Murder of LGBTQ+ editor highlights danger facing all rational voices in Bangladesh
April 28, 2016
Written by Ibtisam Ahmed. The murder of Xulhaz Mannan, the founder and editor of Bangladesh’s first and only LGBTQ+ magazine, Roopban, has drawn the world’s attention to the violence directed against the country’s outspoken supporters of equal rights. His death at the hands of six assailants sent a wave of fear through the community, and …
Hardman Rodrigo Duterte closes in on the Philippine presidency
April 27, 2016
Written by Pauline Eadie. As the Philippines careers towards the May 2016 presidential elections, it looks as if one of the country’s toughest politicians may be about to sweep to power. Rodrigo “Digong” Duterte is currently leading in the polls despite a series of outlandish and outrageous remarks – most recently, a vow to kill …
Philippines 2016: Election Day is All Souls Day
April 26, 2016
Written by Kevin H.R. Villanueva. Politics is performance and the Philippine presidential election is a stage. Binay, Duterte, Roxas, Poe and Defensor-Santiago will each play many parts: they will tap into our deepest desires, draw out our dissatisfactions and lay bare our discords as a people. They will have their exits and their entrances. And …
Philippines 2016: Regional Party Building and for Women in Politics
April 25, 2016
Written by Rosalie Arcala Hall Following the anniversary of the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) in March 2015, the matter regarding the stymied passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) bill was suddenly thrown in the Philippine Presidential campaign limelight. Liberal Party candidate Mar Roxas made an appearance at Moro Islamic …
Philippine Elections 2016: Much Ado About Nothing?
April 21, 2016
Written by Vladimir Guevarra. Well that’s awkward. Some of my friends on Facebook have started attacking each other in defence of their preferred candidate for President of the Philippines. Some of the arguments are rather formal and more measured (“I choose X because of his achievements, including…”), some are moralistic (“I’m surprised some ‘Christians’ would …
On the Second Presidential Debate: Discourses and the Appeal to Voters
April 20, 2016
Written by Bonn Juego. One could only hope that what happened during the second presidential debate between candidates Jojo Binay, Rody Duterte, Grace Poe, and Mar Roxas was the kind of debate that the Philippine society seriously needs. But it did not seem so. Instead of being educational so as to provide voters with ideas …
The Bangsamoro Peace Process Beyond May 2016
April 19, 2016
Written by Julia Palmiano Federer. The current peace process between the Government of the Philippines and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) was dealt a large blow in late January 2016 with the non-passage of a diluted version of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL). The BBL is a bill slated to transform central elements of the …
The Philippines, Environmental Politics and the Challenges Ahead
April 18, 2016
Written by Pauline Eadie. On 9 May 2016 Philippine voters go to the polls. They will elect leaders that range from the national presidency down to the local barangay (village). Election campaigns in the Philippines enjoy a carnival type atmosphere that intensifies as polling day draws near. Motorcades cruise around the streets conveying politicians at …
Are Filipino Children Still at the Margins?
April 14, 2016
Written by Jay A. Yacat. The Philippines is a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. As a State Party, the Philippines is subject to review by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child and feedback on its progress in ensuring that the rights of Filipino children are …
In the footsteps of Freda Bedi
April 13, 2016
Written by Andrew Whitehead. Over Easter, with the support of a small grant from the IAPS, I was in India on the trail of Freda Bedi. You may not have heard of her – but her life was remarkable for the way in which she challenged and crossed boundaries of race, religion and nationality. Freda …
Recent Comments