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Saturday, June 20, 2026
News and Views from the Global South
South-South
SOUTH AMERICA: Leap in Mercosur Bloc Exports “Not Just Commodities”
The boom in exports from South America's Mercosur trade bloc is due not only to commodities sold to China and other large emerging economies, but also to industrial goods bound for other Latin American and Caribbean markets.BRAZIL: Fight for Gay Rights Making Strides
Brazil is making progress in cracking down on homophobia and upholding the rights of homosexuals. The latest step was the introduction in Congress of a bill on sexual diversity, sponsored by the bar association in consultation with civil society.POLITICS: IBSA Opposes Measures Against Syria
Members of the emerging economy grouping known as IBSA - India, Brazil and South Africa - have joined China and Russia in opposing measures against Syria.U.S.: Controversy Emerges Over Gender Identity Laws
Legislation incorporating gender identity protection has ignited debate among activists for gay and lesbian rights, with some arguing that the legislation actually endangers women and threatens their physical safety, while others contend that gender identity protection is key to obtaining equality for the LGBT community.Brazil Revs Up South-South Cooperation
As one of the world's emerging economic powerhouses, Brazil is vigourously pursuing one of the key economic objectives on the U.N.'s development agenda: South-South Cooperation.
CUBA: Wedding Follows, Four Years After Sex Change Surgery
Nearly four years after realising her dream of changing her body into a woman's to match her transgender identity, Wendy Iriepa rode through the Cuban capital in a vintage convertible, wearing a stunning full-length white bridal gown and unfurling a rainbow flag, the symbol of the sexual diversity movement, for all to see.IBSA Coalition an Emerging Player in Global Diplomacy
The beleaguered government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has so far defied the Security Council, ignored appeals by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, rejected pleas from neighbouring Turkey and the Arab world, and summarily dismissed the threats and sanctions by Western powers.U.S.: Tribal Council Resists Homophobia
Heather Purser, a member of the Suquamish tribe, whose reservation sits in Washington State, came out to her family at the age of 16, but has never felt completely accepted by her people.
South America Unites Against “Irresponsible Debtors” in the North
Default, insolvency, fiscal irresponsibility, debt crisis and similar terms form part of the vocabulary used to describe countries in the developing South in the 1980s and 1990s. A decade later, the world seems to have turned upside down.
BRAZIL: World Cup, Olympic Social Legacy Thrown in Doubt
Community organisations say the major infrastructure works for the 2014 football World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil do not reflect the spirit of the social legacy promised by the government and business community, which project 68 billion dollars in economic benefits from the first event alone.U.S.: In Shifting Political Landscape, Gay Couple Granted Two More Years
A California immigration judge has allowed Alex Benshimol, a Venezuelan citizen, and his U.S.-born husband Doug Gentry to remain together in the United States for at least two more years, in another victory for same-sex bi-national couples.Washington Urged to Recognise Brazil as Global Power
The United States should recognise Brazil as a global power and treat it accordingly, concluded a major new report issued by the influential Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) here this week.
NEPAL: Sex Workers Demand a Place in the Constitution
Every time Bijaya Dhakal goes out to meet people and tell them what she does for a living, the simple task becomes an act of courage requiring nerves of steel. Dhakal is the founder of Nepal’s first and only organisation of women sex workers now trying to make the state and society listen to a community long hushed by poverty and discrimination.
Marriage Victory Leaves Gay Immigrants in Limbo
Henry Velandia, an immigrant from Venezuela, will not be deported, federal immigration officials informed him last week. Now he and his husband, Josh Vandiver, will be able to remain together in the United States.TRADE: Brazil and Africa Ready to Do the Samba
African trade with India and China flourished over the past decade but, with unemployment rising and industrialisation failing to take hold, cracks are appearing in Africa’s much-vaunted "Look East" doctrine. Meanwhile, from across the Atlantic, Brazil is making inroads into the continent.
MALAWI: Tax on the Poor Is to Compensate for Tariff Revenue Loss
The decision by the Malawian government to introduce value-added tax (VAT) of up to 16.5 percent on products such as bread, meat, milk and dairy products is being blamed for losses incurred by small-scale businesses. The move comes in response to a loss of revenue due to regional trade commitments.CUBA: Young People for Diversity
The idea emerged spontaneously, and then snowballed. In just a few months, more than 100 people in Cuba became part of a young people’s social network for diversity, in a society where machismo and homophobia are seen as natural.U.N. Political Body Digresses into “Non-Security” Issues
When the U.N. Security Council, the only political body empowered to declare war and peace, decided to include climate change on its agenda back in 2007, the 131-member Group of 77 (G77) launched a vociferous protest.
Q&A: “When They Find Out You’re a Lesbian They Refuse to Help”
With homophobia on the rise, large numbers of South African lesbians are being subjected to discrimination and violent assaults. There has also been an increase in "corrective rape" by men trying to "cure" them of their sexual orientation. More than 30 lesbians have been killed since 2006. But most of these crimes go unrecognised by the state and unpunished by the legal system.U.N. Still Lags Far Behind on Gay, Lesbian Rights
The United Nations is lagging far behind some of its own member states in recognising the rights of gays and lesbians who remain closeted in an institution that does not always practice what it preaches to the outside world.Africa Becoming More Attractive to Indian and Other Investors
A reduction in red tape and an improvement in political conditions means that sub-Saharan Africa is becoming a more attractive destination for foreign direct investment, especially from India.« Previous Page — Next Page »
South-South cooperation – collaboration between developing countries - is a growing and dynamic phenomenon, an important process that is vital in confronting shared challenges. Led by emerging giants India, Brazil and South Africa (IBSA) the South is a tremendous source of tested solutions to development challenges including the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The Nairobi Outcome of the 2009 High Level United Nations Conference on South-South Cooperation in Nairobi, Kenya highlights growing political and economic ties within the developing world, as countries from the South assume leading roles in decision-making on hot global issues ranging from economic recovery to food security and climate change.
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