14 February 2014

Stories from 14 February 2014

A Love Letter to Quito

The Bridge  14 February 2014

The first time Juan Arellano visited Quito was quite by chance. After a fourth visit he realises he can't deny it: he's head-over-heels in love with Ecuador's capital.

Ending Illegal Logging and Launching Forest Carbon Credits in Madagascar

  14 February 2014

The new administration in Madagascar is seemingly making a concerted effort to curb down deforestation in Madagascar. First, new president Hery Rajaonarimampianina has made ending illegal logging of Madagascar rosewood a priority at his first executive meeting[fr]. Second, the Wildlife Conservation Society announced that the Government of Madagascar has approved...

What Does Civil Society Engagement Really Mean?

  14 February 2014

Is civil society really being heard by inter-governmental organizations (IGOs) such as the United Nations, World Bank, or World Trade Organization? CIVICUS, the world alliance for citizen participation, is polling all civil society organizations (CSOs) who have ever engaged with an IGO to get a clear picture. Eventually they wish...

“Another Face of Africa”: Call for Photos, Stories

  14 February 2014

A group of young volunteers from southern Germany, many of whom have lived in Africa, are calling for photos, essays, videos, blog posts or poems by locals of five major African cities: Lagos, Addis Ababa, Gaborone, Kigali and Kinshasa. With a forthcoming exhibition called “Sichtwechsel,” their goal is to show...

Ecuador Makes List of Countries Where Press Freedom Has Declined

  14 February 2014

Ecuador is the only Latin American country featured on the Committee to Project Journalists’ (CPJ) annual Risk List. CPJ explains: The list is based on the expertise of CPJ staff, but also takes into account press freedom indicators such as journalist fatalities and imprisonments, restrictive legislation, state censorship, impunity in anti-press...