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Saturday, June 20, 2026
News and Views from the Global South
South-South
India Looking to South Africa to Anchor its Involvement in Africa
Some Indians and Africans believe Africa is on the verge of becoming a world economic power, but changes are needed to ensure that the continent takes up its rightful place in the global economy. From India’s perspective, South Africa is vital to its engagement with the continent.IBSA: Pro-Western Mindset Hinders India-Brazil Pharma Deals
Cooperation between India and Brazil in pharmaceuticals and medical biotechnology has begun to falter, because Indian authorities would rather collaborate with western counterparts than those in developing countries, new research shows.OP-ED: The War in Libya: The African Union’s Mistake of Policy and Principle
Africa's handling of the Libyan crisis at the United Nations has been timorous and confusing, but it presents an opportunity as well as a challenge for the continental body on how it defines its future strategic interests.
U.S.: Young, Gay and Homeless
Living on the streets is not easy for anyone, but for gay teenagers it can be even worse. Many suffer rejection from their families - pushing them to homelessness – discrimination at school and even sexual assault on the streets. The Oasis Center, in Nashville, Tennessee, is gathering efforts to combat prejudice and provide a safe space for LGBTQ young people.
BRAZIL: Haiti Is Here
In the powerful verses of the song "Haiti", Brazilian musicians Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil described similarities between two countries at different ends of the development spectrum in Latin America, summed up by the words "Haiti is here".
Queer Film Fest Breaks India’s Social Glass Ceiling
More than a decade ago, when India’s first lesbian-themed film - ‘Fire’ by Deepa Mehta - was released, it was booed and met with protest and vandalism, forcing many fear-stricken theatre owners to take the film off their screens.IMF Still Colonial
The International Monetary Fund will probably continue to be headed by a European after the resignation of France's Dominique Strauss-Kahn, but the debate over his replacement indicates this degree of Eurocentrism is unlikely to prevail the next time a successor is sought.
IBSA: India Stakes Its Bets on Training Africa
Of the various cooperation programmes Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced in Addis Ababa on Tuesday, plans for an India-Africa Virtual University (IAVU) take pride of place.IBSA: India Cheers for Brazil, South Africa
When it comes to sports, India has always cheered for Brazil in soccer. Now come another three cheers, this time for South Africa in cricket. The reason: a South African named Gary Kirsten who coached India to win the Cricket World Cup this year, for the first time in 28 years.G20: Hungry for Opportunities
Food shortages may be causing hunger in the developing world, but the large Latin American agricultural countries that belong to the Group of 20 (G20) see the situation as an opportunity to exploit.
CUBA: Sexual Diversity in a Sexist City
Known as the cradle of the revolution and of the conga, but also as one of the most machista places in Cuba, the city of Santiago in the east of the island was the scene of two days of activities demanding respect and freedom for different sexual orientations and gender identities.
BRAZIL: Megaprojects Revive Class Struggle
The rage was proportional to the size of the crowd cornered between the jungle and the wall that will dam up the Madeira River in northwest Brazil. Over the space of three days, workers set fire to some 50 buses and other vehicles, work installations and even their own lodgings, which were built to house 16,000 people.
EU Trade Deal with India Stalemated by Threat to Affordable Drugs
More than four years after the EU started negotiating a trade agreement with India, the process has been pushed to a stalemate by the EU’s stubborn insistence in maintaining the so-called data exclusivity clause, despite fierce opposition by Indian government negotiators and Indian and EU non- governmental organisations (NGOs).
BRAZIL: Women Break Down Barriers in Heavy Construction
They represent just seven percent of the workers building the Santo Antonio hydroelectric dam on the Madeira River, which cuts across the Amazon jungle in northwest Brazil. But the women workers total 1,200, and many of them have had to break down barriers to jobs seen as the preserve of men.
BRAZIL: Despite Historic Victory, Gay Rights Struggle Far from Over
Although gay rights organisations in Brazil are celebrating a historic triumph, legal recognition of civil unions by the Supreme Court, they say the struggle is far from over.Homophobia in the Caribbean Varies Widely
While homosexuality is punishable by law in nine Caribbean island nations, gay activism is increasingly taking root in countries like Cuba.
SOUTH AFRICA : Women’s Issues Missing from Election Manifestos
Come rain or shine, single mother of five, Sylvia Mathebula,* can be found selling fruit and cigarettes at the roadside because it is the only way her family can survive. "Since the government is not helping us with jobs, rather than work as a maid for a white person I decided to start this little business by myself," she says lamenting the lack of opportunities for unskilled women.
DEVELOPMENT: South-South Axis Strengthens
The glass isn’t exactly half-full, but it certainly is not entirely empty either. Within the broad failure of the weeklong Fourth U.N. Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDC-IV) in Istanbul that concluded Friday, many delegates are taking heart in a strengthening South-South front that has emerged.
U.S.: Gay, Grey and Groundbreaking
People in the U.S. are becoming more and more open towards homosexuality, in part due to the trendy Hollywood culture that conveys the image of young, hip and good looking gay men and women. But the situation changes when it comes to the elderly.
ECONOMY: Malawians Keen to Build Trade Ties with India
Building on historical relationships, Malawians have set their sights on strengthening trade and investment relations with India in sectors as diverse as agriculture, telecommunications and pharmaceuticals.
Q&A: Translating Southern Successes Into LDC Solutions
"In South-South cooperation we are all partners," Josephine Ojiambo, ambassador of Kenya to the U.N. and president of the U.N. General Assembly High-Level Committee on South-South Cooperation, told IPS. "SSC specifically shies away from the donor-client relationship."« 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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