Ghana is hosting a three-day conference in Accra, "Next Steps," bringing together over 80 countries to advance reparatory justice following a UN resolution declaring the trafficking of enslaved Africans a grave crime against humanity. The event aims to transform political momentum into concrete institutional commitments.
Civil society groups have launched Bantay Senado (Senate Watch), a coalition of over 350 volunteers including students and young professionals, to ensure transparency and fairness in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte. The non-partisan group aims to monitor the proceedings, with convenor Cleve Arguelles emphasizing the public's role as a participant.
Former J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti urges Kashmiri political parties and civil society to unite for dialogue with the central government, inspired by Ladakh's successful talks. She seeks an all-party meeting to build consensus amid regional despair.
A Guardian analysis reveals dozens of US Congress members and staffers took lavish, Aipac-funded trips to Israel since Oct 7, 2023, despite declining US public support for Israel's policies. The trips, costing over $4.2m, featured one-sided briefings and visits to settlements.
Mozambique is experiencing a surge in political violence, with opposition figures, particularly from the ANAMOLA party, being targeted and killed. Critics accuse the ruling FRELIMO party and state security forces of complicity, while the government claims isolated incidents are being handled by the judiciary.
Mozambique is experiencing a surge in political violence targeting opposition figures, particularly members of the ANAMOLA party. Two ANAMOLA members were recently shot and killed, fueling accusations that the government is complicit in suppressing dissent and creating a "criminal state."
Germany's freedom of expression and assembly rating lowered to 'restricted' by Bread for the World's Civil Society Index. Italy, France, Switzerland, and the US also downgraded. The report cites Germany's handling of Gaza war protests and previous climate protest crackdowns.
An AI-powered database tracking corruption cases against Malaysia’s politicians was independently launched on Friday, putting fresh scrutiny on the status and outcomes of the country’s biggest graft prosecutions across administrations. The Prosecutorial Accountability Watch (PAW), built by civil society group Projek SAMA and hosted with news outlet Malaysiakini, tracks 33 high-profile cases involving current and former elected representatives – from ex-prime minister Najib Razak’s 1MDB-linked...
The Brussels Economic Forum (BEF) is the European Commission’s annual flagship economic event. For more than 25 years, it has brought together political leaders, business representatives, civil society, academics, and key economic actors to engage in forward-looking discussions on key issues shaping
The Country Liberal Party's second NT budget has received a lukewarm response from civil society groups, with advocates criticising funding cuts and a "missed opportunity" to support Territorians.
Malaysia's home affairs ministry banned two books for containing communist elements, including a memoir of the grandmother to an ally of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. Days later, the minister announced plans to revoke the bans, along with a prohibition against a Mao Zedong translation funded by Anwar's PKR party. The rapid reversal has sparked confusion among Anwar's supporters, with some questioning the consistency of his reformist image.
Tunisian authorities have ordered a one-month suspension of the Human Rights League (LTDH), one of the oldest human rights organizations in the Arab world and Africa, and a member of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning National Dialogue Quartet in 2015. The group, an outspoken critic of President Kais Saied, accused the government of a wider pattern of systematic curbs on civil society. This suspension follows similar actions against other prominent groups in October, including the Democratic Women and the Economic and Social Rights Forum. Meanwhile, prominent journalist Zied Heni was detained on Friday after criticizing the judiciary.
‘Coalition of the willing’ gathers in Colombia to try to bypass petrostate blockages of Cop summits and chart fresh pathThe world’s first Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels conference, co-hosted by Colombia and the Netherlands, takes place in Santa Marta, Colombia, from 24 to 29 April. A “coalition of the willing” – including 54 countries and various subnational governments, civil society groups and academics – will try to chart a new path to powering the world with low-carbon energy. Continue reading...
