Stories about Governance from October, 2020
Environmental risk posed by Venezuelan oil tanker highlights importance of transparency and public participation
"The power that activist groups and citizens have in the palm of their hands, through social media and other digital platforms, is immense and far-reaching."
Hong Kong police to launch hotline for public to report violations of the national security law
The new development indicates that the NSL will likely not target "a small number" of individuals, as Carrie Lam once promised, but surveil Hong Kong residents on a massive scale.
Tanzanian poll is likely to usher in a new era of authoritarianism. Here's why.
"Any resemblance that Tanzania has borne to a liberal democracy seems to be slipping away. Not only is the apparent scale of election manipulation unprecedented," writes Dan Paget.
Georgians in Abkhazia and South Ossetia unable to vote
Ethnic Georgians living in Abkhazia and South Ossetia won’t be able to vote in Georgia's October 31 parliamentary elections. Georgia's government has no plan to protect these citizens’ right to vote.
In the heat of political crisis, Belarus launches first nuclear power plant
Next month, the Astravets nuclear power plant commences operation with fanfare. But in a country which suffered greatly from the Chernobyl disaster, not everybody shares the government's optimism.
More than one million voters in Myanmar disenfranchised after government cancels elections in conflict areas
"There are suspicions over whether the government is trying to reduce ethnic parties’ power."
Myanmar 2020 election: ‘A critical moment in the consolidation of democratic transition’
"Transparency and frequent consultation with political parties, candidates and other stakeholders are crucial to the acceptance of the results."
Failing to portray protesters as violent, Thai government lifts severe state of emergency
The government failed to portray the protesters as aggressive and violent, causing a political backfire and pressuring authorities to step back.
As war in Nagorno-Karabakh rages, so does a pandemic
COVID-19 looms on an unrecognised state at war, nearly severed from its only ally, as winter approaches.
Fighting disinformation and fact-checking the Myanmar election
Global Voices interviewed Thet Min, fact-checker for ‘Real or not’ fact-checking news website, about their efforts to expose and stop disinformation in Myanmar ahead of the November 8 elections.
Indian ad featuring Hindu-Muslim family pulled after rightwing backlash
The advert by jewellery brand Tanishq shows a Hindu woman being led by her Muslim mother-in-law to a traditional Hindu baby shower.
In Haiti, homophobic movements use anti-colonial rhetoric against LGBTQI+ communities
Attempts to increase visibility of the LGBTQI+ community in Haiti are being stifled
Russia's indigenous peoples are in the crosshairs of COVID-19
A raft of social and environmental issues makes indigenous peoples of Russia's Far North uniquely vulnerable to COVID-19 — many of these, say activists, are linked to resource extraction.
In Belarus, tech workers fear for their industry’s future
Longtime Belarusian ruler Alyaksandr Lukashenka boasts that he has created a "paradise" for Belarusian IT. So why are young tech workers protesting against him — or even moving their businesses overseas?
Ending police brutality in Nigeria: A festival of lights to honor the dead
Protesters from the #EndSARS movement agreed to hold a festival of lights on Friday night in honor of heroes who lost their lives due to police brutality.
For journalists in Kenya, ‘2020 is the worst year on record’
Since the novel coronavirus outbreak in Kenya in March, more than 47 cases of arbitrary arrest, assault and harassment have been perpetrated against bloggers, online activists and human rights defenders.
Myanmar's election commission censors speeches of political parties in run-up to election
"This censorship seems like something the dictatorship did. They shouldn’t mess with the party’s tone. Shouldn’t there be freedom of expression?"
Undaunted by the October 16 crackdown, protestors once again take to Bangkok’s streets
"There is no more staying neutral, either you side with democracy or side with dictatorship that uses power unfairly."
#AnswerUsElonMusk: Russia's indigenous peoples campaign against Arctic pollution
An oil spill in May devastated large swathes of the tundra. Here's how indigenous rights activists joined forces to demand justice from the culprit — Russia's largest nickel producer.
The struggle to end Nigeria's brutal SARS police unit continues
The question of control over SARS has not been adequately answered. The constitution vested control of the police to the presidency under the police chief. But that chain-of-command has broken.
‘Lazy’ Nigerian youth mobilize #EndSARS protest from social media to the streets
Described as ‘lazy’ by Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari, with a significant number unemployed, stereotyped as ‘unserious’, these digitally savvy youth have proved critics wrong.
