IRIN reports that there is yet another impediment to effective AIDS treatment in South Africa. Apparently rape survivors tend to get left out in prevention and treatment programs. In a normal society this might pass as a loose end left untied. but in a country beset by both AIDS and abominably high rape figures it goes […]
This post is designed to help non-Kyrgyzstanis follow individuals and organizations involved in Kyrgyzstan's current political crisis, as well as report on further developments: Following the constitutional demonstrations of April 11 through 19, 2007, which ended badly: Arrests were made, and opposition leaders were to be held for two months, in order to "complete investigations", […]
For those of you who read my post on Mark Seidenfeld's incarceration and trial delay, the article by Ilan Greenberg has been corrected at the NYT site (I linked to the International Herald Tribune version of NYT piece). As noted by comments received, Mr. Seidenfeld's employer was improperly attributed. In the details of the legal case, no […]
Bermet Akaeva, the daughter of ousted Kyrgyzstani President Askar Akaev, recently continued her odd-yssey of reinstatement in Kyrgyzstan's political life. On March 23 of this year, she filed to run as a candidate for national legislature from the northern Kemin district. More than a month of legal challenges in Kyrgyzstani courts ensued. On April 27, her candidature was […]
President Felipe Calderon participated in Earth Day ceremonies on an ecological reserve, calling for greater environmental education in the country's schools. Arguing that educational programs will improve the environment and combat global warming, Calderon also signed a decree aimed at protecting the endangered “El Hundido” aquifer in Coahuila state. Calderon has developed an environmental initiative […]
Given it's role as the largest anti-apartheid liberation organization, its central role in the transition to democracy, and its virtually insuperable status in the country's politics today it should come as no suprise that the African National Congress is far and away the most scrutinized (and criticized) political party in South Africa. From issues of politics […]
Thirty-three officials representing four Central Asian states, the European Union, and the UN High Commission on Refugees held a meeting called “Institutional and Capacity-Building Activities to strengthen the Asylum System in Central Asia”. A stateless person is any person living without state acknowledgement. In underserved outlying areas, these may be children without birth certificates; a great […]
Strictly speaking, Mr.Repin's work does not belong in a Central Asia blog. Ilya Repin was an ethnic Russian who grew up in the Ukraine and eventually settled in Belarus. Yet Mr. Repin painted a series of four works that described the conflict between Tsarist secret police and Russian revolutionaries that still resonates today. For our time, this series shows […]
Although African agriculture is often underdeveloped, there exist many possibilities for maximizing the continent's resources. According to a report from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs: With food security often at the mercy of erratic weather patterns, Southern Africa could bank on its “tremendous” potential to farm fish to sustain its predominantly […]
Over at The New Republic John Talbott has a rather radical suggestion for how to end AIDS in Africa: “Compulsory testing and notification of every citizen.” Talbott is not a medical doctor nor is he an Africanist — his tagline lists him as “an author, former investman banker for Goldman Sachs, and former visiting scholar […]
Though Foreign Minister Zafiri has stated that Tajikistan has an “open door policy” to foreign investment, barriers do remain: A. Two official comments from the United States: On April 13, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Evan Feigenbaum announced that Tajikistan's investment climate is hindered by its high level of […]
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg traveled to Toluca, Mexico this week to learn about the Oportunidades anti-poverty program. Serving approximately 25 million people, Opportunidades is Mexico's conditional cash transfer program and principal anti-poverty initiative. The program awards cash grants to economically disadvantaged families for keeping their children in school and providing them with healthcare. […]
A universal picture of human rights treats each profession equally in the call for due process of law. Yet human rights organizations focus upon the treatment of journalists in repressive regimes for good reasons. First, the treatment of journalists reflects our own belief in the importance of steady, trustworthy information. Second, examining the treatment of […]
I’m back from a week in England and am still absolutely buried with email and work and deadlines. But here are a lot of links on some of the crucial issues facing Africa and Africans: The online news editor of The Economist is in Zimbabwe trying to get a feel for things there, to stay […]
An event that has implications for EU position on Uzbekistan's “softening” of human rights violations; An event which may aid Umida Niyazova in her ongoing trial for border violations and accepting money from foreign news agencies; Human Rights Watch has had their residency re-affirmed for another six months.