Inter Press Service | News and Views from the Global South

Inter Press Service | News and Views from the Global South

World’s Displacement Crises Worsened by Lack of Funds, Political Will or Media Attention Thalif Deen The world’s 10 most displacement crises—rendering millions of people homeless-- have continued to worsen due either to political neglect, a shortage of funds or lack of media attention, according to a new report released by the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC). NRC Secretary-General Jan Egeland ... MORE > >

We Must do More to Speed up Ending Fossil Fuel Subsidies Niklas Hagelberg Fossil fuels—oil, gas, coal and their derivatives—pollute the atmosphere and emit the greenhouse gases that are ramping up global heating to dangerous levels. But did you know that governments around the world are subsidizing this pollution? Historically, governments around the world have used ... MORE > >

Mobilisation Needed for Climate-Related Disasters Tharanga Yakupitiyage Climate-related displacement and food insecurity is not a future possibility, but it is already happening and it’s only projected to worsen without urgent action in coming years. Yesterday, ahead of World Environment Day, the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) sounded the alarm on the growing ... MORE > >

Transforming Society, Financialization Destroys Social Solidarity Michael Lim Mah Hui and Jomo Kwame Sundaram Finance has not stopped at dominating the real economy. The tentacles of finance have reached into significant, if not most parts of society. Gerald Davis characterises modern society, where finance is dominant, as a ‘portfolio society’, in which aspects of social life have been securitized and ... MORE > >

The World Has Lost Its Compass Roberto Savio The terrible feeling I had on waking up and seeing the Italian voting results at the recent European elections was that my country was suddenly full of strangers. How could the majority of Italians reconfirm a government which has been the most inefficient in history, quarrelling on everything ... MORE > >

An Escalating War on Reproductive Rights Tharanga Yakupitiyage Abortion has long been a contentious issue across the world, and the debate is only heating up, prompting women to stand up and speak out for their reproductive rights. In response to increasingly restrictive policies, civil society is taking action to help protect abortion rights. “The ... MORE > >

Watch Out: Your Money Is Being Used to Destroy the World! Baher Kamal Perhaps the most direct way to introduce this tough issue is what the United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, stated just one week ahead of the 5 June World Environment Day, which focuses this year on air pollution, caused chiefly by the use of fossil fuels both in transport, industry ... MORE > >

Pakistani and Afghan Refugees Seek Safe Haven in Sri Lanka Caroline Gluck Thirteen-year-old Bariea, a Pakistani asylum seeker in Sri Lanka, is taking shelter at a mosque in the city of Negombo, where an uneasy mix of high anxiety and extreme boredom hover over the room. “We just have a few small bags, mostly clothes,” said Bariea. “We thought we would only be here ... MORE > >

We Can’t Halt Extinctions Unless We Protect Water Claudia Sadoff Global biodiversity loss has reached critical levels. One million species of plants and animals are now estimated to be at risk of extinction. The window for action is closing, and the world needs to urgently take note. Countries would do well to consider this: our ability to preserve species ... MORE > >

Lost in Globalisation Baher Kamal Do not panic! This is not about telling you how bank accounts and pension funds have been used to finance the production of nuclear bombs (they call it ‘investment’). Nor is it about the four dozens of major and minor wars that the so-called “traditional weapons,” which are being manufactured ... MORE > >

The New Face of Activism: Youth Tharanga Yakupitiyage Rather than waiting for adults to act, more young girls and boys are standing up and speaking out on the world’s pressing issues. In recent years, the international community has seen a rise in youth engagement from education activist Malala Yousafzai to climate change warrior Xiuhtezcatl ... MORE > >