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?
Saliem Fakir -
Malema's 'Kill for Zuma' slogan is filled with ironies. The very day he was giving his infamous speech on June 16th, Zuma followed by giving his own. Zuma castigated elements within the ANC Youth League for displays of what he regarded as unacceptable behaviour.
Zuma was referring to the chaotic state and ill discipline that prevailed at a National ANC Youth League Conference, the very conference Malema got elected as the new president.
Zuma also pointed to unruly behaviour at other forums,...
Saliem Fakir -
Even in the purview of John Stuart Mill’s political economy, the insight was not lost on him that opportunities for cultural and intellectual exchange lay so pregnant with potential and concurrent with the growth of commerce between trading countries.
Mill wrote:
“..commerce is the purpose of the far greater part of communication which takes place between civilized nations. Such communication has always been, and is peculiarly in the present age, one of the primary sources of...
Frank Meintjies -
Much of the current political uncertainty in SA - lack of focus, a sense of crisis on many fronts, large areas of misalignment between leaders and the population, a resurgence of street protests - can be explained by a lack of effective democratic participation.
South Africa’s struggle was a popular one, and the intent was always to construct a society in which democracy meant more than taking part in periodic elections.
The goal of a ‘deep democracy’ was always part of...
While we here at SACSIS are not impressed by Barack Obama's foreign policy stance on the Middle East and Cuba, we acknowledge that the nomination of the first black candidate as the Democratic presidential hopeful is a watershed moment in American and indeed world politics; and bring you his famous 'Yes We Can' speech immortalized in song by a production of the Black Eyed Peas. Related Reads: Obama at Aipac, Obama Goes Over the Top, Who is Barack Obama?
Saliem Fakir -
Democracy is an imperfect system. Its characteristics can vary – from being a creation of populist traditions to democracies run by elites.
In the common imagination when we think of democracy we think of people’s power. Power is delegated as a trust to holders of political office and from whom we expect that they would manage our affairs wisely and judiciously. They would protect us from vulnerability.
Depending on what is within their power or outside of...
In analysing the role of journalism in democracy, Robert McChesney argues that healthy journalism is axiomatic to vibrant and healthy democracies in this Media Education Foundation video clip that critiques the ownership model of the American media, contending that the model has been a detriment to American democracy. To see Part One of this series, please click here. To see Part Three of this series, please click here.
