Africa’s Largest Hydroelectric Project May Hit the Rocks

There are big aspirations for Africa’s largest hydroelectric project, the Inga III that is set to be built in the Democratic Republic of Congo. But analysts are sceptical that such an ambitious project will ever be realised.

WHO Calls on Member States to Step Up Medical Research

The World Health Organisation’s (WHO) annual report, released Thursday, emphasizes the importance of medical research in achieving the lofty goal of universal health coverage.

Kyrgyzstan’s Democratisation Initiative Losing Steam?

In 2010, Kyrgyzstan tried to promote good governance and reduce corruption by attaching public watchdogs to major ministries and state agencies. Almost three years later, the watchdogs are still functioning, but many express frustration about bureaucratic resistance that hinders their ability to do their jobs.

Mongolia Wrestles with Dutch Disease Dilemma

Ochir Damchaa chuckles as he drives his second-hand Toyota sedan through the alleyways of Nalaikh, a ramshackle town 35 kilometres east of Ulaanbaatar: “There’re just two kinds of jobs here: drive a taxi, or dig coal.”

Haitian Farmers Lauded for Food Sovereignty Work

Work by the Group of 4 (G4) union of Haitian peasant organisations, along with assistance from the Dessalines Brigade - South American peasant leaders and agroecology experts supported by La Via Campesina - has been singled out for promoting “good farming practices and advocat[ing] for peasant farmers” in Haiti.

Spanish Workers Hit Hard by Madrid-Gibraltar Row

“The situation is messed up. Spain is on the verge of a civil uprising and the government is trying to divert attention” by tightening border controls to Gibraltar and provoking tension, complained Manuel Márquez, a delegate for the Socio-cultural Association of Spanish Workers in Gibraltar (ASTECG).

U.S. to Roll Back Mandatory Sentences for Drugs Crimes

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder has directed the Justice Department to institute a slew of major reforms to federal charging policies that have long required automatic prison time for even minor drug offences.

Hurricane Sandy Raised Risk Awareness in Eastern Cuba

Nine months after Hurricane Sandy, the worst disaster to hit this city in eastern Cuban in decades, local residents say they are now better prepared for catastrophes.

World’s Indigenous Day Underscores Need to Uphold Treaties

A canoe trip brought together 200 indigenous and non-indigenous paddlers on the Hudson River for a hundred mile trip on Aug 9, the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. The commemoration honoured the first treaty between the Dutch immigrants and the Haudenosaunee people 400 years ago, the Two Row Wampum.

Cameroonians See REDD

Uncertainty over property rights and access to forest land is potentially a major stumbling block for implementing the United Nations collaborative initiative on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation in Cameroon.

Tapping Rural Culture for Development Potential

“I was a hunter. I killed many animals,” said Rosalino Ortiz, a representative of Mashiramo, a campesino organisation that monitors biodiversity in Colombia’s Massif range in the southern department of Huila.

Environmentalists Alarmed at Tourism Plans for Small Islands

The Venezuelan government’s plans to develop tourism infrastructure on virtually uninhabited highly biodiverse small islands in the southern Caribbean have triggered warnings from environmentalists.

Supporting Rural Community Self-Management in Southern Peru

Some 40 multicoloured tents were set up to showcase the fruits of community-based rural development projects in the main square of this village in southern Peru during a visit by IFAD president Kanayo Nwanze.

Global Value Chains from a Development Perspective

The current discourse on Global Value Chains by key proponents and also the World Trade Organisation (WTO) secretariat is that developing countries should liberalise – in goods and services – and conclude a trade facilitation agreement.

Mexico City Marijuana Legalisation Would Challenge Conventional Approach

If marijuana is legalised in the Mexican capital, as the local government proposes, this country would have to review its adherence to the three international drug control treaties, a trail already blazed by other nations.

100,000 Signers Urge Nobel Prize for Manning

A petition with 100,000 signers urging a Nobel Peace Prize for whistleblower Bradley Manning will be presented to the Norwegian Nobel Committee office in Oslo on August 12.

MERCOSUR Concerned About U.S. Intelligence Gathering

At a closed-door meeting with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Monday, members of MERCOSUR, the South American common market, expressed concern about U.S. intelligence surveillance overseas as revealed by whistleblower Edward Snowden who has been given political asylum in Russia last week.

Extremist Violence Returns to Hit Mogadishu

As the Somali government announced it would set up a coastguard to combat piracy in this Horn of African nation, insecurity is emerging as the biggest challenge that the government faces – and it is only getting worse.

Guatemala’s ‘Femicide’ Courts Hold Out New Hope for Justice

Douglas Cuc, a 32-year-old clown, entered the courtroom with the same smile on his face as when he told jokes for coins on the buses in the town of San Miguel Petapa, near the Guatemalan capital. But this time there was no greasepaint on his face, he did not wear his clown’s nose, and he was in handcuffs.

Zimbabweans Looking for a Brighter Economic Future

Zimbabwean analysts say that it will be historical if President Robert Mugabe, who has ruled this country for 33 years, loses the country’s presidential election to his long-time rival Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and relinquishes power.

Grassroots Groups Wary of Haiti’s “Attractive” Mining Law

(Haiti Grassroots Watch) - As the government works on preparing “an attractive law that will entice investors”, Haitian popular organisations are mobilising and forming networks to resist mining in their country.