latamcurrency Courtesy: BenjaminThompson/Flickr
12 September 2013

Latin America: 3% projected GDP growth in 2013

According to the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, the Latin American region is expected to grow at 3% in 2013. Although the growth appears modest, it is not bad given the GDP contraction in the Eurozone in the past two years and the lower growth rates in the rest of the world

brazil2 Courtesy: Semilla Luz/Flickr
8 August 2013

Brazil: Why protests will persist

Though Brazil is a vibrant democracy, grievances over inadequate provision of public services and government overspending will not be resolved quickly due to the political disconnect with the needs of the people. Fernando Veloso blogs about the possible determinants and consequences of the protests

egypt Courtesy: oxfamnovib/Flickr
18 July 2013

Protests in democracies – patterns and problems

Elections are meant to be a suitable recourse in democracies if citizens feel that the government does not represent them. However, the recent protests in Brazil, Turkey and India show that people feel political classes are too far removed from their every day realities to address their grievances

BRICS Summit Courtesy: Blog do Planalto
12 July 2013

A clarion call to study BRICS

The launch of the BRICS Universities League in Shanghai is an important effort for the five nations to understand each other and define their place in global governance

Brazil Protest by Semilla Luz Courtesy: Semilla Luz/ Flickr
2 July 2013

Brazil, Turkey, Occupy and India: What’s up folks?

The protests in Brazil, Turkey, Egypt and India are bound by a common thread of grievances against misuse of government power and corruption. These modern protests show a marked decline in government trust, even though may not always have clear objectives