Opinion and Analysis Archive

29.04.2005 The royal prerogative is a medieval procedure which allows the Prime Minister to exercise certain powers without reference to Parliamant - such as going to war on Iraq. Tony Blair must be wishing today that he had not dumped Labour policy to control use of the prerogative in 1994.

28.04.2005 Some great photographs from Christian Aid of events around the world calling for trade justice as part of the Global Week of Action earlier this month.

27.04.2005 The Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) review conference will be held in New York next week, at a highly sensitive time. This briefing provides a full background to the treaty and the current concerns surrounding Iran and North Korea.

27.04.2005 As Robert Mugabe celebrates the 25th anniversary of independence in Zimbabwe, concerns are rising that endorsement of the recent election results by President Mbeki of South Africa may dampen donor support for the entire continent.

26.04.2005 President Lula of Brazil is under continuous pressure on land reform. But questions are beginning to be asked whether higher priority for government spending lies with urban rather than rural poverty.

25.04.2005 The curious origins of the photographs which exposed the human rights violations in Abu Ghraib provide a reminder of the powerful but indefinable role of images in shaping opinion.

22.04.2005 We have evolved with the unchanging cycles of nature, not with laptops nor with that crushing desire for a newer and better laptop. We therefore look to the natural world for our escape from stress.

21.04.2005 30 years ago this week the Khmer Rouge began its reign of terror in Cambodia. This moving account describes the ordeal of a family which began with their evacuation from Phnom Penh.

20.04.2005 China and Japan are falling out in a big way, as neighbours so often do. China tends to get the international blame for its human rights record but Japan is at fault for airbrushing truths about the war from its history books.

18.04.2005 Whichever way you look, the clothing industry is mired in ethical problems; poor working conditions for textile workers and cotton farmers, and the pollution involved with bleach and dyes. Make a start by buying one organic cotton garment this year, says Katherine Hamnett.

14.04.2005 As European efforts to regulate imports of GM maize lie in tatters, the controversial Zambian decision to refuse food aid in 2002 for fear of GM contamination stands out as a shining example of standing up to powerful agri-business interests.

13.04.2005 Read the list of offences disclosed in the Birmingham postal ballot fraud and ask yourself, "can this be Britain in the 21st century?". The judge made some choice comparisons to banana republics.

12.04.2005 As the Global Week of Action gets into full swing, we are reminded of the immense networking potential of civil society. But what exactly do we mean by this ubiquitous phrase "civil society"?

08.04.2005 Lack of title deeds, traditions of political patronage, and inability of women to own property are just some of the factors which will make it difficult for the poor in Africa to cope with changing patterns of land use in the 21st century.

07.04.2005 World Health Day tends to focus on life-threatening issues such as malaria and child mortality. We should also remember the sight-saving work of organisations like the ORBIS Flying Eye Hospital. Here an eye surgeon is interviewed about his first visit to India.

05.04.2005 Tony Blair has called the election for May 5th. Tariq Ali says that you can close your ears to the weeks of campaigning because the Iraq war disgrace must take precedence. The Liberal Democrats were the only party to stand up against the war.

04.04.2005 Apart from banning international observers and disenfranchising over 3 million diaspora voters, how does Robert Mugabe succeed in denying the wishes of an apparent majority of people to defeat his party?
From: The Zimbabwean

01.04.2005 For his "job interview" Paul Wolfowitz spent all of five hours in Europe on Tuesday before flying home to enjoy the announcement of his appointment as World Bank President. Daniel Nelson looks back at recent efforts to bring an end to the tradition of “jobs for the boys” at UN institutions.