Inter Press Service | News and Views from the Global South

Inter Press Service | News and Views from the Global South

Food Insecurity Concerns for Latin America and the Caribbean Samira Sadeque The multi-dimensional impacts of the coronavirus pandemic in Latin America could lead to a “hunger pandemic” if not addressed with urgency. Norha Restrepo, communications officer at the World Food Programme’s (WFP) Latin America office, shared this concern with IPS following a briefing by ... MORE > >

Meritocracy Legitimizes, Deepens Inequality Jomo Kwame Sundaram How often have you heard someone lamenting or even condemning inequality in society, concluding with an appeal to meritocracy? We like to think that if only the deserving, the smart ones, those we deem competent or capable, often meaning the ones who are more like us, were in charge, things would ... MORE > >

Why Rwanda is a Great Green Growth Investment Mantoe Phakathi In its effort to accelerate Rwanda's green growth development initiative, its local businesses encouraged their Italian counterparts to invest in the East Africa region. In a virtual discussion, the director of operations at the Private Sector Federation (PSF) of Rwanda, Yosam Kiiza, said ... MORE > >

When Old Age Catches Up, Even Nuclear Weapons Go into Retirement Thalif Deen The world’s stockpile of nuclear weapons—estimated at over 13,400 at the beginning of 2020 – have a least one thing in common with humans: they are “retired” when they reach old age. The 2020 Yearbook, released by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), says there was a ... MORE > >

Predicting COVID-19 Infection Fatality Rates Around the World Justin Sandefur, Selene Ghisolfi, Ingvild Almås, Tillmann von Carnap, Jesse Heitner, and Tessa Bold* The world saw more new confirmed COVID-19 cases last week than any week to date. And as the pandemic grows, its epicenter is moving from advanced economies to more developing countries, including Brazil, India, and South Africa. How is the pandemic likely to evolve as it spreads to poorer ... MORE > >

Reviving the Economy, Creating the ‘new Normal’ Anis Chowdhury and Jomo Kwame Sundaram The Covid-19 pandemic has significantly impacted most economies in the world. Its full impacts will not be felt, let alone measured, until it runs its course. Many countries are still struggling to contain contagion, while the costs on both lives and livelihoods will undoubtedly have long-term ... MORE > >

Delaying Death Amid the Coronavirus Pandemic Joseph Chamie While the end of life remains the inescapable fate of every man, woman and child, death can be delayed as has been demonstrated repeatedly throughout human history. Amid the current coronavirus pandemic, a paramount objective is delaying death from Covid-19 for many millions of people across the ... MORE > >

Agroecology Strengthens Farmers' Resilience But Highly Underfunded in Africa Isaiah Esipisu With just a quarter of an acre of land in Kesses near Kenya’s Eldoret town in the Rift Valley region, Samson Tanui is practising agroecology and his permaculture unit has become the centre of attraction for farmers from near and afar amid food shortages during the current COVID-19 ... MORE > >

A Single Seven Year Term for the UN Secretary General? James A. Paul Many UN supporters expressed disappointment that Secretary General Antonio Guterres said almost nothing, until last week, about police violence against African-Americans in the United States, or about the massive protest movement that has erupted and the repressive response to the protests by US ... MORE > >

Impact of COVID-19 on Women in South Asia Raghbendra Jha Prior to the onset of the coronavirus crisis South Asian women participated only sparingly in the labor market. Even though South Asia was and still has the potential to become one of the fastest growing regions in the world (post COVID19) female labor force participation rates were low at 23.6% ... MORE > >

Target Boys to Break Menstruation Taboos Webster Mavhu An all-male panel assembled to discuss menstrual health on International Menstrual Hygiene Day sparked outrage on social media and a flurry of memes of all-female panels discussing male issues. But the social media spat should not divert attention from the issues the day tries to raise in order ... MORE > >

Q&A: Global Poverty Expected to Move to Middle Income Developing Nations in Asia Samira Sadeque Global poverty, which is increasing because of the economic impact of the coronavirus crisis and ensuing worldwide lockdowns, is shifting and a dramatic increase in middle-income developing countries in Asia is expected. This is according to new research published by the United Nations ... MORE > >

Strengthening Economic Institutions for a Resilient Recovery Antoinette Sayeh Exceptional times call for exceptional action. In response to COVID-19, the IMF has moved with unprecedented speed and magnitude of financial assistance to help countries protect lives and livelihoods. Economic stabilization and a sustainable recovery, however, will require more than financial ... MORE > >

Covid-19 has increased children’s exposure to traffickers Tasneem Tayeb With Covid-19 bringing economic activities across nations to a halt, more and more people are being pushed into poverty. Job losses, business losses and farming losses, leading to economic stress, are pushing many to the fringes of poverty. And as families are being rendered helpless, the worst ... MORE > >