Africa Africa: Brics Summit 2024 – Everything, Everywhere, All At Once? [ad_1] Ushering in a multipolar order requires a streamlined and coherent political agenda - not unfocused expansion. The 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia, concluded last week with the usual grand declaration of the group's commitments, concerns and aspirations. Many media headlines, particularly in Western countries, focused on how the summit and BRICS generally, symbolised Moscow's ability to circumvent the fallout of sanctions by turning to the global south. In this way, BRICS is indirectly viewed as a threat to […] todayOctober 30, 2024 3
Africa Africa: Slave Trade – Commonwealth Heads Agree On Reparations Dialogue [ad_1] Commonwealth leaders have agreed that the time has come for a conversation about reparations for the slave trade, despite the UK's desire to keep the subject off the agenda at a two-day summit in Samoa. A document signed by 56 heads of government, including UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, acknowledged calls for discussions on reparatory justice for the abhorrent transatlantic slave trade. The statement said it was time for a "meaningful, truthful and respectful conversation". Sir Keir said […] todayOctober 28, 2024 1
Africa Africa Summit – Address Rights Crises in DR Congo, Sudan [ad_1] Nairobi — COMESA Should Work to Curb Atrocities, Protect Civilians, Promote Justice African leaders should prioritize rights-driven solutions to the crises in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan at the 23rd Summit of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) scheduled in Bujumbura, Burundi, on October 31, 2024, Human Rights Watch said today. Summit participants should discuss steps to end the atrocities in eastern Congo by the armed group M23, the Rwandan military, the Congolese security […] todayOctober 28, 2024 2
Africa Africa: Another Nobel for Anglocentric Neoliberal Institutional Economics [ad_1] Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia — New institutional economics (NIE) has received another so-called Nobel prize, ostensibly for again claiming that good institutions and democratic governance ensure growth, development, equity and democracy. Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson, and James Robinson (AJR) are well known for their influential cliometric work. AJR have elaborated earlier laureate Douglass North's claim that property rights have been crucial to growth and development. But the trio ignore North's more nuanced later arguments. For AJR, 'good institutions' were transplanted […] todayOctober 23, 2024 1
Africa Africa: Freedom House Researcher Explains How Free Freedom Is On the Net [ad_1] Washington — Global internet freedom has declined for the 14th straight year, according to Freedom House's Freedom on the Net 2024 report. VOA's Philip Alexiou spoke with Elizabeth Sutterlin, a researcher at the advocacy group, on October 21. Sutterlin outlined the various tactics used to crack down on online publishing, including imprisonment and violence. The interview centers on how these issues impact Africa. It has been edited for brevity and clarity. Elizabeth Sutterlin: This continuing decline in global Internet […] todayOctober 23, 2024 1
Africa Africa: Responsibility to Protect – Africans’ Fate Caught in Global Crises [ad_1] Debating Ideas reflects the values and editorial ethos of the African Arguments book series, publishing engaged, often radical, scholarship, original and activist writing from within the African continent and beyond. It offers debates and engagements, contexts and controversies, and reviews and responses flowing from the African Arguments books. It is edited and managed by the International African Institute, hosted at SOAS University of London, the owners of the book series of the same name. As the continent marks African […] todayOctober 22, 2024 1
Africa Africa: Include Girls’ Voices in Making of Maternal Health Laws [ad_1] African Girls Face Barriers to Prenatal, Intrapartum, and Post-Natal Care Girls in Africa face significant challenges ensuring that they enjoy the highest attainable standard of their sexual and reproductive health. They experience barriers to accessing relevant sexual health education as well as adequate maternal healthcare during pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum. Following the conclusion of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC)'s 44th Ordinary Session on October 12, and as the conversation around […] todayOctober 22, 2024 2
Africa Africa: Internet Shutdowns – A Threat to Free Speech and Democracy in Africa [ad_1] Internet shutdowns are a worrying trend in African countries, often justified during elections, protests, and periods of civil unrest, as measures to prevent the spread of misinformation or maintain public order. These actions violate the basic human right to free speech, silencing opposition and limiting democratic participation. Countries like Zimbabwe, Uganda, and Ethiopia faced Internet shutdowns during its polls, raising concerns. For example, during Uganda's 2021 elections, the government cut off Internet connectivity, leaving millions silenced. These actions not […] todayOctober 18, 2024 1
News Uganda: Speaker Among to Run for the Blind [ad_1] Kampala — The "Run for the Blind" event takes place on November 17, State Minister for Disability Affairs Hellen Grace Asamo said, and will coincide with the observance of International White Cane Day, which will be celebrated later this year to promote awareness about the rights and needs of the visually impaired community. The Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among, will headline a monumental fundraising marathon to raise funds for the government's quest to provide 10,000 white canes for the […] todayOctober 18, 2024 7