5-11 February 2018 - 16-min

More documents

Recommendations

Info

12 5 - 11 February, 2018 I T Editorial ◆◆ By David Kilgour Author & Lawyer n 1989 as the Berlin Wall crumbled, totalitarianism as devised by Lenin for Russia in 1917 appeared to be gone; a more peaceful and just world seemed achievable. Francis Fukuyama of the U.S. State Department penned an article and later a book, “The End of History”, indicating that liberal democracy was the final form of government. Liberal democracy, respecting voters and human dignity, political and gender equality and the rule of law, was then thought by many to have won the great ideological battle of the 20th century. Today surprisingly, it is democracies that finds themselves under siege. For the 12th consecutive year, according to Freedom in the World recently published by the 76-year-old Freedom House in the United States, nations that suffered democratic setbacks last year outnumbered those that registered gains. States that a decade ago were promising success stories—Turkey and the Philippines, for example—are sliding into authoritarian if not totalitarian rule. The military in Myanmar, which after half a century allowed a limited democratic opening in 2010, committed a ruthless campaign of ethnic cleansing against approximately a million Rohingya in Rakhine state and then rebuffed international criticism of its actions. Meanwhile, the world’s longestestablished democracies are mired in seemingly intractable problems at home, including rapidly widening social and economic disparities, partisan fragmentation, terrorist attacks, and an influx of refugees that have www.NewDelhiTimes.com ◆◆ By Mark Parkinson @Mark_Parkinson markp.india@gmail.com markparkinson.wordpress.com he weight of evidence is so strong that we really have to kill off all the macho, heroic myths around sleep deprivation. I remember that, years ago, there was much talk about how Margaret Thatcher only needed four hours of sleep each night when she was Prime Minister of Great Britain. I’ve also seen similar claims related to Tony Blair. In my student days, it was almost seen as a badge of honour when you put yourself in the situation to ‘pull an all-nighter’ to get n assignment completed and handed in with minutes to spare the next morning. Now I’m older, and hopefully a bit wiser, i can see that it was a basic equation between prioritising time for what was necessary/ important or what was fun, immediate and wanted. I don’t think I can really remember a single occasion when a night spent working and getting no sleep wasn’t the result of bad judgement and lack of self-control/ regulation rather than genuine volume of responsibilities and necessity. I’ve been writing for some time about how sleep deprivation is exacting a toll on Democracies Challenged strained alliances and increased xenophobia. Photo Credit : Shutterstock Challenges in democracies have fueled the rise of populist leaders, who appeal to antiimmigrant sentiment and provide short shrift to basic civil and political liberties. Rightwing populists gained votes and parliamentary seats in France, the Netherlands, Germany, and Austria during 2017. While they were kept out of government in all but Austria, their success at the polls helped to weaken established parties from across the political spectrum. Centrist newcomer and staunch supporter of the European Union, Emmanuel Macron handily won the French presidency, but in Germany, the Netherlands and Cyprus mainstream parties struggled to create stable governing coalitions. The key findings from the 2018 Freedom House report: • Democracy faced its most serious crisis in decades during 2017 as its basic tenets— including guarantees of the right to choose leaders in free and fair elections, the rights of minorities, freedom of the media, and the rule of law—came under attack and went into retreat globally. • Political rights and civil liberties deteriorated to their lowest point in a period characterized by emboldened autocrats, beleaguered democracies, and the United States’ withdrawal from its leadership role in the global struggle for human freedom. • Seventy-one countries suffered net declines in political rights and civil liberties, with only 35 registering gains. This marked the 12th consecutive year of decline in global freedom. Over the period since the 12-year global slide began in 2006, 113 countries have seen a net decline, and only 62 have experienced a net improvement. • The U.S. retreated from its traditional role as both a champion and an exemplar of democracy amid an accelerating decline in American political rights and civil liberties. Meanwhile, two of the world’s leading dictators in China and Russia not only increased internal repression, but exported malign influences to other countries, some of which are increasingly copying their behavior and adopting their disdain for democratic governance. Chinese president Xi Jinping recently proclaimed that China is “blazing a new trail” for developing countries to follow- -one that would no doubt seek to include endemic official corruption, no rule of law, no dissent, crony capitalism, state violence against citizens and single party elections. Carl Gershman, president of the U.S. National Endowment for Democracy, recently noted, “Russia, China and other authoritarian countries are using sophisticated soft power techniques and multilateral coalitions like the Shanghai Cooperation organization to subvert the global norms contained in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and to replace them with the norm of unlimited state sovereignty…They are using trackers, trolls, and other instruments to subvert the integrity of the media space and to spread Taking Sleep Seriously students and limiting their learning potential. here’s a very well written and presented article from McKinsey & Co that looks at another perspective – the organisational costs of insufficient sleep, especially when leaders are making decisions without getting enough shut-eye; McKinsey – The organisational Cost of Insufficient Sleep The article sets out a very strong case that the implications are so great that this must really matter to organisations. Rather than perpetuating cultures where people are recognised and rewarded for appearing to make personal sacrifices by going without sleep, organisations need to see that they potentially pay a heavy price when people are operating in less than effective states. In other words, they have to educate their workforce and help them to develop positive and healthy habits. Two days ago, i wrote about the Netflix culture. Interestingly, that was very clear that there should be n rewards or recognition for people according to how long they spend on the job or how much time they put in to work. Recognition should link purely to outcomes and the link to time should be de-emphasised. I think it’s often quite hard to change such habits in adulthood. As a result, the right habits need to be established from an early age. This means; a) Developing good routines and patterns around sleep and bed time for very young children, b) Not treating staying up late as a special treat (too many do it with junk food as well). c) We should teach our children about the basics of the science related to sleep, so that they understand why it’s important (not just tell them to do what we say), NEW DELHI TIMES confusion and divisions and to undermine the institutions of the West.” The global spread of antidemocratic practices is not just a setback for fundamental freedoms. It also poses economic and security risks. When more nations are free, all countries— including the U.S.—are safer and more prosperous. When more are autocratic and repressive, treaties and alliances weaken, nations and regions become unstable, and violent extremists have increased room to operate. Democratic governments allow people to set the societal norms while protecting the rights of minorities to be different. This fosters a broader respect for peace, fair play, and compromise. Autocrats, in contrast, impose arbitrary rules on their citizens while ignoring constraints themselves, spurring a vicious circle of abuse and radicalization. Most worrisome for the future is that some young people, who have little memory of the long struggles against totalitarianism in various forms, might be losing faith in the democratic project. The very idea of democracy and its promotion has been tarnished, contributing to a dangerous apathy. Former White House Press Secretary Bill Moyers is correct in saying, “Democracy works when people claim it as their own.” A determined struggle to reclaim it must begin immediately. David Kilgour, a lawyer by profession, served in Canada’s House of Commons for almost 27 years. In Jean Chretien’s Cabinet, he was secretary of state (Africa and Latin America) and secretary of state (Asia- Pacific). He is the author of several books and co-author with David Matas of “Bloody Harvest: The Killing of Falun Gong for Their Organs.” d) We need to set good examples to our children about getting a healthy amount of sleep, including things like switching off devices an hour before bed. When we are at a less than optimal level of Photo Credit : Shutterstock effectiveness due to lack of sleep, we should acknowledge this to our children. In the past, we really didn’t know just how harmful these sleep issues could be. Ignorance is no longer an excuse, so we must change our ways. India’s only International Newspaper
5 - 11 February, 2018 13 Think - Tanks “A T India’s only International Newspaper NEW DELHI TIMES Domestic Abuse : Let’s start a Conversation ◆◆ By Dr. Pramila Srivastava @PramilaBK ps.a@iins.org ll too often women believe it is a sign of commitment, an expression of love, to endure unkindness or cruelty, to forgive and forget. In actuality, when we love rightly we know that the healthy, loving response to cruelty and abuse is putting ourselves out of harm’s way.” Bell Hooks So today let’s talk about a topic that is calling out for our attention, I know it’s a heavy topic and usually we talk about lighter thing but I feel that in order for our spiritual growth dealing with abuse that has happened personally or in someone else’s life is essential. Abuse comes in many forms; ◆◆ By International Institute for Non - Aligned Studies @iinsNAM iins@iins.org all over the world millions face domestic or intimate partner violence (IPV) this statistic includes both men and women. A shocking statistic was that in America, 20 people per minute are abused by an intimate partner, one would think that the rate in a developed country would be less. That’s our first mistake as a society to think that only people of lower economic strata face domestic violence, it is present in all strata’s of economy and all countries be it third world or a highly developed country. We are all at risk for being abused or becoming an abuser in this aspect of human psychology we are all alike. The abuser Well If you think that abuse means to hit the other person and break things you are right but that is not the only form, abuse means to crave control and dominate and this can be done in various ways, besides the obvious and very damaging physical abuse there is verbal abuse, emotional abuse etc. Verbal abuse is so tricky, so you think I’m not hitting that person, but you are still damaging another person by being selfish, impatient, highly critical, showing lack of empathy etc. Emotional abuse is similar, when the person manipulates you using strategies like isolating you from your friends which is called ‘taking hostages’, because by the time you need to talk to someone, you have no friends and you’re completely emotionally dependent on that person. Because none of them were ‘good enough’ or they are ‘the worst things for you’ ‘they’re jealous of us’. Emotional abuse also means that the victim is being treated to hot and cold moods, they can go from fun loving to angry to completely silent as a way to punish the other person, so the victim is constantly walking on eggshells trying to figure out that person’s mood. How to emerge as a survivor The first thing to know is that there is no shame, most abusers take years of emotionally manipulating you to the point where whatever they do you feel like you have no other choice but to stay. Maybe you’re financially dependent on the person, or emotionally whatever may be the scenario know that you are the one in control, stop blaming yourself because you are not responsible for his/her moods, you are not his/her punching bag, there is nothing that you could do to make them stop being an abuser except leaving them. Because of the way the relationship has been built in your mind, the abuser’s first trick is to make you feel worthless and small. By picking up on your smallest mistake or imagined mistakes, by calling you worthless, by telling you repeatedly that you are not good enough and that they are putting up with you. An intimate relationship is so Name :.......................................................................................................................................... Address :....................................................................................................................................... Mobile / Phone :............................................................................................................................. Date of Birth :............................................................................................................................... Cash/Cheque / Draft / :................................................................................................................ Bank :........................................................................................................................................... Date :........................................................................................................................................... Subscription Fee Subscription Form sacred so there is a lot of trust that we place on our partners, so when they start saying these things a part of us believes it. Don’t be scared of confrontation, the worst thing you can do is believe in the lies he/she is feeding you. Stand up for yourself, don’t be scared set your limits. If you feel like you are in danger, get help; reach out to someone who can get you out. If there isn’t danger then find a way and the strength within you to walk out the door because you are worth it. No matter what the other person has told you don’t forget that you are so special and deserve a chance at a happy life. So if you are in an abusive relationship right now, stop blaming yourself and find a way out and let the healing begin. If you have just gotten out of an abusive relationship, then good on you because unlike what the outside world will say it is an extremely difficult thing to leave that kind of a relationship. The trick is to never forget who you are and what you’re worth. Though your abuser would have attempted to tear down your self worth don’t fall for it. You are an amazing person with so much potential; you are not what your abuser says you are. So stand up for yourself, fight for yourself and remember you will emerge as a victorious survivor not a victim. NAM reaffirms the importance of Biological Weapons Convention he Biological Weapons Convention (BWC), the first multilateral disarmament treaty banning the development, production and stockpiling of an entire category of weapons of mass destruction, was opened for signature on 10 April 1972. The BWC entered into force on 26 March 1975. As mentioned in the text of the Convention, the States Parties to this Convention are determined to act with a view to achieving effective progress towards general and complete disarmament, including the prohibition and elimination of all types of weapons of mass destruction, and convinced that the prohibition of the development, production and stockpiling of chemical and bacteriological (biological) weapons and their elimination, through effective measures, will facilitate the achievement of general and complete disarmament under strict and effective international control.” BWC relies primarily on a network approach based on coordination with international, regional, and nongovernmental organizations and initiatives as well as other nonproliferation regimes in order to address the interconnected nature of biological threats in a holistic manner. Under the framework of the BWC, improved coordination would provide positive externalities for managing disease, whatever the cause. Such an approach ensures that resources are used optimally to provide benefits for many. Disarmament has been a key objective of the Non-Aligned Movement since its inception, The Movement has taken cognizance of the threats posed by biological and toxic weapons and thus has reiterated the significance of the BWC. NAM Member States that are party to BWC have reaffirmed that the possibility of any use of bacteriological (biological) agents and toxins as weapons should be completely excluded, and the conviction that such use would be repugnant to the conscience of humankind. They recognized the particular importance of strengthening the Convention through the resumption of the multilateral negotiations for a legally binding Protocol dealing with all Articles of the Convention, in a balanced and comprehensive manner, including through verification measures bearing in mind that the lack of such verification regime poses a challenge to the effectiveness of the Convention, and urged the party rejecting negotiations to reconsider its policy. NAM has reiterated the call to promote international cooperation for peaceful purposes, including scientific-technical exchange. The Movement has underlined the importance to maintain close coordination among the NAM States Parties to the Convention and highlighted that the BWC forms a whole and that, although it is possible to consider certain aspects separately, it is critical to deal with all of the issues interrelated to this Convention in a balanced and comprehensive manner. NAM Member States have been active participants in the Review Conferences on BWC. At the 17th NAM Summit held in Venezuela in 2016, NAM highlighted the key role of its Member States in the the adoption of the important decisions related to the implementation of Article X of the BWC, especially by emphasizing the need for enhancing international cooperation, assistance and exchanges in toxins, biological agents equipment and technology for peaceful purposes, bearing in mind the Action Plan on the implementation of Article X submitted by the NAM States Parties at the Sixth Review Conference, and the additional NAM States Parties proposal on a mechanism for the full, implementation of Article X of the Convention presented more recently. NAM has further encouraged the BWC States Parties to implement the Article X, as set forth in paragraphs 50-61 of the Final Document of the Seventh BTWC Review Conference. NAM has also welcomed the outcome of the Seventh Review Conference and in particular its decision to include cooperation and assistance as one of the Standing Agenda Items, with a particular focus on strengthening cooperation and assistance under Article X, as well as the Conference’s decision to establish a database system to facilitate requests for and offers of exchange of assistance and cooperation among States Parties, and the establishment of a Sponsorship Programme, funded by voluntary contributions from States Parties, in order to support and increase the participation of developing States Parties in the meetings of the intersessional programme in the framework of the BWC. NAM has reaffirmed that the respective mandates of this Convention and other international organizations should be respected, while utilizing the experiences of the relevant multilateral organizations dealing with human and animal health on issues that are of direct relevance to the Convention, and that no actions should be taken to undermine the convention and/or interfere with its mandate. (in arrangement with News from Non-Aligned World) www.iins.org One year Five year Rs. 350 Rs. 1500 A-2/59 Safdarjung Enclave New Delhi - 110029 India Ph. No : +91-11-26102520, Fax : +91- 11- 26196294 E-mail : info@newdelhitimes.com Web : www.newdelhitimes.com www.NewDelhiTimes.com
Page 1 and 2: NEW DELHI TIMES R.N.I. No 53449/91
Page 3 and 4: 5 - 11 February, 2018 3 Editorial N
Page 5 and 6: 5 - 11 February, 2018 5 World NEW D
Page 7 and 8: 5 - 11 February, 2018 7 N Delhi/NCR
Page 9 and 10: 5 - 11 February, 2018 9 Canada News
Page 11: 5 - 11 February, 2018 11 O North Am
Page 15 and 16: 5 - 11 February, 2018 15 Entertainm

5-11 February 2018 - 16-min

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?