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?
Al Jazeera's Witness features the docudrama of filmmaker Demetri Sofianopoulos who tells the story of the Greek crisis through the eyes of a dog called Bruno. Following the fate of many real-life dogs in Greece, Bruno was thrown out by his owners as a result of the economic crisis. In this distinctively filmed parable, Bruno’s hardships are exquisitely portrayed to reflect the many difficulties that the people of Greece now face.
Sofianopoulos drew the inspiration to use a dog as the...
James Elliott -
The man who promises to end Greece’s austerity binge and reinvent European socialism for the 21st century has edged closer to power, after the radical left Syriza coalition of 14 parties merged into one unified bloc to fight future elections. Alexis Tsipras, the coalition’s leader, was elected head of the new party with 74% of the votes cast by 3412 delegates.
Syriza won 71 seats in last year’s June elections, putting them as the second largest party in the parliament but...
Glenn Ashton -
All over the world the youngest, historically most employable sector of society is struggling to find secure employment. In China an estimated one third of college graduates are unable to get work. In Spain and Greece unemployment amongst the youth has risen above 50%. In South Africa it is possibly higher than this, even amongst high school leavers.
The elitist World Economic Forum termed the trend “a social and economic time bomb.” The impacts are exemplified by the Arab...
In Greece, the country's much anticipated election is now over.
The New Democracy Party, the pro-bailout party, has won 29.7% of the vote, with the anti-bailout party, SYRIZA trailing closely behind with 27% of the vote. In all likelihood there will be a partnering of the two pro-bailout parties to form a coalition government, viz., New Democracy and PASOK that came in third with a low 12.3%.
The new government will have to implement 77 austerity measures, including laying off 150,000...
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...
Leonard Gentle -
The Presidential elections in France and the general elections in Greece are seismic events, which have significance way beyond the characters involved. After three years of austerity programmes throughout Europe characterised by billions of Euros worth of public money redirected towards protecting bankers and speculators who indulged in an orgy of reckless bond buying, people are simply defying an elite consensus.
This consensus brought together all the politicians, economists and media...
