Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons
Latin America continues to turn to the Left. Michelle Bachelet became president of Chile in March and has promised fiscal reform; Salvador Sanchez Ceren took over as president of El Salvador in June and will tackle inequality; and in Costa Rica too, the centre-left Luis Guillermo Solis assumed power
Courtesy: Indianhillybilly and Ambuj.Saxena/Wikimedia Commons
As India goes to the polls, many in the U.S. and at home will hope that a new government will usher in a new era in the India-U.S. bilateral. Yet, past condemnations of the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate and the Obama administration’s liberal leaning bureaucrats might prove to be stumbling blocks
Courtesy: Alex Jensen
The need to build ‘alternative’ economic systems that can enable people to lead spiritually fulfilling lives was the focus of discussions at the ‘Economics of Happiness' conference held in Bangalore. The answer, many believe, lies in strengthening local, community-based economies
Courtesy: Alex Jensen
At a recent conference on the ‘Economics of Happiness’ in Bangalore, opponents of globalisation outlined a vision of an economic system rooted in community, localisation and fairness. However, convincing everyone to think beyond GDP growth and look at harmonious “intelligent growth” will be a challenge
Courtesy: Tom Maisey/Wikimedia Commons
The new Companies Act makes it mandatory for all listed Indian companies to contribute 2% of their annual net profits towards corporate social responsibility. Robust participation through CSR has the potential for socio-economic change, but innovative ideas are needed to ensure it is effective and widespread
R. Viswanathan, Distinguished Fellow, Latin America Studies, Gateway House, has been following the movements in Ukraine and Venezuela closely. In this interview, he explains the parallels and the impact on Venezuela
Courtesy: Google Maps
In 'Latin America Update' Gateway House lists some of the important events in Latin America over the past month
Courtesy: Ministry of External Affairs, India
In 'India-Latin America Engagements', the Latin America Desk at Gateway House presents a selection of news of India’s engagement with the region during the previous month
Courtesy: durdaneta/Wikimedia Commons
On the political as well as economic fronts, Venezuela is facing multiple problems – from protests against shortages and crime, to high inflation and low foreign exchange reserves. The government itself is responsible for creating this situation over the years and a change in leadership may now be the solution
Courtesy: Arian Zwegers/Flickr
If the violence in Syria shifts focus to Damascus, the destruction will be incalculable. Damascus is one of the oldest cities in the world, a cultural and religious centre. It is a collective heritage. Forces on both sides, led by the U.S. and Russia, must get all parties to declare Damascus a weapons-free zone
