'06 Analysis/Opinion

12/28/2006 The current wave of Latin American governments referred to as "leftist" are significantly different than those associated with Che Guevara and others over the past 40 years, reports Mario Osava.

12/28/2006 If the world directed its attention to Sri Lanka today as it did after the 2004 tsunami, a great many lives could be saved, argues James Ross.

12/22/2006 Hugo Chávez's resounding victory in well-monitored elections shows that the self-styled socialist has won over Venezuela's poor majority. But has he put the country on the slow road to autocracy? A pair of Latin America-based journalists get beyond the rhetoric to really examine Venezuela's politics and policies.

12/22/2006 U.S. foreign policy makers can do better in the Middle East, but they must start by looking at a bigger map, says a Washington, DC-based citizens group.

12/21/2006 India's IT industry is not as successful as it seems and other countries should think carefully before following suit, writes Athar Osama.

12/20/2006 As refugees begin to return to the Democratic Republic of the Congo following June's elections and a perceived new level of stability, greater investments in basic services are necessary to ensure their reintegration is not derailed.

12/20/2006 The confirmation of Libya's decision to convict five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor of infecting child patients with HIV is a global medical disaster, says Michel Thieren.

12/19/2006 Fighting in Darfur and Chad has made its way into the Central African Republic, a country already beset by poverty and political instability. Humanitarian groups and human rights agencies must establish a presence to protect the vulnerable people there, says Refugees International.

12/18/2006 Countries worldwide are becoming more multicultural everyday. Societies must work harder to accept and respect diversity and resolve conflicts on the basis of mutual respect, said the Council of Europe Monday on International Migrants Day.
From: Council of Europe

12/17/2006 In a world where there is enough food for everyone, why is hunger still so pervasive and how can agricultural policies make a difference?

12/15/2006 The United States should lead an international initiative to support Middle Eastern countries hosting Iraqi civilians, says Refugees International, providing an overview of the situation on the ground for Iraqis both within and outside their home country.

12/13/2006 "While the United States can be proud of its international leadership improving human rights situations after disasters abroad, it has not helped Americans realize those same human rights standards," says Jeffrey Buchanan.

12/12/2006 One of the 20th century's most brutal dictators died on Human Rights Day Sunday. Roger Burbach, an American who fled Chile after the 1973 coup, recounts the United States' involvement in Pinochet's ascendance.

12/12/2006 The recent assassination of a cabinet member has only added to Lebanon's social turmoil and political paralysis. But peace and stability are possible, explains a new Mercy Corps brief.

12/10/2006 The existence of poverty in times of plenty not only breaches individuals' economic rights, but also curtails the enjoyment of most other rights as well, said an international civil society coalition reflecting on a recent visit to Zimbabwe. Human Rights Day is Sunday.

12/07/2006 A campaign is calling on concerned individuals to demand the United Nations use its power to protect civilians in Sudan's Darfur region, where many say genocide is continuing unabated.

12/07/2006 After falling and leveling off for ten years following the breakup of the Soviet Union, the world's military spending has risen sharply since September 11, 2001, according to an analysis at Globalissues.org.

12/06/2006 Since September 11, 2001, U.S. defense spending has increased by 35 percent--before funding for Iraq and Afghanistan is even considered--and the United States now accounts for nearly 50 percent of world military spending. Next year's Democratic-controlled Congress is expected to accelerate those trends.

12/06/2006 One in seven British children--1.6 million overall--are growing up homeless or in bad housing, a new report finds.

12/05/2006 Inaugurated in July, Peru’s president Alan García Perez inherited a country torn on socio-economic and political issues. In his first three months in office, García has combined policy innovation and continuity to address the country’s challenges.