A 2011 World Bank study estimates that environmental wealth accounts for 26 percent of the total wealth of low-income countries. This is contrasted with 13 percent of wealth in middle-income countries and only 2 percent of wealth in OECD countries. Therefore, investing in sound and equitable environmental management makes good economic sense and is essential to […]
Lee-Roy Chetty
Lee-Roy Chetty holds a Master's degree in Media studies from the University of Cape Town and the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. A two-time recipient of the National Research Fund Scholarship, he is currently completing his PhD at UCT and is the author of a book titled – Imagining Web 3.0 Follow him on Twitter @leeroy_chetty. He can also be contacted via e-mail at [email protected]
Posted inBusiness, News/Politics
Global youth unemployment trends
Around the world, many youth are increasingly trapped in low-productivity, temporary or other types of work that fall short of their aspirations and that often do not open opportunities to move to more permanent, higher-productivity and better-paid positions. In developed world economies, youth are increasingly employed in non-standard jobs and the transition to decent work […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Chinese and Russian co-operation now crucial in ending the violence in Syria
When the UN Security Council voted last month to authorise a monitoring mission in Syria, it was a rare moment of unity and solidarity for the 15-member council. The outcome of the vote led to the deployment of approximately 300 UN monitors across five Syrian cities, their sole mandate being to apply all possible efforts […]
Posted inGeneral, News/Politics
The state of democracy
There is no consensus on how to measure democracy. Definitions are contested and there is an ongoing debate on the subject. Although the terms “freedom” and “democracy” are often used interchangeably, the two are not synonymous. Democracy can be seen as a set of practices and principles that institutionalise and thus ultimately protect freedom. Even […]
Posted inBusiness, Media, News/Politics, Tech
The promise of technology in South Africa
The pace of change and technological evolution has accelerated greatly over the last decade. It’s not only remarkable how dramatically the technologies in everyday use has changed, but also how easily society as a whole has adopted these innovations. The adoption of these technologies has been unequivocally positive – for individuals, the business environment and […]
Posted inBusiness, News/Politics
Rebuilding the Eurozone brick by Bric(s)
Europe is in crisis. After a reasonably calm last few months, massaged by a trillion-euro stimulus from the European Central Bank, it seems as if the dark clouds are once again forming over the continent. This comes after the news that Spain’s bond yields have skyrocketed based on concern that the country (which is the […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Marching left but walking (and talking) right
“History repeats itself, first as tragedy, then as farce” is Karl Marx’s famous quote in his 1852 book titled The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Napoleon. In the preface to the book, Marx said it was his specific intention to demonstrate how the class struggle in France created circumstances and relationships which made it possible for […]
Posted inBusiness, News/Politics
Why South Africa needs a second transition
What kind of country do we want to live in? Despite the achievements we have made as a young democracy, the persistence of widespread poverty and extreme levels of inequality remain a major threat to social cohesion and nation-building. But how do we effectively and realistically reduce inequality and eliminate poverty? In a recent United […]
Posted inNews/Politics
Governing by deferment
South Africa recently celebrated its 18th year as a nascent democracy, and it undoubtedly has much cause for celebration. Then again, it has equally much to be concerned about. With one party governing in eight out of nine provinces, and another party governing a single province – the Western Cape – since 2009, one would […]
Posted inGeneral, Lifestyle
The rise of the slacktivist
We’re all guilty of it. Some more than others, but nonetheless, we’re all culpable. Log on to Facebook or Twitter, hit the “like” or “favourite” button and, for a fleeting moment, we feel like we’re somehow making a tangible difference in the world. But surely it’s slightly more complicated than that? In 1970, poet Gil […]