SAAPE and LDC Watch along with its regional partners ,the Asian Regional Exchange for New Alternatives (ARENA) and the Korea Democracy Foundation, have organised a Conference on Democracy, Development and Peace in Asia on 10-11 November 2008 in Kathmandu, Nepal. The conference was inaugurated by Nepali PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal "Prachanda" and eminent Neo-Marxian thinker Professor Samir Amin.

Please click here to see the concept paper.
Please click here to see the conference flyer.

Please click below to see the media coverage:

• www.thehimalayantimes.com
• www.nepalnews.com
• www.gorkhapatra.org.np
• www.kantipuronline.com

Please click below to read the opinion piece "Development through choice"by Nepali PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal "Prachanda"" that appeared in the European Voice on November 7. On the occasion of the World Food Day, Rural Women's Day and the Intn'l Day for Poverty Eradication in the month of October; as part of the SAAPE-Eurostep policy advocacy initiative especially on the issue of  "Food Sovereignty" , PM Prachanda agreed to an opinion piece addressing the food price crisis as well as the overall development paradigm in existence today.

www.europeanvoice.com
 

Brussels 05/11/08: In Obama's father's village, Siaya and throughout Kenya, people have been celebrating all night. Rumour has it that a Kenyan power company has even pledged to install electricity in the village and that other companies have talked about constructing tarmac roads to it. Kenya has declared Thursday a public holiday in honour of Obama's victory.

Photo by Stella Maranga, 6/11/2008

Kenya is not alone in looking forward to Obama's engagement with Africa. European Commission President José Manuel Barroso and other EU leaders congratulated Senator Obama on his election, expressing hope that there would be "renewed commitment" from Europe and the United States to tackling the ongoing financial crisis and foreign policy issues. Barroso said “We need a new deal for a new world.”

• Click here to read Obama's victory speech
• Click here to read an IPS article by David Cronin 
• Click here to read an opinion piece by Mohiuddin Ahmad, Bangladesh, and click here to see quotes from Africa
• Click here to read an opinion piece by Prerna Bomzan, Nepal
• Click on "read more" below to read a collection of quotes from European and world leaders

Brussels, 30/10/08: On 23 October, one day before the 13th anniversary of the unjust incarceration as a political prisoner of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, General Secretary of the National League for Democracy (NLD), the European Parliament adopted a resolution on Burma. The resolution deplores the fact that the human rights situation has continued to deteriorate and urges the European Commission and the Council to review and strengthen restrictive measures in respect of Burma. This week, on the 29 October, the European Commission co-hosted a one-day conference on "Burma/Myanmar – prospects for the future” in Brussels which, among other things, took a closer look at the role of civil society. In view of these events, a delegation of activists from Burma travelled to Brussels to attend the conference but also to meet with different policymakers within the European institutions and with representatives from the donor community.

• Click here to read the EP resolution
• Click here to read the European Commission press release.

Brussels, 30/10/08: A group of international civil society organisations has issued a statement that calls for the proposed global summit on the financial crisis to be convened by the UN and to include all governments of the world, not just a chosen few.

The statement emphasises the importance of a review of the international financial and monetary architecture, its institutions and its governance, but only if the meeting follows a process that is participatory, transparent, inclusive of civil society and provides regional consultations with those most affected by the crisis. Full use should also be made of the new UN task force on the global financial system, the upcoming UN Financing for Development meeting and other UN instances to prepare such a global meeting.

• Click here to sign the statment either as an individual or as an organisation.
• Click here to read a press release about the statement
• Click here to read an article from the IPS News about the statement