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Sunday, September 6, 2026
News and Views from the Global South
BRAZIL: Tourism Industry Fears Summer-long Crisis in Airports
The southern hemisphere summer, which begins this month, is expected to be fraught with tension in Brazil's tourism industry given the possibility of a worsening of the crisis facing the country's airports, right when passenger travel is at its peak.BRAZIL: Rainwater Tanks a Weapon Against Drought
The impoverished population of the Brazilian Northeast, one of regions most vulnerable to the effects of climate change, is preparing for long-term coexistence with drought, through various projects such as the construction of one million tanks to collect rainwater.HUMAN RIGHTS-BRAZIL: Wanted – More Convinced Supporters
About 20,000 slave labourers have been freed in Brazil since 1995. Estimates published in the last decade said there were 25,000 people living under such conditions. If these figures are correct, it would seem that the slavery problem is close to being solved.
Rainwater Tanks a Weapon Against Drought
The construction of a million rainwater collection tanks in the Brazilian Northeast is underway. The region is considered one of the most vulnerable to the effects of global warming.CULTURE: Fomenting Diversity in the Face of Growing Homogenisation
Culture as a universal human right that is opposed to hegemonic dominance, and contributes to development and diversity, is the central paradigm behind the Fórum Cultural Mundial (World Cultural Forum) held Wednesday and Thursday in this Brazilian city.EDUCATION-BRAZIL: ‘Inclusive’ Schools – Bar Some
A popular soap opera that portrays a mother in search of a school that will accept her daughter as just another student has sparked a public debate in Brazil on whether or not children with Down's syndrome should be enrolled in standard schools.MEDIA: South-South Communications Lag Behind Trade Flows
Vigorous expansion of trade between developing countries has created "a new geography of global trade," but communications have lagged behind this and other processes that have increased the gravitas of the South, participants agreed at a seminar in Brazil.CULTURE: Creativity Has (Cash) Value
The culture and creativity economy and its contribution to sustainable development will be the central theme at a 10-day meeting of experts, artists and government delegates from more than 70 countries, which kicks off Friday in two Brazilian cities.BRAZIL: Racism Reflected in Health System
Brazil's minister of health, Agenor Álvares, has admitted that the public health system is imbued with racism, stirring up more controversy over policies for specific treatment plans targeting Brazilians of African descent.ENVIRONMENT-BRAZIL: Eye on Urban Water Pollution
Around 30 million people are affected by water contamination in Brazil's two biggest metropolitan areas. In Sao Paulo, this means water shortages. In Rio de Janeiro, the water supply itself is not diminished, but pollution threatens to make it useless for human consumption.BRAZIL: Lula, More than Ever ‘Father of the Poor’
After his landslide victory in Sunday's runoff election, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva promised that his first step would be to push through political reforms, and underlined that the poor will remain the top priority in his second term, which begins Jan. 1.
Eye on Urban Water Pollution
Brazil's two biggest metropolitan regions face serious problems when it comes to their potable water supply. Observers recommend more investment in basic sanitation.ELECTIONS-BRAZIL: There’s No Stopping Lula
Barring an unforeseen calamity, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will be reelected Sunday to another four-year term, despite a series of scandals that have rocked his leftist Workers' Party (PT) and put his government in the sights of the press and the opposition for the past year and a half.ENERGY-BRAZIL: Biodiesel Lubricates Social Inclusion
The physic nut tree, which has a lifespan of over 40 years, is resistant to drought and benefits small farmers, is a potential source of biodiesel in Brazil, as is the babassu, a coconut palm from the eastern Amazonian region.ELECTIONS-BRAZIL: Black Voters Crucial for Lula
Brazilians of African descent, who make up 47 percent of a total population of 187 million, did not increase their representation in parliament in the last elections, but are proving to be a decisive force in the likely reelection of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.BRAZIL-BOLIVIA: Challenge Blocks Amazon Dams
Bolivia's charge of potential harm to its national territory from the construction of two dams in the Brazilian Amazon could delay work on the mega-projects, whose environmental impact studies will be debated in November.
Bolivia's Challenge Blocks Dams in the Amazon
Environmentalists in La Paz warn that one of the hydroelectric dams that Brazil is planning to build on the Madeira River could flood Bolivian territory. They are calling for a binational agreement.BRAZIL: Growth in Female Political Representation – Slow To Motionless
Women in Brazil striving for a more gender-balanced participation in political power have a new frustration to deal with. The Oct. 1 elections put a stop to the slow, inadequate increase in female representation in Congress.ELECTIONS-BRAZIL: Weakened Lula Faces Second Round
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva took nearly 49 percent of the vote in Sunday's elections, but he is facing difficult conditions as he starts out on the campaign for a second round on Oct. 29 against his main rival, Geraldo Alckmin.ELECTIONS-BRAZIL: Suspense – a Latecomer to the Campaign
Interest in next Sunday's elections in Brazil has revived in the last two weeks of the campaign, as two big question marks emerge: will President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva win a first-round victory, and what repercussions will the latest corruption scandal have.ELECTIONS-BRAZIL: Women Want to Change Rules of the Game
Activists and lawmakers fighting for equal opportunities for women in Brazil and for the political reforms that would make this possible are already prepared for frustration, as the lists of candidates make it clear that Sunday's general elections will not bring about any major change in women's limited representation in politics.« Previous Page — Next Page »
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