Inter Press Service | News and Views from the Global South

Inter Press Service | News and Views from the Global South

Ignoring the Murder of a Journalist in the Name of National Interest Jan Lundius A foreign citizen – well-known journalist, author, university lecturer and regime critic – with residence in the US is abducted by a group of professionals employed by a foreign Government – depicted as a stout US ally – and subsequently tortured and killed. In spite of the case being thoroughly ... MORE > >

Fostering Green, Made-In-Africa Innovations Emmanuel Hitimana Over 1000 policy makers, experts, investors and financial specialists from across Africa are gathered this week in Kigali, at a week-long Africa Green Growth Forum 2018 to discuss how to foster green, made-in-Africa innovations to meet the needs of the continent. There is no doubt that green ... MORE > >

VIDEO: Seeking Ways to Include Women in the Blue Economy Sam Olukoya Women make up about half of the over 120 million people whose livelihood depend on the blue economy. But women play only a marginal role in the blue economy with most of them earning subsistence income. Women are mainly excluded from more important aspects of the Blue Economy like shipping and ... MORE > >

VIDEO: Combatting Climate Change with Bamboo IPS World Desk Did you know bamboo can help combat climate change? Fast growing and flexible, bamboo plants and products can store more carbon than certain types of tree. Bamboo is also used around the world as a source of renewable energy, and to make thousands of durable products - providing a lifeline for ... MORE > >

Marine Waste is Turning the Earth into a Plastic Planet Busani Bafana Africa risks being the worst plastic-polluted place on earth within three decades overtaking Asia, says a continental network calling for African contributions to solving the growing threat of marine waste. “Plastic pollution is real and worrying,” says Tony Ribbink, CEO of Sustainable Seas ... MORE > >

It is Imperative for the Caribbean to Have a Seat at the COP24 Negotiating Table Desmond Brown The Caribbean will not be left out of the negotiations at COP24 – the 24th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change – that will take place from Dec. 3 to 14 in Katowice, Poland. The event will be attended by nearly 30,000 delegates ... MORE > >

President-Elect's Security Plan Disappoints Civil Society in Mexico Emilio Godoy "Setback" and "disillusionment" were the terms used by Yolanda Morán, a mother whose son was the victim of forced disappearance, to describe the security plan outlined by Mexican president-elect Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who takes office on Dec. 1. "We are not convinced, because we believed ... MORE > >

Senegal Talks Green Growth this Week Wambi Michael Global Green Growth Week 2018 is taking take place in Dakar, Senegal from 26-29 November with a focus on strengthening collaborations, sharing experiences and best practices in the new green growth economy. “Africa and Senegal in particular must now unlock their green growth potential at an even ... MORE > >

Over Half of the World’s Tropical Forests Have been Destroyed, Say Conservationists Rabiya Jaffery Biodiversity conservationists have revealed that at least 10 more percent of land than what is currently being used to grow green crops will be required to successfully replace fossil fuels with alternatives derived from natural sources such as biofuel. Speaking to government ministers and ... MORE > >

Multilateralism Undermined by Globalization’s Discontents Anis Chowdhury and Jomo Kwame Sundaram On 24 October 1945, the world’s most inclusive multilateral institution, the United Nations, was born to “save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, ... reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, … establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from ... MORE > >

Indigenous Leaders are Calling for New Global Agreement to Protect Amazon Rabiya Jaffery Leaders of Amazon’s indigenous groups are calling for a new global agreement to protect and restore at least half of the world’s natural habitats. The Coordinator of Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon River Basin (or COICA), an activist group, has prepared a proposal that will be presented ... MORE > >

Youth Create Businesses that Are Geared to Protecting the Environment Ahn Mi Young An organic pesticide safe for farmers and the environment, and carbonised fuel briquettes made from agricultural waste materials and organic waste are all business ideas that promote a green economy. The entrepreneurs who started these businesses are among the winners of this year’s ... MORE > >

Q&A: The Arrival of the African Blue Economy as a Real Prospect Nalisha Adams The first every global conference to address the twin focuses on both conservation and economic growth of the oceans has fulfilled the broad range of expectations it set out to define. It could also be starting point for spurring on a whole new range of global development co-ordination ... MORE > >

‘What Fish Can Do for the WTO’ Busani Bafana Fish will soon be off the menu, unless global leaders strike a deal ending multi-billion dollar harmful fisheries subsidies blamed for threatening world fish stocks and widening the inequitable use of marine resources. The inaugural Sustainable Blue Economy Conference, which opened in the ... MORE > >

‘A Turtle is Worth More Alive Than Dead’ Nalisha Adams On the north-eastern shores of Trinidad and Tobago, on the shoreline of Matura, more than 10,000 leatherback turtles climb the beaches to nest each year. But there the local community is keenly area of one thing: ‘a turtle alive is worth more than a turtle dead.” It’s a lesson the community ... MORE > >

African Nations Show Rare Transparency in Military Spending Thalif Deen When the United Nations began publishing annual reports on arms expenditures, starting in 1981, not all 193 member states voluntarily participated in the exercise in transparency-- primarily because most governments are secretive about their defense spending and their weapons purchases. The ... MORE > >

The Sustainable Polar Bear Tour that Also Educates Tourists on Environmental Impact Stephen Leahy It’s almost always cold in Churchill, Manitoba, a remote coastal community on Hudson Bay in Canada’s subarctic region. Today, a month before winter officially begins, it’s -25 degrees C with a fierce wind coming off Hudson Bay which is thick with slabs of ice. Situated in the middle of Canada, it’s ... MORE > >

Amidst Rising Hunger, BCFN Forum to Promote Food Sustainability Stella Paul As 2018 nears its end, the world faces a new wave of food insecurity with the level of hunger being on the rise globally. A record 821 million people are facing chronic food deprivation – a sharp rise from 804 million figure in 2016 - said a report published by the UNFAO earlier this year. Along ... MORE > >

VIDEO: On the way to COP24 – The Caribbean Will Not be Left Out Desmond Brown As the 24th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change – is set to take place from December 3-14 in Katowice, Poland, the Caribbean insists on a seat at the table of negations. Two of the region’s lead negotiators say the Caribbean ... MORE > >

VIDEO: Sustainable Blue Economy Conference, Nairobi, Kenya 2018 IPS World Desk The first global Sustainable Blue Economy Conference will be held in Nairobi, Kenya from Nov. 26 to 28 and is being co-hosted with Canada and Japan. Over 13,000 participants from around the world are coming together to learn how to build a blue economy.     Read more: ... MORE > >

Global, Inclusive Partnerships Essential for the Future Sustainability of our Oceans and Seas Lisa Stadelbauer Throughout history, oceans, seas, lakes and rivers have provided life and livelihoods to people around the world. Today, they are a multi-trillion-dollar global economy supporting hundreds of millions of people and helping drive economic growth in all corners of the world. But the true potential ... MORE > >

Climate Change Drives Up Rural Poverty in Latin America Daniel Gutman Only 18 percent of the population of Latin America and the Caribbean live in rural areas, but these are increasingly hotbeds of poverty, and climate change is playing a major role in this phenomenon. Stories of extreme drought followed by flash floods that virtually destroy entire crops and ... MORE > >