In half a generation, a period that straddles two presidencies, politics has lifted millions of Brazilians from misery. Arthur Ituassu explains how it was done.

The International Court of Justice ruling on Kosovo’s declaration of independence benefits Serbia too. But what of its effects on Bosnia? Florian Bieber considers the implications of the ICJ opinion.

In their remote forest republic 400 miles east of the Moscow, the pagan Mari people are once again being harassed by the authorities. While the administrative lever used today is different — charges of “extremism” — their approach is more than reminiscent of the way their Soviet counterparts dealt with dissent.

Dave Lannen calls on Nato to make full provision for the care of wounded Afghan civilians.

Convicted felons continue to be barred from voting in the US, with severe consequences for their rehabilitation and the democratic process. An effective campaign for their re-enfranchisement is vital, argues Rebecca Gould.

The government's "Big Society" approach to citizenship endangers other successful community initiatives.

Since the anniversary of the tearing down of the Berlin Wall last year there has been a renewed interest across Europe about the intellectual ferment of those years, with the publication of a host of previously untranslated writers. One such author is the Lithuanian Ricardas Gavelis. His Vilnius Poker, first published in 1989, was translated into English last year by Open Letter Books and shortlisted for the Three Percent Translation Prize. Rereading it, Chris Parton finds many lessons for today.

Serious constitutional and political issues are raised by the UK Coalition's decision to hold the AV referendum alongside the devolved elections.

Iraqi interior ministry opens protection centres for victims of domestic abuse. Israeli defence minister says all Lebanon would be within bounds in case of Hezbollah confrontation. France declares war on al-Qaeda in northern Africa. All this and more in today's security briefing.

Call for artistic submissions for openDemocracy's next Discourses event, Subaltern voices, opening on October 7th.

The biggest crime in the U.S. criminal justice system is that it is a race-based institution where African-Americans are directly targeted and punished in a much more aggressive way than white people.

The Rwandan government has made remarkable strides in infrastructure, the economy, healthcare, and gender equity in political representation,but their continued attack on independent thought and criticism is disheartening – and dangerous. As the August presidential election looms, it is important not only to hail Rwanda’s success but also to ask hard questions about government abuse of authority

The historian of Engels and the English Civil War has become a Labour MP with an interest in constitutional reform. But what kind of interest?

Author Ian Buruma reflects on his recent book and delves into his findings on religion and its impact on democracy.

Giulia Bongiorno, president of the parliamentary judiciary committee, decided on 21 July that amendments to paragraph 29 of article 1 of the so-called Wiretapping Bill were "unacceptable". The amendments targeted the article's extension of the print press rectification obligation to the web. By eliminating even the possibility that this complex topic will be debated in parliament, the deicison threatens to make freedom of information on the web its first victim.

We lead this week's report with the Economist's cover story on the US prison system, a scathing indictment of the so-called Land of the Free. Never in the civilised world have so many been locked up for so little.

US condemns release of tens of thousands of classified Afghan war documents. Duch, Pol Pot’s infamous prison chief, is jailed for 19 years. Tehran reacts angrily to further EU sanctions on Iran. Bangladeshi war crimes court issues first arrest warrants. All this and more in today's security briefing.

A one-time senior British diplomat names his country's 'deep state' as acting to prevent public knowledge of what happened when it invaded Iraq. Is there really a state within the state in the UK?

The Papuan movement is acting with a new strategic maturity in its quest for autonomy, argues Jason MacLeod.

The imprisonment of military researcher Igor Sutyagin for alleged espionage has long troubled Russian human rights campaigners, writes Zoya Svetova. He is now free, but only after agreeing to agree he was a spy. Those familiar with Russian prisons will understand why he acted as he did, but he faces a difficult task persuading others of his integrity.