Stories about Governance from October, 2012
China: Zero Donations to Government Education Development Fund
Does the recent zero response to the Guizhou Education Bureau's fundraising campaign reflect Chinese people's distrust in government-led charity work?
Senegal: Casamance Region Hopes for Peace Through Deal in Rome
On October 13 and 14, preliminary talks took place in Rome between representatives of the Senegalese government and of the Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance (Mfdc). Casamance is a region in the south west of Senegal, which has been the scene of violent conflict between government forces and those fighting for independence since the beginning of the 1980s.
Panama: President Cancels Colón Land Sale Plans
“If the people of Colón don't want the land in the tax-free zone to be sold, the sale will be canceled. The rise in rents 100% for Colón” Panama's President Ricardo Martinelli (@rmartinelli) [es] tweeted on October 23, 2012, in response to the protests and clashes in Colón sparked by...
Former Cricket South Africa CEO Gerald Majola Sacked
Last Friday 19 October, former Cricket South Africa CEO Gerald Majola was dismissed. The move came after a hearing against him found him guilty of accepting bonuses and not declaring among other charges.
China: Failure to End the Slaughter of Migratory Birds
The migratory bird season has come in China; yet instead of searching for food in the warm lake areas, a large number of birds are being slaughtered for human consumption. Every year, more than 150 tonnes of wild birds are caught in certain villages in Hunan province.
Brazil: Rethinking Drug Policy
Rio Real blog wrote about the launch of Pense Livre (Think Free) [pt] in September 2012, a network to urge a rethink of Brazil’s drug policy. The author stresses that drug decriminalization would remap Rio de Janeiro, and links to an interview [pt] to Pedro Abramovay, a lawyer and law professor who...
Portugal: Initiative Against Proposed State Budget
The interest rates on the public debt are “the only expenses that can be cut without recessive effects, bringing benefit to the liberation of resources for investment and job creation”, states [pt] the Democratic Congress of Alternatives on an online public petition [pt] to reject Portuguese government's Proposed State Budget...
Ukraine: Homophobic Bill Considered Ahead of Election
Shortly after scrapping the infamous defamation bill in early October, Ukrainian MPs passed another scandalous proposal in the first reading, aimed at “defending children from the propaganda of homosexual lifestyle and the HIV/AIDS infection associated with it.” Tetyana Bohdanova reports.
Guatemala: Soldiers Arrested Over Totonicapán Killings
Blogger Nic Wirtz says that the arrest of eight soldiers after the clashes in Totonicapán -which left at least 8 indigenous protestors dead- is “the first test of Guatemalan President Otto Pérez Molina's mano dura (iron fist) approach to restoring law and order.”
Panama: Protests Erupt in Colón Over Land Law
The sale of the land in the tax free zone of Colón has sparked a series of protests in Panamá. Government and protesters face off, and neither side seems to want to budge.
Iran: A Blogger in Danger
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) announced that they are concerned about the health of Mohammad Reza Pourshajari, the jailed writer of the blog “Iran Land’s Report”. RSF says according to blogger's family “he is in a critical condition, suffering from kidney failure and aggravated by a lack of medical treatment”.
Iran: Bloggers Urge Minister of Education to Resign
A bus in southwestern Iran overturned in southwestern Iran on Friday, October 19. Several Iranian bloggers urged the Minister of Education to resign as ‘a minimum reaction to this tragedy’. Iranian cyberspace accused the Iranian authorities for being irresponsible about the lives of people.
Colombia: How Attacks on Energy Infrastructure Affects Citizens
A rise in the number of attacks on Colombia’s energy infrastructure by guerrilla groups FARC and ELN have had a profound impact on the lives of many Colombians.
Kuwait: The Country's Biggest Protest?
Tear gas and stun grenades were used to disperse a protest in Kuwait against changes to the electoral law. The Sunday march attracted about 150,000 out of the country's population of 3 million. Media outlets considered this number to be the biggest in the small Gulf emirate's history.
Cameroon: Students and Researchers Evaluate the Welfare System
Welfare Systems are rapidly evolving in Sub-Saharan Africa, with some countries having implemented systems allowing evaluation of measures taken several decades ago. Students and researchers from Cameroon have closely examined social public policies and private sector initiatives in their country.
A Maligned Law to Protect the Philippines from Cybercrime
The majority of Filipino internet users and media groups opposed the passage of the Philippine Cybercrime Law because of provisions which they think would curtail media freedom and other civil liberties. But prior to the insertion of online libel and other last minute amendments, the bill was actually quietly supported by many.
Brazil: Police Violence and Privatization of Public Space in Porto Alegre
Students and activists protesting against the privatization of public space in the city of Porto Alegre earlier this month were violently repressed by military police, after having destroyed an inflatable armadillo, mascot for the 2014 World Cup, that occupied the square with the sponsorship of Coca-Cola.
United States: Former Police Chief Blogs for Better Policing
Police officers need to police with consent of those affected if we are to ever have peace and safety in our cities. Former Madison, Wisconsin police chief David C. Couper writes about the need for compassion in a police force in his blog Improving Police.
Bangladesh: Low Dependency on Agricultural Products Prompts Food Security Fears
In the last four decades Bangladesh saw a tremendous rise in the industry and service sectors which prompted the decrease of dependency on agricultural Produces. The decrease in employment in agriculture sector and the increase in number of landless people due to use of agricultural land for other purposes have made a large number of population vulnerable to food insecurity.
Bangladesh: The Perils of The YouTube Ban
The Bangladesh government banned YouTube and its many IPs were also banned which are also used by other Google Services. Many from Bangladesh are unable to access a number of Google services for more than a month as a consequence. Sajib vents his frustrations.
Turkey: Silent Treatment of Hunger Strike met with Anger by Kurds
Hundreds of Kurdish political prisoners in Turkey have entered an indefinite hunger strike. The non-violent protest has gone unnoticed by international media agencies and human rights organisations.
