Full Coverage: Development

31.01.2005 RIO DE JANEIRO, Jan 31 (IPS) - The World Social Forum could become a victim of its own success, as loud calls for translating ideas and talk into action and practical results threaten to generate divisions and frustration.

31.01.2005 Africa has come of age, the Nigerian president told global political and business elites at the World Economic Forum, pledging that all funds raised to solve the continent's problems "will be faithfully utilised," and noting that peace and security must come first. British Prime Minister Tony Blair announced a new $85 million anti-malaria contribution at the gathering, encouraging other rich countries to come on board.

30.01.2005 Des jeunes qui ont passé une partie de leur enfance et de leur adolescence dans les centres de jeunesse du Québec prennent la parole dans ce film de Louise Rinfret, «L’horizon emmuré». Ils témoignent de la privation de liberté qu’ils ont subie, de leur souffrance et des répercussions sur leur vie de jeunes adultes. Plusieurs des scènes du film ont été tournées clandestinement dans les institutions.

28.01.2005 Even as the Bush administration refutes charges by critics that U.S. aid to poor nations is miserly compared to the contributions of other wealthy countries, it appears to be quietly rolling back its previous commitments to increase development assistance by 50 percent beginning next year.

28.01.2005 "The sheer immensity of the gathering is still hard to understand," says Alex Goldmark reporting from the world's largest gathering of civil society. "The organizers here see this fifth World Social Forum as a step in a process to empower the people of the developing world, it is not just a gathering of a city's worth of NGO representatives."

28.01.2005 The future of Africa took centre stage at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, as some of the world's most influential personalities shared a forum to discuss the continent's crippling debt burden, which now stands at $230 billion.

28.01.2005 Traffic ground to a halt yesterday in the southern Brazilian city of Porto Alegre as the Peace March kicked off this year's World Social Forum. 120,000 have shown up to promote a more inclusive and harmonious global society, calling for concrete action to annul poor countries' debt, for one.

28.01.2005 PORTO ALEGRE, Brazil, Jan 27 (IPS) - The fifth World Social Forum (WSF) opened Wednesday in this southern Brazilian city, returning to the birthplace of this gigantic annual civil society meet. But this time around, organisers rolled out a new approach for making order out of potential chaos as 120,000 participants gear up for five days of conferences, workshops and panel discussions about a vast spectrum of issues.

27.01.2005 Many believe 2005 will finally mark a real turning point for Africa, but will it be another year of "compassionate showmanship" or is a sea change really in store for the continent?

27.01.2005 International agencies have criticised the World Bank, IMF and regional
development banks at the World Conference on Disaster Reduction in Kobe, Japan for failing to protect people against disasters.

27.01.2005 While more than 2,000 business and political leaders from around the globe were arriving in the Swiss mountain resort Davos for the annual World Economic Forum (WEF), the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy on HIV/AIDS for Africa, Stephen Lewis, was just landing in the Zambian capital, Lusaka, calling for the cancellation of poor countries debt.

26.01.2005 The World Social Forum (WSF), sometimes described as the "carnival of the oppressed", is about to get underway in the Brazilian city of Porto Alegre. While WSF participants debate the problems facing the international community another issue is also likely to come up for discussion, however: Africa’s prospects of hosting the forum next year.

25.01.2005 The Indian space agency, ISRO, is planning to launch two satellites, one for mapping and other for multiple uses, by June this year.

24.01.2005 Après les ministres des affaires étrangères du Brésil et de l'Argentine, c'est maintenant le tour du Chef d'État argentin Nestor Kirschner de soulever la question haïtienne devant la communauté internationale.

24.01.2005 A weekly series of lunchtime meetings address topical issues relevant to achieving the Millennium Development Goals. The final 3 meetings in London on March 9, 11 and 17 will feature Carol Bellamy, Richard Manning and Hilary Benn.

24.01.2005 Michael Howard and Oliver Letwin launched the Conservative plans for international development in London on January 11th. OneWorld UK listened to the proposals.

24.01.2005 A new report by the World Economic Forum says it is no more a question of “if” but “how” can business contribute to beating development challenges. The report titled ‘Partnering for Success: Business Perspectives on Multi-stakeholder Partnerships’ has been compiled by the WEF in co-ordination with International Business Leaders' Forum and the Harvard University.

21.01.2005 Cerimônia de abertura do FSM intensifica a diversidade – pela presença de artistas dos cinco continentes no show – e reafirma a solidariedade. Ao final da caminhada, um minuto de silêncio e mil velas vão lembrar as vítimas de todos os flagelos, principalmente o tsunami.

20.01.2005 In a recently-launched countrywide AIDS awareness campaign by the Indian government four trains carrying experts would travel throughout the country to sensitise citizens about the pandemic, especially in rural areas.

20.01.2005 India is planning a nationwide campaign to raise awareness about AIDS by using trains carrying a mobile hospital, AIDS experts and groups of young people, all providing support and information about the HIV virus.