Inter Press Service | News and Views from the Global South

Inter Press Service | News and Views from the Global South

Covid is a Great Unequaliser, But the Crisis Could Enable us to Build a More Equal Future Ben Phillips Any of the first names that the media reported as having Covid were those of the rich and powerful, from movie stars to political leaders. Be ye ever so high, the virus is above thee – or so it seemed. Now we understand that this perception, that came in part because at first only the wealthy ... MORE > >

Covid-19 Pandemic Another Threat to Indigenous Communities Angel Mendoza The voices of indigenous people worldwide are being silenced and their lives made invisible. Stewards of the earth, they are left at the fringes of public discourse in countries around the globe. Indigenous people are not “extinct”, they exist, and they are building innovative networks and ... MORE > >

World Bank’s ‘Mobilizing Finance for Development’ Not Financing Development Anis Chowdhury and Jomo Kwame Sundaram The World Bank leadership must urgently abandon its ‘Maximizing Finance for Development’ (MFD) hoax. Instead, it should resume its traditional multilateral development bank role of mobilizing funds at minimal cost to finance developing countries. Funding is urgently needed for Covid-19 ... MORE > >

Mayan Train Threatens to Alter the Environment and Communities in Mexico Emilio Godoy Mayan anthropologist Ezer May fears that the tourism development and real estate construction boom that will be unleashed by the Mayan Train, the main infrastructure project of Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, will disrupt his community. "What we think is that the east of the town ... MORE > >

A Not-To-Do List for Guyana’s New Administration When It Comes to Oil Jeremy M. Martin and Kathryn Hillis Just over five years ago, a major oil discovery occurred on the northeastern coast of South America. There have been a series of additional discoveries ever since. But this time it was not Venezuela. It was Guyana. Fast forward to August 6 when Irfaan Ali assumed the presidency. The country had ... MORE > >

How Women-led Agribusinesses are Boosting Nutrition in Africa Busani Bafana Oluwaseun Sangoleye’s son developed rickets after rejecting baby formula. So she started a business to make natural baby cereal from locally-sourced ingredients in Nigeria. “My personal experience opened me up to the dearth of nutrient dense, affordable meal solutions for infants and young ... MORE > >

Q&A: Ageing Africa Left out of COVID-19 Policies Samira Sadeque Nearly three quarters of respondents in a survey across 18 African countries have claimed that their countries’ COVID-19 responses are gravely lacking in addressing the ageing population. The survey, conducted by the Stakeholder Group on Ageing (SGA) Africa, found that factors such as inadequate ... MORE > >

To Understand the ”Other”: How Disabilities Define Us Jan Lundius   You can shine your shoes and wear a suit you can comb your hair and look quite cute you can hide your face behind a smile one thing you can't hide is when you're crippled ... MORE > >

Staff Surveys Reveal Widespread Racism at the United Nations Thalif Deen As it continues to vociferously preach the virtues of equality—advocating equal rights for all, irrespective of race, sex, language or religion-- the United Nations has been quick to condemn racism and racial discrimination worldwide. But how hypocritical is it when racism raises its ugly ... MORE > >

How Women & Girls are Forced to Trade Sex for Water Sareen Malik and Benazir Omotto There is an intimate connection between corruption and COVID-19. This pandemic is making everyday life more desperate, especially in poorer communities, and that means more opportunities for those preying on vulnerable people. Measures to manage the coronavirus has put millions of people out ... MORE > >

Put Gender Equality at the Heart of the Post-COVID-19 Economic Recovery Valeria Esquivel The pandemic is disproportionately affecting women workers. Governments should prioritize policies that offset the effects the COVID-19 crisis is having on their jobs. I am a feminist economist. My job is to examine how the inequalities between women and men are part and parcel of the ... MORE > >