South-South

GWANGJU, South Korea

Seeking Justice for Dictatorship Victims – Two Continents Apart

As news of the death of former Argentine dictator Jorge Rafael Videla in a prison cell spread around the world, Julia Parodi, who was in this South Korean city to receive the Gwangju Prize for Human Rights on behalf of HIJOS, said he died in the right place.

Has Caribbean Diplomacy Lost Its Mojo?

By Peter Richards

Whether by accident or coincidence, recent days have seen a variety of Caribbean leaders and journalists question whether the region is failing to pursue leadership roles within international organisations - and thus losing its voice in global issues like trade, climate change, and peace and security.

Film on Sexual Abuse Wins at Colombia-Venezuela Festival

By Humberto Márquez

A Venezuelan movie about a young deaf woman who is sexually abused by her stepfather, “Brecha en el silencio” (Breach in the Silence), took top prize at the second Colombia-Venezuela film festival.

Migratory “Flyways” Decimated by Human Expansion

By Silvia Romanelli

Migratory birds, which play an important role in the complex web of life known as ecosystem services, are under threat as never before, with some species facing extinction within the next decade.

Developing World to Dominate Global Investment by 2030

By Carey L. Biron

Over the next decade and a half, a major global shift will result in the developing world controlling roughly half of the world’s capital, up from less than a third today.

WTO Chooses New Latin American Chief to Mark a Change in Course

By Gustavo Capdevila

Brazilian diplomat Roberto Carvalho de Azevêdo was named the new director general of the WTO with broad support from the developing world, beating out his Mexican rival Herminio Blanco, who was backed by the industrialised nations.

Developing Resilience to Financial Shocks

By Supachai Panitchpakdi

The global repercussions of the 2007-2008 financial crisis are a stark reminder of the economic interdependence in our globalising world. No country was spared from the shock waves that originated in the financial systems of developed economies.

Institutional Tangles, Deindustrialisation Hurt Mercosur

By Mario Osava

July will mark the start of a new era for the Common Southern Market (Mercosur), when it will expand to five full members, if the South American bloc manages to overcome the commotion caused by the admission of Venezuela and the suspension of Paraguay.

Climate Change Adaptation: A Race Against Time

By Naimul Haq

Adaptation and mitigation. Identified by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and by scientists as the two major responses to address the problem, these were also the twin preoccupations of a climate change conference held recently in Dhaka.

OP-ED: War and Peace in Colombia and Venezuela

By Clara Nieto

The crisis in Venezuela caused by the violent opposition of followers of Henrique Capriles, who is accusing President Nicolás Maduro of election fraud, and peace talks between the Colombian government and the FARC guerrillas in Havana, are occupying the attention of national and foreign media.

Lessons in Economic Integration for African Union

By John Fraser

As the African Union celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, it is still younger and less integrated than the 56-year-old body that is now the European Union, and, according to politicians and diplomats, has a big advantage over the Europeans as it charts its own path of integration.

Dominican Women in Argentina Especially Vulnerable

By Marcela Valente

Despite the enormous distance between the two countries, Argentina has become an increasingly frequent destination for migrants from the Dominican Republic, especially women, who are vulnerable to falling prey to sexual exploitation networks.

U.N. Accused of Playing Down Nuke Disarmament Conference

By Thalif Deen

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is one of the most vociferous advocates of a world free of nuclear weapons.

Azerbaijan’s Israel Diplomatic Trip Tweaks Tehran

By Shahin Abbasov

Azerbaijan in late April crossed a self-imposed “red line” in its relations with southern neighbour Iran by dispatching Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov on a visit to Israel, Tehran’s arch-foe. Reasons for the timing of the move are not clear, but, so far, Tehran appears to be biding its time with a response.

Waste Pickers in Colombia Earn Formal Recognition

By Constanza Vieira

Nora Padilla, one of the six winners of this year’s Goldman environmental prize, dedicates her days to organising informal recyclers in the Colombian capital, where the city’s eight million inhabitants are just now reluctantly starting to classify their garbage at source.