IPS news

	No Money to Fix Rural Zimbabwe’s Taps  Jeffrey Moyo  For the last 13 years, Trynos Mbweku, the headman of Mwenezi district in southeastern Zimbabwe, has had to use a cart to fetch water from the only remaining borehole in his area, which lies some 10 kilometres from his home. For villagers in this district, which is about 160 km southwest of ...MORE > >
Mining and Logging Companies “Leaving Chile without Water”  Marianela Jarroud  More than 100 environmental, social and indigenous organisations protested Monday in the Chilean capital to demand that the state regain control over the management of water, which was privatised by the dictatorship in 1981. More than 6,000 people took part in the peaceful, colourful “great ... MORE > >
	Spain’s New Evictions Law “Protects Banks”  Inés Benítez  A new mortgage bill approved by Spain’s lower house of parliament would merely put a bandaid on the plight of people whose homes are being repossessed, and would not guarantee protection for most families facing eviction, activists complain. The bill was passed Apr. 18 thanks to the votes of the ... MORE > >
	Tackling Malawi’s Doctor Deficit  Katie Lin  In Malawi, where the healthcare system frequently makes headlines for its shortages of drugs and medical workers, a fact that is often overlooked is that two out of four central hospitals do not have a specialist physician in attendance. “A lot of conditions are not appropriately diagnosed ... MORE > >
	Educating Mothers to End South Africa’s Newborn Deaths  Stanley Karombo  A young mother – who only wants to be identified as Karren – beamed as she nursed her newborn baby at the University of Witwatersrand’s Reproductive Health and HIV Institute, in Hillbrow, South Africa. It is her first pregnancy and Karren had to learn, from a qualified nurse, how to hold and ...MORE > >
	Somali Women Cashing in on Business  Abdurrahman Warsameh  In the Hamarweyne market, Mogadishu's largest, 24-year-old Maryama Yunis is finding success with her tiny cosmetic store. The young Somali entrepreneur has been in business for two years, selling everything from soaps and shampoos to lipsticks and eyeliners, and now she's turning a decent ... MORE > >
	Wind Brings Light to Somaliland  Ed McKenna  A wind turbine, situated some 20 kilometres outside of Somaliland’s capital Hargeisa, has become a significant totem of the country’s changing energy landscape. The breakaway semi-autonomous region that was once part of Somalia has struggled to develop its economy despite dilapidated energy ...MORE > >
	World Bank Urged to Include Human Rights in Safeguards Review Carey L. Biron  Backed by the German government and prominent civil society voices, United Nations experts are calling for the World Bank to explicitly incorporate international human right standards into its "safeguards" to minimise negative impacts of bank financing on vulnerable communities and ... MORE > >
	Learn From the Children  Gordon Brown  “Recall the face of the poorest and weakest man you have seen, and ask yourself if this step you contemplate is going to be any use to him.” Gandhi's challenge from 1948 should be uppermost in our thoughts this week at the Washington summit led by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and World ... MORE > >
	Insecurity the “Achilles’ Heel of Development” in Latin America  Katelyn Fossett  Development experts here are warning that widespread, unchecked violence against citizens in Latin America is posing a threat to the development of the entire region. According to a high-level panel of development workers and government officials at the World Bank on Thursday, violence is ... MORE > >
	Q&A: Ecuador Guarantees Right to Free Emergency Contraception Leisa Sánchez  The government of Ecuador is determined to curb the growing number of teen pregnancies, and has begun to knock down barriers that stand in the way of the right to a responsible sexual and reproductive life. The question of sexual and reproductive health has been a focus of public debate since ...MORE > >
	Activist Shareholders Slam Brazilian Mining Giant  Fabiola Ortiz  Representatives of social movements and communities affected by Brazilian mining company Vale's operations have bought shares in the company, to make their voices heard. The purchase of shares in transnational corporations, which grants the right to take part in shareholders' meetings, is now ... MORE > >
	World Bank, IMF Link Urbanisation with Development  Carey L. Biron  Two of the world’s largest multilateral institutions have released new data linking greater urbanisation with higher levels of human development, and are announcing that they will place greater priority on issues of urbanisation in coming decades. According the World Bank and International ... MORE > >
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