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Democracy Now! U.S. and World News Headlines for Thursday, April 24
Visit http://www.democracynow.org to watch the entire independent, global news hour. This is a summary of news headlines from the U.S. and around the world on Thursday, April 24, 2014. Visit...
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Democracy Now! U.S. and World News Headlines for Thursday, April 24 - Video
After 20 years of democracy, S. Africa #39;s #39;born frees #39; dream on
As South Africa celebrates 20 years of democracy, one "born free" explains her hopes for the future -- and the challenges she still faces despite the end of apartheid. Duration: 02:25.
By: AFP news agency
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After 20 years of democracy, S. Africa's 'born frees' dream on - Video
Democracy Now! U.S. and World News Headlines for Wednesday, February 27
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Democracy Now! U.S. and World News Headlines for Wednesday, February 27 - Video
JOHANNESBURG (AP) "How can you describe falling in love?"
That is how retired archbishop Desmond Tutu this week recalled voting in South Africa's first all-race elections on April 27, 1994, an exultant moment when the nation's majority blacks and other oppressed groups broke the shackles of white rule.
But as South Africa marks the 20th anniversary of multiracial democracy on Sunday, the achievements and soaring expectations of what was dubbed a "rainbow nation" have been tempered by a different inequality the yawning gulf between rich and poor.
This uneven narrative will shape elections on May 7 likely to see the ruling African National Congress which led the fight against apartheid and has dominated politics since its demise return to power with a smaller majority, reflecting a growing discontent with the party.
One election candidate is Julius Malema, the expelled head of the ANC's youth league and now leader of an upstart party that wants to redistribute wealth. Malema, who wears a red beret on the campaign trail, has criticized the government as elitist, saying real freedom will only come when the poor own a fair share of the land.
Despite notable gaps in service, South Africa has delivered housing, water and electricity to millions since 1994 and boasts a widely admired constitution and an active civil society, but struggles with high unemployment, one of the world's highest rates of violent crime and is still working through issues of race and identity.
"It's nice to celebrate that we are here," said Gundo Mmbi, a student at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. But she said the 20th anniversary of democracy is also a time to reflect on the need for change in South Africa, citing "really crazy" corruption and a lack of opportunity for the poor.
"It's not just about your color anymore," she said "Discrimination has gone beyond."
South African officials will highlight gains of the last 20 years on Sunday at the Union Buildings, a government complex in Pretoria that was once the seat of white power. The government is launching a slick television ad that depicts neatly stacked shipping containers on a pier to symbolize South Africa's international trade, housing developments, gleaming infrastructure such as the high-speed Gautrain transit system, and SKA, an international project to build a radio telescope, based in South Africa and Australia, that will observe the sky.
It all falls under the official slogan: "South Africa A Better Place to live in."
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South African Democracy Marks 20th Anniversary
A bilateral U.S.-Georgia working group on democracy and governance under the strategic partnership charter between the two countries met on April 25 in Tbilisi to discuss Georgias democratic reforms.
Democracy working group is one of those four inter-agency bilateral groups, which were established to address priority areas of the U.S.-Georgia Strategic Partnership Charter, signed in January, 2009. Other priority areas of cooperation identified by the charter are defense and security, economic and people-to-people relations.
The working group on democracy said in a joint statement after the meeting that the expansion of directly elected positions at the local level, involving introduction of direct election of mayors of eleven more cities and heads of all the municipalities in the upcoming June 15 local elections, as well as the October 2013 presidential election and judicial reforms resulting in the election of a new High Council of Justice are among the recent positive steps demonstrating the continuing consolidation of Georgia's democracy.
Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Thomas O. Melia; USAID Assistant Administrator for Europe and Eurasia Paige Alexander and Department of Justice's Regional Director for Eurasia Catherine Newcombe were among the U.S. delegation. During the visit the delegation held series of meetings in Tbilisi with the Georgian leadership, civil society and opposition representatives.
The Georgian delegation at the democracy working group meeting was led by First Deputy Foreign Minister Davit Zalkaliani and Deputy Minister of Justice Gocha Lordkipanidze, and it also included other officials from the government, as well as representatives from the parliamentary majority and minority groups; the judiciary and the prosecutors office.
Speaking with journalists after the meeting U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Thomas Melia stressed on the Georgian delegations inclusiveness and said that it reflects a degree of interesting political maturity in Georgias democratic system. The Working Group discussed Georgia's efforts to further strengthen democratic institutions, checks and balances, human rights for all, political pluralism and electoral processes, media freedom and access, rule of law and judicial independence, government accountability and due process, with a view toward Georgia's achievement of its European and Euro-Atlantic integration goals, the joint statement said.
It said that Georgia's plans to cultivate a competitive electoral environment ahead of its local elections and its work to balance national security interests and civil liberties were also discussed a reference was apparently made to a package of bills to limit governments capabilities of carrying out unrestricted surveillance, which is lobbied by civil society groups and supported by some GD lawmakers, but opposed by the Interior Ministry.
The Working Group underscored continuing U.S. support for Georgia's democratic development, at a time when events in the region pose challenges, the statement reads.
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U.S-Georgia Democracy Working Group Meets in Tbilisi