In a significant move the Palestinians asked the United Nations (on September 23, 2011) to accept them as a member state. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas submitted the application to UN chief Ban Ki-moon as planned. In his letter to Ban accompanying the application, Abbas asked the UN chief to immediately forward the request for full UN membership to the Security Council and the General Assembly. This development comes even as the United States made an appeal to stop such a bid and instead restart direct negotiation between Israel and the Palestinians. We need to understand the fact that the establishment of the state of Palestine is not an option, to choose or not to choose. It should be seen as a valid expression of democratic and human right. Everyone in the world is born with a basic right to equal treatment regardless of ethnicity, religion, education, hobby and domicile. The Palestinian nation

The Lisbon Summit concluded on 20 November 2010 with decisions that will mean profound changes for the way NATO does business,  making the Alliance more effective, more efficient and more engaged with the wider world. NATO has regarded Lisbon Summit as one of the most important summits in NATO's history. The summit has widened its scope by becoming more effective, more engaged and more efficient than ever before. The Secretary

A collective failure at Horn of Africa

"There is a new economic growth story emerging from Africa. Africa possesses all the prerequisites to become a major growth pole of the world. The India-Africa partner- ship is unique and owes its origins to history and our common struggle against colonialism, apartheid, poverty, disease, illiteracy and hunger." Indian PM

By Aneesh Sarkar*
It is conflict that often beckons peace and unity. It is perhaps a malady of human nature that the cherished values of peace and unity, which are most fundamental to human progress, are never better felt than in times of conflict. More severe the conflict, greater the need for peace and unity. The history of human civilization has also been the history of human conflict and wars and the consequent craving for peace and unity. It is therefore unsurprising that the call for global unity came in the aftermath of a global war, namely World War I. The League of Nations which was the brainchild of President Woodrow Wilson of USA may have failed to prevent another world war but it nonetheless laid the foundation of its more successful successor, the United Nations. Established officially on 24th October 1945 with the multiple aims of stopping future wars; providing a platform for dialogue to resolve global and international conflicts; facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress and human rights;