| Worldview / John Samuel |
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The politics of corruption
While a strong anti-corruption law can reduce petty corruption, at the heart of the problem is the increasing lack of accountability in the political system, big corporations, media and even NGOs, writes John Samuel. Breaking the nexus between business elites and political parties could be the first step More... |
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Anna advocacy: Politics as performance and spectacle
John Samuel analyses the relevance and irrelevance of Team Anna's media-driven mode of advocacy, which unfortunately sought only to transcend politics, not transform it More... |
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Norway's paradox of prosperity
In peaceful, open and newly-prosperous Norway, where migrants now constitute 10% of the population, Anders Breivik is the face of increasing socio-political prejudice against the 'other' who looks different, eats different and prays different, writes John Samuel from Oslo More... |
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What is left of the Left?
As long as there is a dominating status quo, marginalisation and violation of human rights, the Left has a role to play globally and in India, says John Samuel. But the new wave of left politics must go beyond party politics -- to the building of a more ethically driven leadership, a non-violent mass movement seeking economic and political reform, and advocacy for public policies that favour the marginalised and poor More... |
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Egypt: The making of a revolution
The mass protests at Tahrir Square in Cairo may have begun with a mobilisation on Facebook. But it's important to go deeper and understand Egypt's political and social history to explain what is happening and how it will impact the region and the world, says John Samuel More... |
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Migration from Kerala: The end of an era?
Kerala is on the threshold of a transition: with income from remittances set to decline and emigration to the Gulf decreasing, the remittance-based and largely service sector-oriented growth process will not be sustainable, writes John Samuel More... |
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700,000 republics
John Samuel on Mahatma Gandhi's vision of local self-government, and how far panchayati raj in India still has to go to realise that vision More... |
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Religious revival in a changing world
New insecurities and alienation that arise out of migration and urbanisation in a globalised world are driving more people to religion as a way of establishing their identities and validating their experiences More... |
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Communal, sectarian, neo-conservative: Is this the new Kerala?
Is Kerala's famed cosmopolitan ethos breaking down? With increasing incidents such as the severing of the hand of a Kerala professor for a perceived sectarian offence, it would seem that the once solid Malayali identity is being fragmented on religious, denominational or caste grounds, says John Samuel More... |
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Building an inclusive, responsive and capable state
The multiple crises of economy, environment and governance have brought the focus back on the state. And not a day too soon, says John Samuel More... |
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Climate change and food sovereignty
Climate change and economic policies are adversely impacting the food sovereignty of millions of people and both need to be combated. They both take away a basic human right – the right to adequate food More... |
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Ethics before economics: Towards ecological justice
We are seeing the emergence of a new wave of Climate Capitalism, driven by the new market for green technology, carbon-trading, technology transfers and adaptation funds, writes John Samuel. But surely the ethics and politics of climate change need to precede the economic calculus of climate change? More... |
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Towards a transformative politics
Politics is part of almost all human activity. It is expressed in poetry and painting, through coercion and collaboration, in public and private spaces. But its ultimate aim must be to democratise society at all levels of human action and institutions, to celebrate the dignity of every individual and uphold his or her right to dissent and development More... |
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Women in Kerala: Perceived empowerment, real disempowerment
Despite Kerala's higher human development and gender development index, there is still an entrenched patriarchy and reduced space for women's voices in public and private spaces. John Samuel examines this paradox More... |
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Just, democratic, accountable: What police reform should be all about
Draft bills to reform the police system are pending in many states. But while most of them include independence from political interference and more autonomy, they almost all leave out the crucial reform that must make the police accountable to the people More... |
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Making a difference in the Amazon
At the World Social Forum held in Belem, Brazil, this year, John Samuel meets an unusual activist-researcher from Palai in Kerala who has fought for the rights of the Amazon's marginalised communities for 20 years More... |
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How will China weather the financial storm?
China is far ahead of India in terms of planning, risk analysis and preparedness, writes John Samuel More... |
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Casino capitalism and the exile of ethics
In this analysis of the current economic meltdown, John Samuel places the blame on unbridled capitalism and the lack of ethics in financial and economic policies and practices More... |
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Great Depression to deep recession: The political context of economic crises
John Samuel compares the Great Depression of the inter-war years and the current global economic crisis to show the connection between economic crises, political turmoil and possible shifts in governance More... |
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Death of a dogma
John Samuel writes an obituary for the Washington Consensus. This is part one of a five-part series More... |
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