
The End Of (Human) History?
Viewpoint by Sergio Duarte
The writer is an Ambassador, former United Nations High Representative for Disarmament Affair, and President of Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs.
NEW YORK (IDN) — Roughly three decades have gone by since the publication of Francis Fukuyama’s essay “The End of History?”. The interrogation mark makes clear that the social scientist and philosopher was not announcing an end to contradiction and conflict among nations. He was mainly asking whether Western liberal democracy could be considered as the final stage of human sociocultural evolution and the final form of governance that would endure. [2022-04-08-01] GERMAN | JAPANESE TEXT VERSION PDF | RUSSIAN

Avoidance of Nuclear Weapons in a Possible NATO-Russia War Should Be "Foremost" Responsibility
Viewpoint by Ramesh Jaura
BERLIN (IDN) — "We affirm that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought," pledged the leaders of the five nuclear-weapon states—China, France, Russia, UK, and the United States—in a joint statement on January 3, adding that they "consider the avoidance of war" between them and "the reduction of strategic risks" as their "foremost responsibilities". The five nuclear-weapon states are also the five permanent members (P5) of the UN Security Council, which has primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. [2022-03-26-33] JAPANESE TEXT VERSION PDF | MALAY | SWEDISH | THAI

Growing Number of Corporations Against Investing in Nuclear Weapons
By Jaya Ramachandran
GENEVA (IDN) — "The nuclear weapons narrative is changing. The implicit permission to make weapons of mass destruction is getting revoked by governments, parliamentarians, cities and the financial sector," says a new report, released ahead of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which marks a turning point in post-Cold War history. Significantly, the Russian invasion has also triggered the fear of a third world war, which would involve nuclear weapons. [2022-03-14-32] JAPANESE TEXT VERSION PDF | MALAY | NORWEGIAN | THAI | TURKISH

World’s Largest Arms Importers Include Nuclear Powers
By Thalif Deen
NEW YORK (IDN) — A significant spike in arms imports by Europe, East Asia and Oceania during the last five years has reaffirmed the continuously sharp increase in global arms sales—a rising trend undaunted by a faltering world economy or the two-year-long pandemic lockdown. [2022-03-14-31] JAPANESE TEXT VERSION PDF | SWEDISH | TURKISH

The World is Plunging into a Dangerous New Cold War 2.0
Viewpoint by Dr Joseph Gerson
The writer is President of the Campaign for Peace, Disarmament and Common Security
NEW YORK (IDN) — Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Putin’s repeated tense threats to resort to genocidal nuclear attacks if the West intervenes more directly in Ukraine must be universally condemned and opposed. [2022-03-09-30] ARABIC | BAHASA | JAPANESE TEXT VERSION PDF |

Is World War III a Nuclear Reality or an Empty Threat?
By Thalif Deen
UNITED NATIONS (IDN) — A Russian news agency quoted on March 2 Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s dire warning: If a third world war (WWIII) breaks out, it would involve nuclear weapons—and be destructive. [2022-03-08-29] GERMAN | HINDI | JAPANESE TEXT VERSION PDF |

Latin American and Caribbean Countries Support the Nuclear Test Ban
By Reinhard Jacobsen
VIENNA (IDN) — The Commonwealth of Dominica announced its decision early February to join the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) that bans nuclear explosions by everyone, everywhere—on the Earth's surface, in the atmosphere, underwater and underground. The Treaty was signed 26 years ago but it has yet to enter into force. [2022-02-25-28] ITALIAN | JAPANESE TEXT VERSION PDF | PORTUGUESE

Nuclear Disarmament Requires Prompt Resolution, Says a Buddhist Peacebuilder
By Ramesh Jaura
BERLIN | TOKYO (IDN) — Along with the United Nations, the community-based Buddhist organisation Soka Gakkai International (SGI) offers a beacon of hope particularly when the world is plagued by crises threatening the survival of humankind.
Every year since 1983, SGI President Daisaku Ikeda, a Buddhist philosopher, peacebuilder and educator, has issued a peace proposal. His latest—and the 40th—titled "Transforming Human History: The Light of Peace and Dignity"—was released on January 26. [2022-02-21-27] ARABIC | HINDI | JAPANESE TEXT VERSION PDF

A Politically Isolated North Korea Garners Support from two Nuclear Powers at the UN
By Thalif Deen
UNITED NATIONS (IDN) — North Korea, long described as a “hermit kingdom”, apparently isn’t living in total political isolation or is cut off from the rest of the world.
Or so it seems, judging by the failure of the US and some of its UN allies to impose sanctions on five North Korean officials—sanctions really aimed at a country which continues to defy the West with its multiple ballistic nuclear tests. [2022-01-30-26] JAPANESE TEXT VERSION PDF | NORWEGIAN | SPANISH

Clarion Call for Policies to End the Nuclear Arms Race
By Ramesh Jaura
BERLIN | PRAGUE (IDN) — On January 24, 1946, the United Nations General Assembly adopted by consensus its very first resolution Resolution 1 (I), which established a commission of the UN Security Council to ensure "the elimination from national armaments of atomic weapons and all other major weapons adaptable to mass destruction". JAPANESE TEXT VERSION PDF | PORTUGUESE