The South African Civil Society Information Service
A nonprofit news agency promoting social justice. Seeking answers to the question:
How do we make democracy work for the poor?
A nonprofit news agency promoting social justice. Seeking answers to the question:
How do we make democracy work for the poor?
Tips for watching videos: If you see a message saying that a video clip is no longer available, refresh your browser and the video should become available. If you're having trouble viewing a clip that's already streaming, let the clip play once. It will play fine the second time round.
People are talking a lot about inequality these days. It continues to grow within and between countries. The world's total wealth has been estimated at US$223 trillion. The richest one percent has accumulated 43% of this wealth. Simultaneously, there is a growing gap between rich and poor countries. Two hundred years ago rich countries were only three times richer than poor countries. Today they are about 80 times richer. Much of this can be attributed to the unfair rules of the global...
Three-time Academy Award-winning director, screenwriter and Vietnam War veteran, Oliver Stone, has made numerous acclaimed films, including Platoon, Wall Street, Born on the Fourth of July, JFK, Nixon, W., and Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps. Now Stone and historian Peter Kuznick from American University have teamed up to produce a 10-part Showtime series titled “Untold History of the United States”.
Stone talks about the significance of understanding that moment in history...
Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher has died at the age of 87. Thatcher was Britain’s first female prime minister, serving three terms in office. Known as the "Iron Lady," Thatcher became synonymous with austerity economics as a close ally of President Ronald Reagan. She famously declared to critics of neoliberal capitalism that, "there is no alternative."
Her long-running battle with striking British miners dealt a major blow to the union movement in...
Fabulously talented singer, writer and actress, Masello Motano, is no ordinary pop diva. Hugely concerned about South Africa’s deep poverty, widening inequality and the disconnect between the country’s leaders and its people, she has launched the musical career of her alter ego, “Cyrilina Ramaposer” whose debut single “Makarina on Marikana” tackles the most pressing social injustices of the day. Edgy lyrics set to a profoundly effective minimalist tune,...
A bill that bars the courts from halting the production or sale of genetically modified foods even if they are found to pose health risks was approved by US president, Barack Obama. The bill, which quickly got labeled the "Monsanto Protection Act", has outraged American food activists.
Despite industry claims about the sophistication of the science behind genetically modified organisms (GMOs), activists argue that GMOs are produced via a crude technology. There is general...
One billion people go to bed hungry every night and two million children die from malnutrition every year. A high proportion of them are in sub-Saharan Africa. Climate change, land grabs, food price fixing, commodity trading and the financial crisis all play their part in the food crisis that the world is currently facing. On March 26, the Frontline Club in London hosted a panel of experts to engage with the problem. One thing they agreed on is that there is enough food being produced in the...
