Amandla

OECD Factbook 2008: Economic, Environmental and Social Statistics is now available online.

Peter Scott's Library blog

Podcasting in the teaching and learning of Politics and International Relations
This site provides information about the Podcasting in the teaching and learning of Politics and International Relations The project was supported by C-SAP Higher Education Academy the subject network for Sociology, Anthropology and Politics and conducted by POLIS at the University of Leeds and the School of Social Science at Liverpool John Moores University during 2007/8 in order to investigate what role podcasting can play in supporting the politics student learning experience. The website provides background information on the aims of the project and its outcomes. It includes free access to some papers and powerpoint slides. Intute.ac.uk
http://www.c-sap.bham.ac.uk/subject_areas/politics/polcasting/

Change in Cuba: how citizens view their country's future

This site provides free access to a 32 page report published by Freedom House in September 2008. It presents the findings from in-depth surveys with 180 Cubans conducted in April 2008. These canvas their attitudes on a range of social, economic and political issues following the resignation of former president Fidel Castro. Topics covered include: the impact on daily life, their opinions on the nature and extent of the recent changes and and their hopes for the future. Details on the methdology of the survey are offered. Intute.ac.uk
http://www.freedomhouse.org/uploads/ChangeinCuba.pdf

World Economic Forum’s Latest Report Focuses on How Financial Turmoil Will Affect Real Economy
Source: World Economic Forum

The World Economic Forum’s Global Risk Network launched today a new edition of its Europe@Risk report, which is published ahead of the World Economic Forum on Europe and Central Asia (Istanbul, Turkey, 30 October - 1 November 2008). The report examines the global risks most pertinent to Europe, Russia, Eastern Europe, Turkey and Central Asia.

The current financial crisis will have profound effects on the region and its consequences on the real economy are still unfolding. As the report was being prepared, the financial crisis that began in 2007 reached a critical point. Banks on both sides of the Atlantic were bailed out and rescue plans for the financial sector were put in place all over Europe.

The report highlights that the contagion effects of the financial meltdown will affect the real economy of the region. In Western Europe, growth prospects are being revised downwards, industrial production is decreasing in several countries and unemployment is likely to increase. In Central Asia, countries which have high levels of financing through international capital markets will be more vulnerable to the global financial turmoil.

+ Full Report (PDF; 3.3 MB)

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The World Investment Report 2008 is the 18th in a series published by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The report analyses the latest trends in foreign direct investment (FDI) and has a special focus in 2008 on the role of transnational corporations (TNCs) in infrastructure development. You may download the report in full (full text, pdf, 4815Kb) in English or in other official languages of the UN from the website.

UN Pulse Permanent Link: World Investment Report 2008

The United Nations Human Settlements Programme’s (UN-HABITAT) has released its annual flagship report, the State of the World’s Cities 2008/9: Harmonious Cities (sales publication, full text link not available). According to the summary, the report finds that as "cities grow in size and population, harmony among the spatial, social and environmental aspects of a city and between their inhabitants becomes of paramount importance. This harmony hinges on two key pillars: equity and sustainability."

UN Pulse Permanent Link: State of the World's Cities 2008/2009

The World Health Organization (WHO) today published a new assessment of the Global Burden of Disease which provides a comprehensive and comparable assessment of mortality and loss of health as a result of diseases, injuries and risk factors for all regions of the world. This study also includes information on causes of death in various parts of the world, the leading causes of death by age, sex and disease, the number of people with different diseases and disabilities, number of people who become ill each year and the causes of loss of health and the actual loss of years of good health. Read the 10 facts of global burden of diseases, download the assessment report in full (full text , pdf 5.09MB) or order the hard copy of the report.

UN Pulse Permanent Link: The Global Burden of Disease

In its latest report, Violence and Xenophobia in South Africa: Developing Consensus, Moving to Action , sponsored by the British High Commission, the HSRC pools common wisdom and experience of immigrant communities, government and civil society and comes up with a series of consensual principles and recommendations that are intended to guide the way toward preventing similar outbreaks and unravelling growing xenophobic attitudes in South Africa. It is hoped these will help to shape thinking and policy on this complex and challenging subject.

Following the HSRC's rapid, on-the-ground study into community perceptions on the xenophobic violence (launched at a press conference in Johannesburg in late May 2008, two weeks after the outbreak of violence), a roundtable was hosted to discuss the issues and findings in more detail. Fifty delegates from government, civil society and from affected communities attended a roundtable at the HSRC's Pretoria office to do this in late July. This report is the outcome of the roundtable and contains within it a set of agreements and recommendations that the 50 stakeholders feel will make a difference.
http://www.hsrc.ac.za/Document-2994.phtml

 

Thanks to Fareeda Jadwat for this.

Venues in Durban and Cape Town: see below
Date: 06 November 2008
Time: 12H15 – 13H30

Why have certain African states become so especially vulnerable to conflict in the last two decades?   What are the long term effects of these conflicts likely to be?   What is needed to end them and make them less likely in future?  In this seminar Prof Tom Lodge is going to explore five hypotheses about the causes of modern African warfare.  These are: that these conflicts have accompanied and partly have been caused by the collapse of historically very weak states; that the collapse of central political authority followed the sudden ending of external support, a consequence of the end of the Cold War and of the imposition of harsher terms of structural adjustment; that warfare expresses rejection of elder authority by young men; that rebellions are a response to new opportunities and new or freshly available resources; and that conflicts are symptomatic of environmental and demographic stress.  He will then consider the impact of wars upon demography, borders, the distribution of power, and development.  Finally he will identify the contextual requirements for enduring peace.    
Cape Town: HSRC, 12th Floor, Plein Park Building (Opposite Revenue Office), Plein Street , Cape Town . Contact Vuyokazi Ngxubaza, Tel (021) 4668004, Fax (021) 461 0299, or VNgxubaza@hsrc.ac.za, Cell: 082 0508453.
Durban:  First floor HSRC board room, 750 FRANCOIS ROAD, Ntuthuko Junction, PODS 5 and 6, Cato Manor, Contact Johannes Khoele, Tel (031) 2425400, Cell; 084 2406 003 or JKhoele@hsrc.ac.za,
Pretoria: HSRC Video Conference, 1st floor HSRC Library Human Sciences Research Council, 134 Pretorius Street, Pretoria.   Arlene Grossberg, Tel: (012) 302 2811, e-mail: acgrossberg@hsrc.ac.za , or Baby Twala, Tel (012) 302-2368, E-mail: Btwala@hsrc.ac.za .

Thanks to Fareeda Jadwat for this

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Isandla Institute and the Open Society Foundation for South Africa invite you to a Development Dialogue on 

 Speaking truth to power: Politics and jurisprudence in a young democracy 

 Thursday 6 November 2008, 16h30 - 18h00 

Centre for the Book, Cape Town

(tea and coffee served beforehand, please be seated at 16h30)    

In recent months, the role and independence of the judiciary in South Africa has come under scrutiny. The debate seems to have become polarised around two extreme perspectives. On the one hand, some hold the view that the judiciary has involved itself in, and has allowed itself to be influenced by, the politics of the day. Others, however, are of the opinion that the state and the ANC have sought to interfere with or compromise/discredit the judiciary, in particular the Constitutional Court. What is at stake is the autonomy of the judiciary and its credibility in speaking truth to power. In our new democracy, what is the relationship between politics and jurisprudence? Are the checks and balances in place to avoid undue political interference with the judiciary? And to what extent can the judiciary tread on the terrain of politics, without fear or favour, but at the same time without exceeding its mandate?

 

Justice Dennis Davis (Cape High Court), Rhoda Kadalie (Impumelelo Innovations Awards Trust) and Prof Pierre De Vos (University of the Western Cape, t.b.c.) have been invited to share their perspectives on these questions.  

 

The Development Dialogue will be held on Thursday Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 6 November 2008 from 16h30-18h00, at the Centre for the Book, 62 Queen Victoria Street, Cape Town. Tea and coffee are made available between 16h00-16h30. Kindly note that the event will start at 16h30. Afterwards, there will be an opportunity for informal interaction over drinks and snacks. 

If you are interested in attending this event, please r.s.v.p. on admin@isandla.org.za by Friday 31 October. You will receive confirmation of your attendance.

 

Thanks to Fareeda Jadwat for this.

The Centre for Conflict Resolution (CCR), Cape Town, South Africa, invites you and members of your organisation to the seminar

 “The Global Economic Crisis: Implications for South Africa and Africa”

 SPEAKERS:                               Mr Lumkile Munde

Chief Economist and Vice-President

Industrial Development Corporation

Johannesburg

                                    

Professor Sampie Terreblanche

Emeritus Professor of Economics

University of Stellenbosch

 

DATE:                                       Wednesday 29 October 2008

TIME:                                       17H30 to 19H00

VENUE:                                     Centre for the Book, 62 Queen Victoria Street, Cape Town

RSVP:                                      Lavenia Benjamin

TEL:                                          (021) 689 1005

E-MAIL:                                   lavenia@ccr.uct.ac.za

Website:                                  http://ccrweb.ccr.uct.ac.za/

                       

All are welcome and entry is free.

Thanks to Fareeda Jadwat for this.

White Rose East Asia Centre T
The White Rose East Asia Centre is a joint research centre of the University of Leeds Department of East Asian Studies (DEAS) and the Centre for International Business University of Leeds (CIBUL) and the School of East Asian Studies (SEAS) at the University of Sheffield. Specialist areas of research include: East Asia’s political economies; East Asian identities and cultures; social change and transition in East Asia and regionalisation and globalisation. It is possible to use the website to access information about the aims, organisation and activities of the centre. There are links to some online papers. Intute.ac.za
http://www.wreac.org/

Political parties in conflict-prone societies: regulation, engineering and democratic development
This site provides free access to the full text of a book edited by Benjamin Reilly, Per Nordlund which was published by International IDEA and the United Nations Press in 2008. 978-92-808-1157-5 . The 326 page book contains a collection of articles which discuss the trend in conflict-prone societies towards promoting stable and inclusive politics via state regulation of political parties. It offers case studies from around the world including nations in Africa, Asia Latin America and considers the impact of the trend on democracy and democratization in the regions. Intute.ac.uk
http://www.idea.int/publications/ppcps/index.cfm

China Policy Institute
China Policy Institute is an academic research think tank based at the University of Nottingham. Its purpose is to study the role of China in the contemporary world, its relations with Western nations and the challenges faced by its rapid economic development. The website provides information about the aims of the centre and its current work. It includes free access to a growing collection of online publications from approximately 2005 onwards. These include: China Analysis (timely comment on Chinese politics, economic and social affairs), policy papers and discussion papers. Topics covered include Chinese politics, change and reform within the Chinese communist party and government, economic and trade developments, international relations and security and issues arising from the Beijing 2008 Olympic games. Intute.ac.uk
http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/cpi/about/index.php

Ab Imperio: the network of empire and nationalism studies

Ab Imperio is an academic network of scholars specialising in post-Soviet studies which is sponsored by the Soros Foundation Open Society Institute. Key topics of interest include Eastern European culture, history and nationalisn, post communist societies, nationalism in the former Eastern Bloc nations, the role of Russia in the post-communist world. The site includes blogs, calendars of events, links to key email discussion forums and a database of relevant scholars. Intute.ac.uk
http://net.abimperio.net/

United States Remains On Top Of Competitiveness Rankings
Source: World Economic Forum

The United States tops the overall ranking in The Global Competitiveness Report 2008-2009, released today by the World Economic Forum. Switzerland is in second position followed by Denmark, Sweden and Singapore. European economies continue to prevail in the top 10 with Finland, Germany and the Netherlands following suit. The United Kingdom, while remaining very competitive, has dropped by three places and out of the top 10, mainly attributable to a weakening of its financial markets. The People’s Republic of China continues to lead the way among large developing economies, improving by four places this year and joining the top 30. All of the BRIC economies figure in the top half of the ranking, with China followed by India, Russia and Brazil.Several Asian economies perform strongly with Japan, Hong Kong SAR, Republic of Korea and Taiwan, China in the top 20. In Latin America, Chile is the highest ranked country, followed by Panama, Costa Rica and Mexico.

A number of countries in the Middle East and North Africa region are in the upper half of the rankings, led by Israel, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Tunisia, with particular improvements noted in the Gulf States since last year. In sub-Saharan Africa, South Africa, Botswana and Mauritius feature in the top half of the rankings, with several countries from the region measurably improving their competitiveness. Click here to read the highlights of the report.

+ Report highlights (PDF; 306 KB)
+ Full Report

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The BBC (or "Beeb" to those in the know) provides high-quality investigative news reports and thoughtful conversations on topics ranging from the Middle Ages to globalization. Some people may not know that the BBC also offers fine coverage of the Caribbean region, and this website is a good way to stay on top of current events in the area. A good way to get a flavor of the site is to listen to one of their reports, which include "Caribbean Report", "Morning Report", "Caribbean Magazine", or "Sports Caribbean". All of these reports are frequently updated (some on a daily basis), and they truly give listeners a sense of the issues of the day. Further down the site, visitors can look through country profiles, features on cricket, and special thematic reports on topics like remittances, tourism, and environmental degradation. [KMG] Scout Report

http://www.bbc.co.uk/caribbean/

 

Page The page is a topical politics news blog maintained by Mark Halperin editor-at-large and senior political analyst for TIME magazine. It provides timely comment and analysis of American politics. This includes coverage of the American political system, political parties, events and elections. The site contains webcasts with televised interviews, plus links to recent political and social opinion polls and discussion of recent news stories. During 2008 there was extensive coverage of the American presidential elections. It is possible to sign up to receive RSS feeds or email updates. Intute.ac.uk
http://thepage.time.com/

Cultural Anthropology virtual Issue: democracy, voting & elections
This site is maintained by Cultural Anthropology: the journal of the Society for Cultural Anthropology. It provides access to a collection of articles and supplementary papers relating to democracy, elections and voting which were published during 2008. These include a useful insight into the US elections from Palestinian citizens, Making Democracy Count: Opinion Polls and Market Surveys in the Chilean Political Transition by Julia Paley; Rose-Colored Glasses? Color Revolutions and Cartoon Chaos in Postsocialist Georgia by Paul Manning and Multipartyism and Nostalgia for the Unified Past: Discourses of Democracy in a Dance Association in Cameroon by Clare A. Ignatowski. They offer a useful insight into elections from an anthropological perspective. Intute.ac.uk
http://www.culanth.org/?q=node/173

Studies in anti-capitalism
The Studies in anti-capitalism website provides free access to a collection of articles, papers and texts relating to the development of socialism and the struggle against capitalism by socialists, communists and anti-globalization movements. Many materials on the site have been written by Don Milligan. They include notes from courses on anti-capitalism which he has prepared for Manchester Metropolitan University. The site also includes materials from books written by Raymond Williams, links to related journals and other research websites. Intute.ac.uk
http://www.studiesinanti-capitalism.net/StudiesInAnti-Capitalism/Studies_in_Anti

Khazar University Institutional Repository (KUIR)

Khazar University Institutional Repository (KUIR) provides free access to research outputs from staff and researchers based at Khazar University, Azerbaijan. These include journal articles, papers and research reports. Subject areas from the humanities, social sciences and sciences are covered. Most materials are from approximately 1998 onwards. Some are not offered in English. There are extensve collections on Azerbaijani history, politics and culture as well as the history and politics of the post-soviet and post-communist nations. Other areas are the history and geopolitics of the Russian Federation, Caucasus and Caspian sea region Items include articles from the Journal of Azerbaijan studies. Many can be accessed in full text free of charge. Intute.ac.uk
http://dspace.khazar.org/jspui/

FOI Advocates Network
Website of the FOI Advocates Network (FOIAnet) a voluntary network of freedom of information organisations from around the world. The site has information relating to FOIAnet including details of the Steering Committee, links to member organisations organised by region and full text of the establishing documents. There is information on the organisation’s projects and activities including the annual Right to Know Day which aims to “raise awareness of every individual’s right of access to government-held information: the right to know how elected officials are exercising power and how the tax-payers’ money is being spent”. A page of related web resources and documents are also made available. Intute.ac.uk
http://www.foiadvocates.net/

CPI 2008 — Persistently high corruption in low-income countries amounts to an “ongoing humanitarian disaster”
Source: Transparency International

With countries such as Somalia and Iraq among those showing the highest levels of perceived corruption, Transparency International’s (TI) 2008 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), launched today, highlights the fatal link between poverty, failed institutions and graft. But other notable backsliders in the 2008 CPI indicate that the strength of oversight mechanisms is also at risk among the wealthiest.

“In the poorest countries, corruption levels can mean the difference between life and death, when money for hospitals or clean water is in play,” said Huguette Labelle, Chair of Transparency International. “The continuing high levels of corruption and poverty plaguing many of the world’s societies amount to an ongoing humanitarian disaster and cannot be tolerated. But even in more privileged countries, with enforcement disturbingly uneven, a tougher approach to tackling corruption is needed.”
…
The Transparency International CPI measures the perceived levels of public-sector corruption in a given country and is a composite index, drawing on different expert and business surveys. The 2008 CPI scores 180 countries (the same number as the 2007 CPI) on a scale from zero (highly corrupt) to ten (highly clean).

Denmark, New Zealand and Sweden share the highest score at 9.3, followed immediately by Singapore at 9.2. Bringing up the rear is Somalia at 1.0, slightly trailing Iraq and Myanmar at 1.3 and Haiti at 1.4.

While score changes in the Index are not rapid, statistically significant changes are evident in certain countries from the high to the low end of the CPI. Looking at source surveys included in both the 2007 and 2008 Index, significant declines can be seen in the scores of Bulgaria, Burundi, Maldives, Norway and the United Kingdom.

Similarly, statistically significant improvements over the last year can be identified in Albania, Cyprus, Georgia, Mauritius, Nigeria, Oman, Qatar, South Korea, Tonga and Turkey.

+ CPI Table and Sources (PDF; 70 KB)
+ Press Kit (PDF; 282 KB)

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Next America's website implores the visitor to "Debate. Decide. Connect". It's all part of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a bipartisan think tank in Washington, D.C. The website gives young future leaders the opportunity to debate the future of U.S. foreign policy with their peers, on issues such as "Energy & Climate", "Economic Integration", "Defense and Security", and "Human Rights and Development". To see what specific topics from these issues are currently being debated on the site, click on the "Debates" section. From there, you can see a photo of the person from each side of the debate, and read what they have to say. Those who have registered to be a member of the site can comment on the debaters' responses, in writing or by creating a YouTube video. If the visitor continues to scroll down the "Debates" page, they can see previous debates, with members being given the same opportunity to comment on the debaters' responses. The purpose of the all the debating and commenting on the site is to enable the staff of Next America to put together a memo outlining the policy priorities of the "twentysomething" generation, and give it to the new administration. It's a rather fine idea, and the site may inspire debates and fruitful conversation. [KMG] Scout Report

 

 

Established in 1977 by the National Science Foundation, the American National Election Studies (ANES) remains as vital a national research resource as ever. Their website provides important information about public opinion in the United States along with sophisticated election databases that will be useful to policy makers and social scientists. Along the left-hand side of their site visitors will find the "Reference Library" area, along with the "Data Center", and the equally important "Help Center". A good place to start looking around here is the "Guide to Public Opinion" area. Here visitors are afforded immediate access to tables and graphs that display the "ebb and flow of public opinion, electoral behavior, and choice in American politics over time." The tables and graphs contain data from 1948 through 2004, and they cover everything from partisanship to political involvement. Further along, the "Reference Library" area contains both pilot study and technical reports that may be of greater interest to academics. Additionally, there is a section where visitors can sign up to receive email updates. [KMG] Scout Report

 

The Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs was created in 2006 as part of the office of Georgetown University's President. The mission of the Center is to build knowledge, promote dialogue, and to support action "in the service of peace." On the site's homepage, visitors will be presented with five primary sections, including "Programs", "Events", "People", "Media", and "Databases". Many visitors will want to head straight away for the "Databases" area. Here they will find resources designed for students, scholars, and citizens which address faith, gender, and development, along with faith-inspired organizations in the Muslim world. After having a look there, visitors will want to click on the "Recent Publications" section. There's some really terrific material here, including reports on evangelicals and foreign policy, international religious liberty, and religious pluralism. Finally, visitors who are planning a visit to Washington, D.C. can click on the "Events" section to learn about upcoming talks, lectures, and symposia sponsored by the Center. [KMG] Scout Report

 

 

The World Bank is concerned with many parts of the developing world, but they are particularly interested in the so-called "fragile states". Loosely defined, "fragile states" are countries "facing particularly severe development challenges such as weak institutional capacity, poor governance, political instability, and frequently on-going violence or the legacy effects of past severe conflict." To provide policy makers and others with information on their work in this area, the Bank has created this website. The material on the site includes a number of slideshow features and essays that address the fight against poverty in these countries, along with "best-practices" approaches to solving some of these seemingly intractable problems. Near the bottom of the page, visitors can click on sections such as "Conflict Prevention and Reconstruction" to learn more about the Bank's work in places like the Sudan and also take a look through the tremendously helpful "Economics of Conflict" website. [KMG] Scout Report

http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/EXTABOUTUS/0,,contentMDK:21708932~menuPK:4851994~pagePK:51123644~piPK:329829~theSitePK:29708,00.html

"NationMaster.com, the world's largest online statistical database for country comparisons, has announced free access to their correlation tools. This service allows the user to compare any two statistics (out of a database of over 5,700) in order to shed new light on information highly-useful to journalists, writers, professors and the general public. Correlations can therefore be used to inform debates on crime, politics, education, poverty and so on". Peter Scott's library blog

The World Health Organization (WHO) recently posted for comment a Draft code of practice on the international recruitment of health personnel. The WHO announcement, reads, in part,

"The numbers of migrating health workers have significantly increased in the past decades, and patterns of migration have become more complex and have involved more countries. Health worker migration from those countries that are already experiencing a crisis in their health workforce is further weakening already fragile health systems and presents a serious impediment to achieving the health-related Millennium Development Goals."

Related documents are linked from the announcement.

UN Pulse: 

Permanent Link: International recruitment of health personnel 

South Asia Human Rights Index 2008
The South Asia Human Rights Index 2008 was published by the Asian Centre For Human Rights in August 2008. ISBN 978-81-88987-17-7. It critically assesses the state of human rights, democracy and civil liberties in several South Asian nations: Sri Lanka; Bangladesh; Bhutan; Pakistan; Maldives; Nepal; Afghanistan; and India. Topics covered include human rights violations, torture and repression; freedom of the press; judicial and political system democracy and womens rights. Intute.ac.uk
http://www.achrweb.org/reports/SAARC-2008.pdf

Industrial Development Abstracts
Industrial development Abstracts is a major indexing service maintained by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). It provides free access to over 11,000 abstracts of UNDO reports, documents and papers published since 1981. Users are also able to request the full text of the reports in PDF format via the website or directly from the supplier. The contents cover a wide range of issues relating to development studies, including industrial development in the developing world, North-South trade links, economic development, poverty allievation, trade capacity building and energy and the environment. It is possible to search the database by keyword or browse by date. From Intute.ac.uk
http://www.unido.org/index.php?id=o29307

Companies in the U.S. and Western Europe once had unfettered access to the world’s resources, such as raw materials, capital and talent. Thanks to increasing demand from India, China, Brazil, Russia and other rapidly developing economies, however, that access is no longer assured. In this special report, experts from Wharton and The Boston Consulting Group discuss the ways in which this unprecedented “race” for resources is reshaping global business, and how key political and financial trends in emerging economies are likely to affect companies anywhere in the world.

+ Full Report (PDF; 599 KB)

Source: Knowledge@Wharton

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