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Tuesday, January 06, 2009 01:01 GMT

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ARABIC

SUOMI

THERE'S NO LAW THAT SAYS PEOPLE HAVE TO SUFFER
Daisaku Ikeda

IPS COLUMNIST SERVICE, DECEMBER 2008

Our world today faces unprecedented problems. Without global solidarity and a conscious commitment to peaceful coexistence both within human society and with the systems of life that support us, it is becoming clear that there is no future for us. We have reached a point where we each need to strive in our own unique way to make the greatest possible contribution to the realisation of human rights, writes Daisaku Ikeda, a Japanese Buddhist philosopher and peace-builder and president of the Soka Gakkai International (SGI) grassroots Buddhist movement.

CUBA AT FIFTY
Joaquin Roy

IPS COLUMNIST SERVICE, DECEMBER 2008

On October 24, 2007, George W. Bush reaffirmed the official US policy towards Cuba, despite the subtle changes that were occurring on the island after the temporary transfer of power from Fidel Castro to his brother Raul on August 1, 2006. His view was that the life of Cubans would not improve if, with the replacement of "one dictator by another", the US chose "accommodation in the interests of stability", writes Joaquin Roy, ''Jean Monnet'' professor and Director of the European Union Centre of the University of Miami.

RECESSION EXPELS MIGRANT WORKERS WORLDWIDE
Supachai Panitchpakdi

IPS COLUMNIST SERVICE, DECEMBER 2008

As the global financial crisis evolves, more and more migrants will lose their jobs. Because migrants are a key component of the workforce in both developed and developing countries, addressing their plight is a major concern, writes Supachai Panitchpakdi, Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

DIVERSITY IN CUBA
Leonardo Padura

IPS COLUMNIST SERVICE, DECEMBER 2008

The image of a single, homogeneous Cuba is increasingly the stuff of dreams. The single-party, command-economy socialist island of the Caribbean with a monolithic society and politics is giving way to a Cuba of social diversity moving towards a plurality that would have been unimaginable twenty years ago, writes Leonardo Padura, a Cuban writer and journalist whose novels have been translated into a dozen languages.

INDIA: PUSHING FOR CHANGE
Syeda Hameed

IPS COLUMNIST SERVICE, DECEMBER 2008

The Five Year Plans (2007-2012) reflect the evolution of India as a nation; they capture the emergence from the under-development stigma to a country that has donned the mantle of a progressive developing economic power. Development that is not just sustainable but also humanistic. Development which reaches out to young girls working in dingy looms for paltry wages, to women rendered homeless due to unavailability of credit and land, to Dalit families abused and burnt by upper caste oppressors for demanding rights and young women killed and victimised in the name of honour, writes Syeda Hameed, member of India’s Planning Commission and former member of the National Commission for Women.

THE POSSIBLE AMAZON
Marina Silva

IPS COLUMNIST SERVICE, DECEMBER 2008

The Amazon constitutes a strategic reserve of potential for a new kind of development for Brazil. The opportunities depend on a structural change in focus which has already been made by some sectors of society, government, and businesses, but at a scale that is still insufficient, writes Marina Silva, senator and former environment minister of Brazil.

IT IS TIME TO RETURN TO THE UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS
Irene Khan

IPS COLUMNIST SERVICE, DECEMBER 2008

Terrorists go on a rampage of senseless killing in Mumbai. Exhausted and terrified refugees pour into Uganda to escape the fighting in eastern Congo. Ten people are executed in Iran. Three hundred thousand civilians are displaced in northern Sri Lanka. Slowing rates of economic growth cast deep gloom around the world. Not a particularly auspicious moment to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, writes Irene Khan, Secretary General of Amnesty International.

EUROPE ADRIFT
Mario Soares

IPS COLUMNIST SERVICE, DECEMBER 2008

There are remarkable differences between the effects of today's massive financial crisis on the US, the epicentre of the crisis, and on the European Union, writes Mario Soares, ex-President and ex-Primer Minister of Portugal.

IN ECONOMIC CRISIS, THE POOR AND WEAK SUFFER MOST
Pascal Lamy

IPS COLUMNIST SERVICE, DECEMBER 2008

In every economic crisis, it is the poor and weak who suffer most. Individuals without savings or a reliable source of income face the most difficulty in surviving sharp economic downturns. It is the same for countries. As the world braces for the worst economic recession since the 1930s, anxiety is on the rise, particularly in the developing world where poverty alleviation programmes hinge on securing open markets and development aid, writes Pascal Lamy, Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO)

EUROPE: A GIANT CRIPPLE
Joaquin Roy

IPS COLUMNIST SERVICE, NOVEMBER 2008

In case president elect Barack Obama doesn't have enough files awaiting him on the desk of the Oval Office, the National Intelligence Council has prepared him some additional reading that may dim his characteristic smile. "Global 2025: A World Transformed" is the title of the futuristic document that is part alarming, part depressing, writes Joaquin Roy, Jean Monnet professor and director of the European Union Centre of the University of Miami.

AFRICA AND THE EUROPEAN UNION: WHICH WAY FORWARD?
Demba Moussa Dembele

IPS COLUMNIST SERVICE, NOVEMBER 2008

After African leaders nearly unanimously refused to sign Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) with the European Commission (EC) a year ago, EC resorted to the divide and conquer tactics and arm-twisting with individual countries to convince them to sign "interim agreements", writes Demba Moussa Dembele, director of the African Forum on Alternatives (Senegal).

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This page contains abstracts of the columns. Editors interested in acquiring the full text, please contact romacol@ips.org specifying the name and address of the publication as well as a proposed rate. Unfortunately, we cannot comply with requests from individuals or organisations that do not represent print media outlets.

U.S.: Networks' Int'l News Coverage at Record Low in 2008

FILM: 1982 Massacre Rendered Through Dark, Distorted Lens

ECONOMY-BRAZIL: An Island in Stormy Waters

POLITICS: Bush Plan Eliminated Obstacle to Gaza Assault

INDIA: Delivers Diplomatic Ultimatum to Pakistan

POLITICS-GHANA: New President Must Tackle Economy

PERU: Open-Pit Mine Continues to Swallow City

NEPAL: Army-Rebel Integration Hangs Fire

GREECE: Ask for Rights, Get Acid in the Face

EUROPE: Czech Presidency Promises Controversy

INDIA-PAKISTÁN: Ultimátum diplomático

UNIÓN EUROPEA: Presidencia checa promete controversia

ISRAEL-PALESTINA: Guerra por la legitimidad

PALESTINA: Israel paraliza a Hamás y bloquea cese del fuego

ECONOMÍA-HONDURAS: Los nubarrones de 2009

SANTE-AFRIQUE : Maximiser les bienfaits du financement du SIDA

AFRIQUE DU SUD : Les jardins communautaires contribuent à la sécurité alimentaire

DROITS-RD CONGO : Des entrepreneurs expatriés ont-ils détourné l’argent des projets?

SENEGAL : La situation reste tendue à Kédougou après les émeutes de l’emploi

GENRE-AFRIQUE DU SUD : ‘Un vrai homme pourvoit aux soins’

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