News headlines for “Democracy”, page 17
Rajagopal PV’s Blueprint for Another World: Peace
- Inter Press Service
BANGKOK, November 4 (IPS) - “If nations can have defense ministries, why not peace ministries?” asks Rajagopal PV, the soft-spoken yet formidable founder of Ekta Parishad. “We are told to see issues through a gender lens—why not a peace lens? Why can’t we imagine a business model rooted in non-violence or an education system that teaches peace?”
Lawmakers Urged to Consider Emerging Drivers of Child Marriage
- Inter Press Service
Closing the chapter on child marriages is still a distant ambition in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, and despite great strides at developing and passing legislation to eradicate it, existing and emerging drivers are still at play, making youngsters vulnerable to the practice.
Humor, Courage, and Coffee: Inside Asia’s Independent Media Resistance
- Inter Press Service
BANGKOK, November 3 (IPS) - In Pakistan, journalism is a risky profession—and the danger only intensifies if you’re a woman, young, and a freelancer, says 30-year-old Saba Chaudhry, a journalist from a village near Narowal, in Punjab province.
Asia-Arab Parliamentarians Forge Regional Pathways for Gender Justice and Youth Empowerment
- Inter Press Service
CAIRO, November 3 (IPS) - Inclusive legislation, empowered youth, and anti-violence policies are inseparable aspects of sustainable development and were the key messages at a conference of the Inter-Regional Meeting of Asian and Arab Parliamentarians on Population and Development held in Cairo on October 24, 2025.
Challenging Elites, Defending Democracy: Oxfam’s Amitabh Behar Speaks Out
- Inter Press Service
BANGKOK, November 2 (IPS) - Speaking to IPS on the sidelines of the International Civil Society Week in Bangkok (November 1–5), Amitabh Behar, Executive Director of Oxfam International and a passionate human rights advocate, highlighted his concerns about rising inequality, growing authoritarianism, and the misuse of AI and surveillance. Yet, he expressed optimism that, even as civic spaces shrink, young people across Asia are driving meaningful change. He also shared his vision of a just society—one where power is shared, and grassroots movements lead the way.
Defending Democracy in a “Topsy-Turvy” World
- Inter Press Service
BANGKOK, November 1 (IPS) - It is a bleak global moment—with civil society actors battling assassinations, imprisonment, fabricated charges, and funding cuts to pro-democracy movements in a world gripped by inequality, climate chaos, and rising authoritarianism. Yet, the mood at Bangkok’s Thammasat University was anything but defeated.
As Civil Society Is Silenced, Corruption and Inequality Rise
- Inter Press Service
BULAWAYO & BANGKOK, October 31 (IPS) - From the streets of Bangkok to power corridors in Washington, the civil society space for dissent is fast shrinking. Authoritarian regimes are silencing opposition but indirectly fueling corruption and widening inequality, according to a leading global civil society alliance.
The Biggest Single Contributor to the UN Budget is also the Biggest Single Defaulter
- Inter Press Service
UNITED NATIONS, October 31 (IPS) - The United States, the largest single contributor to the UN budget, is using its financial clout to threaten the United Nations by cutting off funds and withdrawing from several UN agencies. In an interview with Breitbart News U.S. Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Mike Waltz said last week “a quarter of everything the UN does, the United States pays for”.
From Slogans to Systems: Five Practical Steps for Turning Social Development Commitments into Action at Doha and Beyond
- Inter Press Service
BRUSSELS, Belgium, October 30 (IPS) - Thirty years ago, world leaders gathered in Copenhagen and made a promise: people would be at the center of development. This November, Heads of State and Government will meet again in Doha, Qatar, for the Second World Summit for Social Development or WSSD2.
Will COP30 Reenergize to Nigeria’s Great Green Wall Project?
- Inter Press Service
BATU, Nigeria, October 30 (IPS) - In 2017, 45-year-old Jabiru Muhammed could hardly contain his excitement when the village head of Batu in Jigawa State, northwestern Nigeria, announced that their community would work with officials from the National Agency for the Great Green Wall (NAGGW) to plant trees across a large stretch of land in the village.
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