By Servaas van den Bosch
WINDHOEK, Mar 29, 2010 (IPS) - Southern African governments must regain control over the negotiations on the trade deals known as economic partnership agreements (EPAs). Issues earmarked as deal-breakers should be resolved before talks to a full EPA are continued. These include limiting the EPA to a goods-only agreement and the [...]

Africa

This series of interviews presents the perspectives of activists from Asia, Africa, Latin America and Europe on the issue of regional integration. All interviews were filmed by TNI at the International Conference of Governments and Social Movements - “Regional Integration: an opportunity to face the crises” - between 21 and 22 July 2009 in [...]

Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America

Lodwick Chizarura (SEATINI, Zimbabwe) discusses regional integration, its plausibility as a mechanism to change the current economic development model, and obstacles that stand in the way. He contends that the economic development model in Africa is a colonial one that needs to be removed and replaced by a harmonious regional system. Unfortunately, he states, the [...]

Africa

Pexo Mateo-Phiri (Southern Africa People’s Solidarity Network SAPSN, Zambia) discusses regional integration, particularly focusing on the SADC (Southern African Development Community) process. Pezo goes on to explain how SAPSN is attempting to counter this approach by advocating a different type of regional integration. Interview filmed at the International Conference of Governments and Social Movements “Regional [...]

Africa

Tetteh Hormeku (Third World Network/African Trade Network, Ghana) discusses regional integration, its importance in addressing the current crises and some key issues that should be considered when forging a new type of integration. He argues that African economies are currently fragmented and incorrectly integrated. The way out of this situation is to join together, working [...]

Africa

Demba Moussa Dembele (African Forum on Alternatives, Senegal) gives his perspective on regional integration in the context of the current crises and discusses some key issues involved in creating a new form of regional integration. He argues that regional integration is the only viable response to the crises and outlines the need for food sovereignty, [...]

Africa

This report compiles the exchanges of analysis on the role of Europe in a globalized world over three interconnected issues: climate change, trade and regional integration held during two debates which took place in Belem during the World Social Forum (January 2009), and in Bangkok, Thailand during the ASEAN Peoples’ Forum (February 2009):
- Emerging crises: [...]

Activities organised by PAAR, Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America

By Dot Keet
* Parts from this paper were presented at International Conference of governments and social movements “Regional Integration: an opportunity to face the crises” (21 and 22 July 2009, Asunción del Paraguay) [1]

As is well-known to social movement analysts and activists in Southern Africa, there are long-standing fundamental motivations for economic and political [...]

Africa

By Demba Moussa Dembele [1]
* Presentation given at International Conference of governments and social movements “Regional Integration: an opportunity to face the crises” (21 and 22 July 2009, Asunción del Paraguay)

THE IMPACT OF THE CRISES ON AFRICA
The financial crisis and its transmission to the real economy are having devastating effects on Africa. According to the [...]

Africa

The global economic crisis, which has reached the African continent, requires the re-examination of existing approaches to international development, with one important response being deeper regional integration to address the long-standing structural weaknesses of African economies, the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) said.

Africa