2013 BRICS Youth Communique: The Proposed BRICS Development Bank
On 16 March 2013 SAIIA brought together outstanding South African high school learners to host their own model BRICS Summit to discuss the creation of the BRICS Development Bank. Each school represented one of the five BRICS countries in a special negotiation session that resulted in the creation of a BRICS Youth Communiqué.
5th Annual BRICS Summit: Not a new case of club diplomacy
There has not been a group of countries who have come together in recent years and quite captured the imagination like the BRICS.
A regional approach to national development priorities in Mozambique?
When Mozambique’s ruling party, Frente de Libertação de Mozambique (Frelimo) announced the unanimous re-election of President Armando Guebuza as party president for a third term in October last year, the news was met with wide-spread surprise. This was because the Mozambican constitution sets a two term limit on the presidential office and the party head has traditionally also been the head of state.
BRICS Summit 2013: Strategies for South Africa’s Engagement
As host of the fifth BRICS Summit in 2013, South Africa’s summit theme resonates with African development priorities.
South Africans have yet to discover the real power of social media
Wireless communication and social media platforms have provided citizens with previously unimaginable possibilities to engage politically.
Mislabelling of seafood products rife
The furore surrounding the mislabelling of meat products in Europe has now also reached South Africa’s shores, with a recent study finding that 99 of 139 meat samples from South African wholesalers and retailers contained species not declared in the product label. The samples included donkey, goat and water buffalo meat.
2013 Kenyan Election Outlook – What will the future hold?
The presidential elections in Kenya on 4 March will test the progress Kenyan society has made towards peace and stability after the highly contested and violent elections of 2007.
The Economic Diplomacy of Kenya’s Regional Interests
Increasing attractiveness of East Africa as a ‘frontier market’ has put Kenya in the spotlight as a gateway to the region. The country identifies six sectors and is currently implementing flagship projects to enhance its prospects.
The Platinum Sector Peace and Stability Accord: Solution or Reprieve?
On 25 February 2013 Mineral Resources Minister Susan Shabangu announced that the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) had acceded to the Platinum Sector Peace and Stability Accord, an agreement signed the previous week between government, mining houses and labour aimed at bringing an end to the turmoil in South Africa’s platinum sector. With all major stakeholders now signatory to the agreement, is this the beginning of a return to normality in the platinum sector?
The BRICS and the New World Order: A Beginner’s Guide
As South Africa gears up to host the Fifth Annual BRICS Summit next month, SAIIA has released a comprehensive new BRICS Guide to help observers understand the dynamics at play.