Obama’s trip to the stable democracies of Brazil, Chile and El Salvador beginning on March 19 is a sign of maturing relations between the US and Latin America. Nevertheless, a toughening approach towards security issues and the hard-headed calculation of US national interests will be a dominant th
We lead this week's report with news of the disquieting appointment to the ACMD of Dr Raabe, an anti-harm reduction proponent with disturbing views on homosexuality. The Government have traditionally ignored the medical and scientific evidence on this key issue of social policy, and such an appoin
Haiti is in political stale-mate; the return of Baby Doc and the possible return of Aristide will not help focus attention on the nation's real and pressing problems
In the end, this is a war about fundamental human justice in almost every conceivable sense of that phrase. The solution, if there is one, will require an international response. From openDemocracy.
President-elect Alassane Ouattara has called for a West African intervention force to remove Laurent Gbagbo from power in Ivory Coast. Women face an increased risk of sexual violence in post-quake Haiti, says new Amnesty report. Police kill two protestors and detain opposition leaders in Arusha, T
The Haitian government’s handling of the situation has been spectacularly poor. But the international aid sector's record has also been dismal.
We lead this first report of 2011 with a look back at the top stories of last year - a year which saw; the continuation of the Mexican tragedy; the failure to confront widespread Afghani opium production; and a rising clamour for a new paradigm and an end to drug prohibition. We look forward to ke
This week, we lead with news of the MAPS Conference, taking place this weekend in Los Angeles and featuring openDemocracy's very own Charles Shaw among a long list of celebrated speakers and artists. This is followed by an inspired article by friend of the Drug Policy Forum, John Sinclair, who dis
2010's Nobel laureate in literature has trodden a political path from defender of the Cuban revolution to an embrace of Popperian liberalism. But what are the constant themes of his literary production?
War on Rio’s drug gangs pushes forward, with thousands of paramilitary forces involved. Moroccan security forces accused of deliberately targeting Western Sahara civilians. Protests occur as Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood claims election fraud. All this and more in today’s security briefing.
