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OCCUPY WALL STREET CAMP ON OCTOBER 29.PHOTO: DAVID SHANKBONE. WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
More than two months have passed since activists started demonstrating against social and economic inequalities in Zucotti Park, Wall Street, New York.
Now the so called Occupy Wall Street movement has grown and become known globally. Critics say that the movement must have a concrete agenda in order to be taken seriously. Yet the occupiers do not show any signs of leaving their tents.
GUATEMALA’S NATIONAL PALACE. PHOTO: ROB MERCATANTE. WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Every fourth year the western media massively mobilize to cover every single detail of the presidential election of the United States of America.
Meanwhile, other states hold elections that pass by without anyone taking notice. One of these countries is Guatemala, a small country in Central America known for its ancient pyramids (that appear as the rebel base in the Star Wars IV – A New Hope), Mayan culture, and a long and bloody civil war. In 1996, Guatemala came out of a 36 year long civil war in which 200,000 people were killed, of which 83% were indigenous, and has since embarked on a difficult path towards democracy and development.
Hina Jilani at the Second Session of Human Rights Council, Geneva in 2006. Photo: United Nations Information Service. flickr
Last week Hina Jilani was invited by the Raoul Wallenberg Institute and the Lund University to give a lecture in the memory of the late Swedish Foreign Minister – Anna Lindh. Ms. Jilani has been fighting for the human rights for over 30 years, not only in her home country, Pakistan but around the world. She has served as the Special Representative to the UN Secretary General on Human Rights Defenders from 2000 to 2008. Her work has been recognized with many international human rights awards. In our interview we paid special attention to the situation of the women rights in Ms. Jilani’s homeland.
President Van Rompuy and President Barroso welcome President Yanukovych. Photo: President of the European Council. flickr
The trials of Ukrainian opposition leaders, Yuliya Tymoschenko (Former Prime Minister, imprisoned for 7 years) and Yuriy Lutsenko (Former Minister of Internal Affairs, still on trial), have become controversial not only in Ukraine, but around the world. At the same time the current Ukrainian government expresses a strong interest in the European Union, trying to negotiate free trade and accession agreements to be signed on December 19th. These leave many people question the inconsistent behavior of the Ukrainian government.
Tahrir Square on February 12th. Photo: sierragoddess. flckr
A step towards or away from democracy
The ‘Arabic Spring’, also called the ‘Facebook/Twitter Revolution’ brought down many regimes in the Arab World. The wave of revolution started in Tunisia, but spread as a wildfire to North Africa and the Middle East. Protests have taken place in 20 states. However, only two countries overthrew the regimes which have led to elections being held 2011 in Tunisia and Egypt.
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