Tuesday, November 29, 2022
News and Views from the Global South
Population
Digital Human Rights Need to be Enshrined in Law
The upcoming consultation on the Global Digital Compact presents a unique opportunity to ensure that human rights in the digital world are protected in international common standards.
The World Cup of Opportunity
The sun is shining, and the temperature sits at an idyllic 28 degrees Celsius. The Uber driver taking me to work is from Pakistan and devastated about the recent loss to England in the T20 Cricket World Cup final in Australia.
Balancing Diversity and Meritocracy
Countries worldwide, and as different as India, Indonesia, Iraq, Iran, Ireland, Israel and Italy, are struggling with the issue of how best to balance diversity and meritocracy across disparate ethnic, racial, caste, linguistic and religious subgroups in their populations.
As the World’s Population Hits 8 Billion People, UN Calls for Solidarity in Advancing Sustainable Development for All
The global population is projected to reach 8 billion on 15 November 2022, signalling major improvements in public health that have lowered the risk of dying and increased life expectancy. But the moment is also a clarion call for humanity to look beyond the numbers and meet its shared responsibility to protect people and the planet, starting with the most vulnerable.
A World of 8 Billion: Population Growth Will Continue But it’s Slowing Down
Global population is about to reach 8 billion, a mere 11 years after it reached 7 billion. The official Day of 8 Billion is observed by the UN November 15, though it's hard to pinpoint exactly when we pass the actual milestone.
World Population after 8,000,000,000
Contrary to the often-cited hype and nonsense of some celebrities reported in the news media, the world’s population of 8,000,000,000 human beings is not going to collapse any time soon.
A Tale of Cities
For decades, urban practitioners have failed to consider the needs of women in city decision-making and planning. Imagine being a young girl in a bustling metropolis.
U.S. Political Divides on Demographic Issues
Given the upcoming midterm elections in the United States and the consequences of the outcome for domestic legislation and programs as well as the country’s foreign policy, it’s useful and fitting to review fundamental differences between America’s two major political parties on vital demographic issues.
Time is Running Out for Decisions on Debt Relief as Countries Face Escalating Development Crisis
Developing low- and middle-income economies are taking hard hits from global economic developments outside their control. Monetary tightening in advanced economies coupled with increasing fears of a global recession have weakened currencies, sent interest rates soaring, and investors fleeing.
With Planning Aging Population Could Result in a Silver Dividend
An aging population needn’t be a burden, experts told Parliamentarians at a conference co-hosted by UNFPA Asia Pacific Regional Office and the Asian Population and Development Association (APDA).
Demography of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
Demography is at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as well as the fundamental obstacle to achieving to what each side has long desired: “שָׁלוֹם”, “سلام”, or “peace”.
Population Growth Diversity Continuing in the 21st Century
While the world’s population of 8 billion is continuing to increase and projected to reach 9 billion by 2037 and 10 billion by 2058, considerable diversity in the population growth of countries is continuing in the 21st century.
We Need Urgent Commitment, Resources & Action to Tackle Hunger Crisis
Last week, as world leaders gathered in New York for the 77th United Nations General Assembly, one topic came up more than most: looming famine. That’s because despite a global commitment to make famine a relic of the past, it is once again knocking at our door.
Zambian Parliamentarians Tackle Population Issues to Improve Quality of Life for Citizens
Parliamentarians play a decisive role in addressing population issues, as was demonstrated when the majority voted against a private member motion to end the teaching of comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) in Zambia in 2020.
The Dying Children Divide
The chances of a child dying before reaching age five years have dropped substantially worldwide during the recent past. However, a significant divide remains among countries as well as within regions in the chances of children dying.
Celebrating 30 Years of Shared Water
We tend to associate rivers and lakes with the countries in which they are located. Yet a little-known fact is that more than half of the world’s freshwater bodies are shared.
The Challenges of High Fertility, Rapidly Growing Populations
While most countries in the world have made the transition from high to low rates of deaths and births, many countries, largely in Africa, face the challenges of high fertility rates that are resulting in rapidly growing populations.
Why Electoral Malpractices are the Leading Form of Governance in Africa
Once again, Kenya finds itself at a crossroads. The current events in Kenya illustrate how and why electoral malpractices and not democracy and human rights are the leading form of governance in Africa.
Of Aristotle, Orwell, and the Young Heirs
A couple of decades ago in Athens, a conversation over a ‘souvlaki’ and wine dinner with a young Greek economist led to talking about democracy. Asked for his opinion, he said “By then, when philosophers like Aristotle formulated their theories about democracy, the society was dominated by the rich.”
Global Public Investment: Time to Build the Movement Now
Global Public Investment. A short and simple phrase. But one that means so much. At its most basic, GPI means public money being used to invest in goods and services that are of global benefit. There is no shortage of goods and services that need GPI, whether they be used to prevent or respond to environmental catastrophe, international war and conflict, or the next pandemic.
A Demographic Snapshot of the Philippines: One Step Forward, a Half Step Back
With the national election and transfer of power in the Philippines from outgoing President Duterte to incoming President Marcos Jr. in July 2022, it seems an appropriate time to briefly take stock of the country’s current demographic situation, as well as recent related developments.Next Page »
As the world population is expected to cross 9 billion before 2050, it is essential to keep track of population growth and distribution trends. We see how societies respond to population trends across certain regions, such as urbanization and internal and international migration.
As life expectancy improves, allowing people to live longer, some countries deal with the challenges of having an ageing population. Other countries have booming young populations. Some women have tenuous access to sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR), early and child marriage in some areas is common.
Internal and international migration is on the rise, and the migrant communities that form will represent other trends in a country’s understanding of their population and their ability to address the needs of the unique demographics.
Countries must have access to data on their population trends, for which they receive support from the UN Population Division. Meanwhile, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) serves and advocates the humanitarian needs of migrant communities.
IPS, through its reportage, combines the human story with robust analysis to enable an international audience to make sense of the myriad of population issues.
The Week with IPS
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Tracking global progress towards a sustainable world
Tracking global progress towards a sustainable world
