The 2006 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), launched this week by Transparency International (TI), points to a strong correlation between corruption and poverty, with a concentration of impoverished states at the bottom of the ranking. “Corruption traps millions in poverty,” said Transparency International Chair Huguette Labelle. “Despite a decade of progress in establishing anti-corruption laws and regulations, today’s results indicate that much remains to be done before we see meaningful improvements in the lives of the world’s poorest citizens.”

As every year, World Science Day for Peace and Development is being celebrated worldwide on 10 November. Since its inception, the Day has proved to be a great opportunity to reflect on the latest advances in science and the challenges science has yet to overcome.

The Association of Progressive Communications (APC) has released an internet rights charter. "APC believes that the ability to share information and communicate freely using the internet is vital to the realisation of human rights as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1976), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1976) and the Convention of the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW, 1980)."

A list of 13 "enemies of the internet" has been released by human rights group Reporters Without Borders (RSF). For the first time, Egypt has been added to the list while Nepal, Libya and the Maldives have all been removed.
Report Link:

China's economic expansion in Africa increasingly is accompanied by strategies for extracting much-needed raw materials to fuel the Asian giant's growth, according to a panel of trade and African experts. But the West still holds an advantage for equity or stock ownership deals in Africa, they concluded. After decades of building stadiums for dictators and providing the occasional railway line and paved motorway to African countries in return for supporting some policies, China's interest in Africa is now almost purely economic, a panel of Africanists and trade experts concluded at a November 1 forum sponsored by the Washington-based American Enterprise Institute (AEI).
Related Links:
* China comes to stay

* Western leaders monitor China-Africa summit

There is an interesting tendency within Black America to engage in wishful thinking when it comes to our feelings about many of our leaders. Let me give you an example. When Clarence Thomas was nominated to the Supreme Court there was a split within Black America. Despite a very conservative record—and actually very little demonstration of legal vision—there were some of us who took the position that being Black, soon-to-be Justice Thomas deserved our support. I can remember the debates now.

It's easy to start a weblog. It's harder to have it be of strategic value. To most people, even the words "blogging" and "weblog" don't sound strategic. Blogging's conflicting reputation as either the future of journalism on the one hand or personal gossip rag on the other makes it hard to see where it fits in our communication plans.

Registration of organizations and activities for the WSF 2007 event is now open. Please note that organizations – not individuals – can register activities. Registration of organizations that have access to the Internet is done in Detailed guidelines on how to register organizations as well as activities are found on the website.

At its recent annual meeting, World Bank officials spoke extensively about corruption. Joseph Stiglitz, in an article appearing in the Namibian, gave recommendations for the World Bank if it is to successfully take up the fight against corruption. First, corruption takes many forms, so a war on corruption has to be fought on many fronts. Second, it's fine for the World Bank to deliver anti-corruption sermons, but policies, procedures, and institutions are what matter.

Latin America and the Caribbean leads the developing world in the provision of pre-school education, according to the annual Education for All Global Monitoring Report, published by UNESCO last week. However, despite well-documented benefits for child development and well-being, the Report finds that this area remains the forgotten link in the education chain in many regions, and that half the world’s countries have no early childhood care and education policy for children under age three.

Amnesty International bestowed its most prestigious honour -- the Ambassador of Conscience Award 2006 -- on former president Nelson Mandela in Johannesburg on Wednesday (1 November 2006). The award recognises exceptional individual leadership in the fight to protect and promote universal human rights. Amnesty International spokesperson Bill Shipsey said Mandela had come to symbolise all that was hopeful and idealistic in public life, more than any other living person.

This journal published by AGenda, creates a space for discourse between generations. Feminists and activists of the 'older generation', the stalwarts of the women's rights movements, investigate the successes as well as the short-comings of the last two decades.

Hailing from Nigeria, Ethiopia, Kenya, Ghana, Cote d'Ivoire, Eritrea, South Africa and other countries, the area's African-born population is diverse within itself. Its growth in recent years, which is expected to continue, could change the face of the traditional black community here as it has in some other parts of the country.

This paper from UNHCR is a compilation of questions and answers regarding Internally Displaced Persons. For decades they were largely ignored and forgotten, but together they probably comprise the world's largest group of vulnerable people.

In a packed plenary room of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in Rome this week, the BBC’s World Service Trust organised a world debate, hosted by BBC World star moderator Stephen Sackur. The “Is a Free Media Essential for Development?” question was asked to a panel of five people from all continents, as a contribution to the first World Congress on Communication for Development (WCCD) that spans from October 25 to 27.

The Individual Registration Form is now available on the website. Download it, fill it in, and return the form to the WSF 2007 Secretariat. A few days after you have registered, you will receive a CODE that you need to make the payment for your individual registration; then visit the event website (www.wsf2007.org) to make the payment online.

On more than one occasion over recent months I’ve heard or read something actually defending inequality. After a lifetime of hearing about the idea of “liberty, equality and fraternity”, I was hearing educated people saying inequality is what keeps the system going - a motive force propelling our society to ever new heights.

In this week's podcast in our series on trade justice, Pambazuka News talks to Etienne Vlok from the Southern African Clothing and Textile Workers' Union about the impacts of World Trade Organisation regulations that have meant massive job losses for the poorest.

White African reviews five blogs from Uganda. "I don’t know any of these bloggers, but found them all compelling reads in their own way."

I am writing in response to the letter from Margaret Kathemba (2006-10-17). She asks the question what does the MDC have to do with the current situation in Zimbabwe. Does she not know that the United States and Britain have implemented sanctions against the country at the invitation of the MDC? These sanctions have much to do with the current situation in Zimbabwe. How can the MDC be a champion of the people if it makes invitations to the West to hurt the people? ZANU-PF is the liberator of the people and understands that the struggle continues. And it appears that the MDC has volunteered to be the puppet of the West. How do members of that organization sleep at night? Shame on MDC. SHAME!