Inter Press Service | News and Views from the Global South

Inter Press Service | News and Views from the Global South

Does COVID-19 Imply an End to the Epoch of Science? Daud Khan and Leila Yasmine Khan Around the 16th century there was a radical shift in the way humans perceived nature. New thinking in physics, chemistry, biology and mathematics heralded a deeper understanding of the world around us. Between the 17th and 18th century this new thinking had resulted in spate of technological ... MORE > >

Mayors Explore how COVID-19 Pandemic will Redefine Urban Cities Samira Sadeque The coronavirus pandemic has the potential to bring about positive changes for cities, and give leaders the opportunity to make long-term, transformative changes as a result, according to renowned architect Norman Foster, who was speaking at the first ever Forum of Mayors 2020. The forum, ... MORE > >

Community Hydropower Dam Lights Up Salvadoran Villages Edgardo Ayala The people of Potrerillos, a village located in northeastern El Salvador, worked hard to achieve something that many doubted they could do: harness the waters of the Carolina River to install a community mini hydroelectric plant, which supplies them with cheap energy. The project got underway in ... MORE > >

Poverty, Official Complicity Hampers Human Trafficking Fight in Malawi Charles Mpaka In August, police intercepted the trafficking of 31 people to Mozambique. The victims, all Malawians, included 17 children and 6 women. Their two traffickers, also Malawians, had coerced them from their rural village in Lilongwe district with a promise of jobs in estates in neighbouring Mozambique. ... MORE > >

Will COVID-19 Change the Global Balance of Power? Daud Khan and Leila Yasmine Khan Lockdowns, social distancing, face-masks and other restrictions on personal and social behaviour have helped slow the progress of the COVID-19 virus. Enough to allow health systems to start catching their breath, for doctors to work out treatment protocols, and for work to start on a vaccine. There ... MORE > >

Empowering India's Poor so They Don’t Return to Bonded Labour - Part 2 Rina Mukherji One day, while the rest of his family were out at work, Kamlesh Pravasi from Jigarsandih village in Azamgarh district of Uttar Pradesh was “abducted when I returned home one day from school, by a contractor’s goons,” he told IPS. The then 12-year-old Pravasi, who was in the sixth grade, was forced ... MORE > >

Teachers Shoulder the Burden: Improving Support in Crisis Contexts Yasmine Sherif, Dean Brooks and Mary Mendenhall Teachers are at the heart of children and young peoples’ educational experiences. Teachers play multiple roles in their students’ lives by supporting their learning, providing them with inclusive and safe environments to grow and develop, and helping them become more confident as they make their ... MORE > >

Energy Transition and Post-Covid Recovery, a Challenge for Latin America Emilio Godoy The way forward for energy transition and its link to an economic recovery after the depression caused by the covid-19 pandemic is focusing attention in Latin America and Europe, according to the 2nd Madrid Energy Conference (MEC), which concluded this Friday 2. The intercontinental forum was ... MORE > >

Nepal Is a Model for Vulture Conservation Karun Dewan Vultures get a lot of bad press. Unlike other birds which are praised for their melodious song or bright plumage, vultures have been traditionally reviled for feeding greedily on carcasses, and what many see is as a repulsive look. In many cultures, they are considered an ill omen and the Nepali ... MORE > >

Sustainability of Zimbabwe’s Natural Food Sources take a Knock Amid Growing Economic Crisis Ignatius Banda Sarudzai Moyo, a former teacher, has begun a new career as a fishmonger. Once a week she makes the 450km journey from Bulawayo to Binga, on the shores of Lake Kariba, where she buys between 100 and 150 kilograms of fish for resale as the demand for cheaper dietary options increase in ... MORE > >

A Feminist Perspective from Middle East & North Africa on the COVID-19 Pandemic Farah Daibes Since before the COVID-19 pandemic, feminists across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) have been increasingly shedding light on the global shifts that will shape the Future of Work. From their perspective, those shifts would mainly be driven by the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the impact of ... MORE > >

Restoring Ecosystems After Fire and Flooding: Forget Not the Beneficial Soil Microbes Esther Ngumbi Recent months have brought all sorts of climate-linked disasters, from raging wildfires in California and Oregon to flooding in Alabama. As we think of the incalculable losses that are associated with these extremities linked to the changing climate, I cannot help but think of the belowground web ... MORE > >