Global Issues
2021
UN is failing to combat Climate Change
Climate change is the world’s biggest collective enemy, which threatens to destroy the very planet that we all live on. Whether it be rising sea levels, global warming, record-breaking temperatures, melting ice caps or an overall shift in severity of natural disasters, we as humankind need to strategise together for immediate solutions.
5 Reasons Why You Should Not Trust The United Nations
The United Nations: the devil you know I met someone from a peculiar land with a completely messed up political system yielding a society that was plagued with poverty, oppression, corruption and strife. I commiserated until I found out that there actually was an alternative party that, given the chance, would put things right, yet nobody seemed to care about it.
'Why are you talking like that?': How politicians use words to influence and mislead
Have you ever found yourself agreeing with a politician for no apparent reason? Have you ever thought why many people support a certain politician even though they hold a ‘foolish’ standpoint? Have you ever thought of how language influences people’s decisions in a political environment? While it is true that humans are complex creatures and clear linear relationships rarely apply in the real world, language usage and perception undoubtedly plays a significant role in the world of politics, especially today where social factors such as gender and ethnicity are gaining more attention. In this brief article, I will look at the use of language in political discourse. More specifically, we will also look at the phenomenon known as code-switching, how and why it occurs and some of the effects it bears.
António Guterres: The Power Under The Throne
The feeling I experience when plunging into the ocean of communiques from the United Nations is always the same: drowning in an alphabet soup. Often, the words are noble, the causes honourable.
Are the ICJ and the ICC our answers to international justice? - Podcast
Humanity has created a biased, self-serving 'doppelgänger' of true justice through flawed laws, a concept explored here in relation to institutions like the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court.
The Human Anthropological Transmutation: Bridging thoughts and new concepts
In the Palaeozoic era, an order of molluscs with red shells, called ammonites, had spread through all the sea since they had the ability not just to live underwater, but also to expel water from their shell and thus rise and descend. Their success with respect to other forms of life led them to reproduce until they saturated their environment and became extinct.
What is the difference between the ICJ and the ICC?
Justice is not a relative term, but for much of our history we have manipulated it to such an extent that we have created a parallel sort of justice. More often than not, human justice is just a sinister doppelgänger of justice in its purest form.
The Growth Dilemma
Transcending simplistic assumptions Society is faced with a profound dilemma. To reject growth is to risk economic and social collapse.
Funding and Fiscal Responsibility of the United Nations
The following is an extract from UN-aligned’s new publication that highlights the shortcomings of the United Nations with details that cover its foundation, structure and monumental failures. You may be surprised at the murky facts that this book will bring to your attention.
GDP is an impostor, so why are we still using it to measure happiness?
GDP is not a suitable measurement for happiness or welfare. It sucks.
Taming The Governing Strategies of Ongoing Socio-Economic Development by Way of G-Localization
Ultimate goal and Foregrounding The aim of this reflection is to create favourable conditions for progress by mobilizing the intellectual, spiritual and material forces with a sense of belonging to one and the same human community. This requires finding new ways of living in society and of facing the future together.
A Powerful Panacea? The Sanctions Dilemma
“Yesterday, upon the stair, I met a man who wasn’t there! He wasn’t there again today, Oh how I wish he’d go away!” The above quote from Hughes Mearns’ poem, Antigonish, could so easily allude to sanctions. They are full of sound and fury, and yet, they signify nothing concrete, but rather an absence of something.
Religion that unites...
People with bigotted or selfish agendas have always tried to hijack religion, but there have always been spiritual adherents who have understood that kindness is paramount and they have highlighted the essence that unites us rather than the dross that divides us. Here are some inspirational quotes from a range of religious thinkers.
Understanding conspiracy theories and its victims in the golden age of nonsense
Guarded by some 25 000 troops, Joe Biden successfully took the oath of office. Earlier Mr Ex-President had taken off for Mar-a-Lago.
When Dilly-dallying Costs Lives
This year has been difficult for everyone. We have all had to adapt to new changes and the impact COVID-19 has had worldwide.
2020
Democracy vs Anarchy: Which one is better?
Winston Churchill once said: “Democracy is the worst form of government except for all others.” But was he right? This article about democracy vs anarchy offers different perspective. Throughout the years, democracy has become a defining characteristic of the West and its politics.
How to prevent the 2021 food crisis
Many will face horrific hunger if relief efforts are not stepped up in a world heated by coal, infected with Covid-19 and separated by nationalists. Five years ago, 193 countries lined up behind a comprehensive and ambitious set of targets – also known as the Sustainable Development Goals – to transform life and the planet by 2030.
The Blame Game: Blame Breeds Blame in a Never Ending Game of Hate
I blame my bed For my bad back I blame my shoes For my flat feet I blame my wife Our daily strife I blame the heat For my fatigue I blame the cold For my clogged nose I blame them all For my bad traits It’s all their fault I live in hate And when I die I’ll blame my God For a hateful life A painful death We live in a culture of litigation. We sue Starbucks if their coffee is too hot and scalds us.
Misgendering people: Identity and Gender Pronouns
This article does not intend to offend or devalue anyone with a non-binary gender identity. It only tries to explain why fixing misgendering is a larger problem than most people think, and why there is no immediate solution to misgendering.
LGBTQ Rights: Zombie Democracy and Loveless Religion
Hiding behind democracy Any lover of democracy would be justified in feeling a sense of alarm when faced with such statements as “an assault on democracy…” and “a direct political attack against the democratically elected government…”, but as the Bard of Avon put it: “The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose.” The above two quotes come from Polish Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, respectively. They are directed against the EU presidency for calling their countries to task for their deteriorating record on human rights.
Showing 20 of 107 posts (Page 4 of 6)