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.
Cameron Russell has stomped the runways for Victoria's Secret and Chanel, and has appeared in many magazines. But she is much more than just a pretty face. Russell admits she won "a genetic lottery": she's tall, pretty and an underwear model.
But don't judge her by her looks. "For the past two hundred years, we have defined beauty not just as health, youth and symmetry that we are biologically programmed to admire. But also as tall, slender figures, femininity and white...
Upgrading your smart phone may be cool, but there is a hidden cost: human lives and environmental degradation. The rapid growth of the electronics industry worldwide has increased demand for tin. Almost half of all tin produced is turned into solder for use in smart phones, iPads, and flat screen TVs. And much of the world's tin comes from Bangka Island in Indonesia. Campaign group Friends of the Earth claim that Apple and Samsung use tin solder that is almost certainly being mined from...
On January 11, a diverse gathering of people standing in near freezing temperatures in London, ensured that the grim 11th anniversary of Guantanamo Bay prison did not go unmarked. Of the nearly 800 men and children held in the prison over the years, 166 still remain today. More than half were cleared for release years ago. However, despite years of detention without trial, interrogations and torture, they remain trapped in a legal black hole.
Aisha Maniar of the London Guantanamo Campaign...
The average per capita income of the world is US$10,000. So why are so many people so life threateningly poor? The superficial answer is that there isn't enough income distribution in the world. The top 25% of the human population gets over 90% of the share of global household income, while the bottom 25% gets just 0,78%. Why is income so unequally distributed and what can be done to address the problem?
For answers and deeper insights, as well as a glimpse into the scope of global poverty...
There are 10 million Xhosa people in South Africa amongst whom many tribal customs remain strong. Every year thousands of teenage boys from the Xhosa tribe undergo a ritual circumcision, which according to ancient custom, will make them men. But there are growing concerns about circumcision ceremonies. In the past 10 years, more than 500 boys have lost their lives, while hundreds more have been mutilated. Despite its dangers, the practice shows no sign of abating due to peer and family...
In recent years, the radical online community known as Anonymous has used its net activism to target corporations such as Sony and the Church of Scientology. Anonymous demonstrated its strength when it took down the websites of Mastercard, Visa and Paypal when these companies froze financial transactions to WikiLeaks.
Along with other hacktivist groups like Telecomix, they’ve launched cyber attacks against foreign governments in support of the Arab Spring. Who is Anonymous?...
