New Politics News

Voices from the World Social Forum The Networked Journalism Project, organised by TNI's Networked Politics, brought together a team of journalists from around the world to share discussions at the World Social Forum with the media.

From rural livelihoods to agricultural growth The land policies of the UK Department of International Development Lies Craeynest, Land Policy Series 4 This paper examines the policies and practices on land of the Department for International Development (DfID) of the United Kingdom. After the market-led approach to the land distribution of the 1980s, DfID made some changes towards the rights-based land policy, but it shifted back to the market-based thinking after five year period.

Territorial restructuring and the grounding of agrarian reform: Indigenous communities, gold mining and the World Bank? The World Bank’s programme for market-led land reform in Guatemala complements its strategy for opening the Western Highlands to extractive industries, shows Eric Holt-Giménez in this report, and outlines strategies for territorial resistance.

Introduction to the Study of the New Latin American Left César Rodríguez-Garavito, Patrick Barret and Daniel Chavez (eds) October 2008 The resurgence of the left in Latin America has taken social and political analysts by surprise, and this book is the first attempt at a comprehensive analysis of the origins, characteristics, dilemmas and possible future trajectories of the various manifestations of the new Latin American left.

Agrofuels and the right to food in Latin America Realities and threats Sofia Monsalve Suárez (editor) 7 October 2008 The effects of agrofuels on the human right to food of the most oppressed and marginalised groups have to be considered before applying policies and programmes of investment, production and trade in agrofuels.

[url]/detail_pub.phtml?&&know_id=269&menu=11f[link]Participatory democracy at the crossroads[/url] Eurotopia No. 5 23 September 2008 ‘Citizens’ participation’ is a fashionable political concept, but one that increasingly means all things to all people. It is time to reclaim ‘participation’ from those who would use it simply to legitimise existing political institutions. This issue of Eurotopia explores different models of participatory democracy in Europe.

[url]detail_pub.phtml?&&know_id=266&menu=11f[link]The FAO and its work on land policy and agrarian reform[/url] Sofia Monsalve Suárez September 2008 Could the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) provide the space for developing alternatives to the World Ban´s neo-liberal approach to land policy and agrarian reform?

A place for the left Hilary wainwright September 2008 The pull of national and local identities away from Westminster is a vital clue to understanding and preparing for the unravelling of New Labour

A defeated Left tries to recompose
Paolo Gerbaudo
23 April 2008
An entire array of old and new political identities on the Italian Left have lost political representation in the space of one election. What are the lessons that can be learnt from this defeat and how can the left rise again?

A left guide to the Italian election
Hilary Wainwright et al.
14 April 2008
Berlusconi's victory, the disastrous results for the rainbow left - 'a new party born old' - and the increased number of no-voters in this election present new yet anticipated challenges for the radical left in Italy. Hilary Wainwright talked to some of them just before the elections about what lessons they draw from the experience of the left's participation in the Prodi government, about the weakness of the movements after the inspiring highs of Genoa and the Florence European Social Forum and, above all, about new strategies necessary to reach out to the mass of democratically minded but disillusioned Italians - strategies now more relevant than ever.

Rethinking political parties
Hilary Wainwright, February 2008
The membership and influence of political parties is declining throughout the western world, and most quickly in Britain. Hilary Wainwright examines the role of the party in transformative politics and asks how the left might reimagine this crucial instrument of political change

The commons, the state and transformative politics
Hilary Wainwright, 3 January 2008
Hilary Wainwright examines how new technology and new forms of organisation are coming together to transform the left and labour movements, political representation and democracy.

Democracy diary
Hilary Wainwright, 11 December 2007
Although Hugo Chavez lost the referendum on constitutional reform, the internal democracy of the Chavista movement itself, with its commitment to pluralism, critical debate and popular autonomy, has been strengthened.

Contribution to the debate on the proposed Constitutional Reform in Venezuela
Edgardo Lander, 23 November 2007

Venezuela’s constitutional reform – both because of its content and the mechanisms designed for decision–making - does not appear to be the best way to guarantee the continuity of the transformation process and the deepening of democracy.

Party disciplinarians: the threat to dissidence and democracy in the United Socialist Party of Venezuela
Edgardo Lander
28 September 2007
The establishment of a disciplinary tribunal in Chavez’s new socialist party before it even has statutes and structures is a worrying sign for those committed to radical democracy in Venezuela.

Lessons of Porto Alegre
Hilary Wainwright, 9 July 2007
The Brazilian experience shows us that local participation can be more than just consultation

Politics outside the box
Hilary Wainwright, May 2007
With Tony Blair expected to stand down as leader of the British Labour Party this month, Hilary Wainwright sets the scene for creating an independent left in the UK.

Networked Politics:
Rethinking political organisation in an age of movements and networks
A reader produced by TNI, Transform! Italia, IGOP, Euromovements
January 2007
Networked Politics is the product of a collaborative research process for rethinking political organisation in an age of movements and networks. It examines the role of social movements, progressive parties, political institutions and new ‘techno-political tools’ in achieving transformative change.
See also www.networked-politics.info

Aiding the blockade February 2007
By Hilary Wainwright
From academic seminars to birthday parties,
there are no end of ways to blockade
Faslane, writes Hilary Wainwright

Hacer o
no hacer: los gobiernos progresistas de Argentina, Brasil y Uruguay frente a las
privatizaciones enero de 2007
Por Daniel Chavez
Las privatizaciones ponen a los gobiernos progresistas ante un dilema. Así lo pone de manifiesto este artículo, que presenta un panorama comparativo de las diversas posiciones asumidas por los gobiernos de Argentina, Brasil y Uruguay ante la disyuntiva de Estado versus mercado y de las perspectivas de gestión de las empresas públicas, especialmente en la provisión de servicios.
Publicado en Privatizaciones, 15 años después, Nueva Sociedad 207, Enero/ Febrero 2007