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?
Visit the archives.
Greece is nearing the endgame, contends internationally acclaimed economist, Professor Jayati Ghosh of the Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, India - but it could still go either way, as the recent politics of Europe suggest that there might be a wider attempt to change the austerity policies of the region, which people all over Europe are voting against.
If it continues with the implementation of austerity measures, Greece can't stay in the Eurozone and be competitive. So the...
Sharif Abdel Kouddous reports from Egypt, where protests erupted after final results were announced in the country’s first-ever competitive presidential election.
The top two candidates in the first round of the race are Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood and Ahmed Shafik, the last prime minister under Hosni Mubarak, who was ousted in a popular uprising 15 months ago.
"[Shafik] speaks the language of Mubarak’s regime. And what that means is the retention of broad...
Richard Pithouse -
There's no question that the debate, in and around the media, ignited by the ANC's response to Brett Murray's painting has been voluminous and intense in equal measure. But the way in which many of its protagonists have mobilised the idea of a tumultuous wave of threatening popular anger hasn't been borne out on the streets.
The march of just 300 at the court in Johannesburg and then, later, 600 people in downtown Durban were total flops. Any self-respecting grassroots organisation would,...
Glenn Ashton -
Unemployment and poverty are certainly South Africa’s terrible twins. The social risks of a restive, unemployed workforce are legion. That the majority of school leavers cannot secure employment emphasises our dilemma.
The government has two primary interventions to address this problem. First, it has implemented one of the world’s most extensive social grant systems to directly support the neediest. Secondly, it is well down the road in rolling out a massive job creation...
Joshua Holland -
Roseanne Barr leveraged her comedic skills to become a household name. But while she's known for her biting humor, and some critically acclaimed acting in the film adaptation of Fay Weldon's novel, The Life and Loves of a She-Devil, Barr's life experiences also left her with an appreciation of just how hard it is to climb the ladder today. It was reflected in her writing; in her standup routine and on her hit TV show, Roseanne was always most comfortable breathing life into the struggles of...
There is evidence that unconscious racist biases play a role in things that matter very much. In the video featured in this post, Yale University's Professor Paul Bloom addresses racist stereotypes. Bloom refers to a study that was done to determine whether white candidates were more likely to get jobs as opposed to their black counterparts and vice versa. The study revealed that white candidates were more likely to get a job "when a judgement call" had to be made. The study...
