and is it not also time to consider the responsibilities of the West in the rise of IS terrorism?
Among the many reflections that can be made on its roots, three stand out.
1. The first is that relations between the Arab world and the West carry with them the burden of an uneasy past.
After Paris Terrorist Attacks Europe Needs Unity Despite Dissent
By Daniela Schwarzer and Ivan Vejvoda* | IDN-InDepthNews Viewpoint
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BERLIN (IDN | GMF) - The terrorist attacks that Paris suffered on November 13 evening have caused
tremendous shock and grief, but also fear and insecurity, not only in France, but throughout Europe. This new wave of Islamist terror, which may be followed by further attacks in Europe and elsewhere, has hit France and the EU at a particularly sensitive moment.
UNICEF Warns of Rising Numbers of Child Refugees and Migrants
By J Nastranis | IDN-InDepthNews Report
GENEVA (IDN) -The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has drawn attention to a rather significant aspect of the current flow of migration of peoples young and old from war-torn regions. A record number of them are child refugees and migrants – 700 a day – seeking asylum in Europe.
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