Africa Corona crisis in South Africa: Hand-washing in townships? Commentary With only three day notice, South Africa went into full lockdown on the night from 26 to 27 March. What happened in the three days leading up the lockdown is highly impressive. Instead of everyone following the instinct of making provision for themselves, neighbourhood solidarity networks sprang up spontaneously. By Katrin Seidel Nigeria: A Dual Challenge Background Nigeria stands at the very brink of its own COVID-19 epidemic. However, the country has been in the grips of serious crisis for weeks: the collapse in oil prices has led to brutal budget cuts and provokes a recession in the country, which depends heavily on oil exports. The timing could not be worse in view of the forthcoming pandemic challenges. By Jochen Luckscheiter More about Africa Asia Flying blind: Myanmar in the Covid-19 crisis Commentary With low testing rates, but rising numbers of infections, Myanmar’s government is virtually flying blind trying to get on top of Covid-19 with a lockdown. The collapse of clothing exports to Europe has led to a sharp rise in unemployment, while armed conflicts continue, mostly in Rakhine State, and critical coverage of it has become a criminal offence. By Axel Harneit-Sievers The Hong Kong way to combat Covid-19: “Take things in our own hands” Background The SARS pandemic in 2003 still lives vividly in the memory of Hongkongs citizens. Therefore, the Hongkongers responded quickly when the first cases of COVID-19 appeared. What did the city learned about crisis management? Which impact did the collective memory has regarding the virus spreading? By Lucia Siu More about Asia Europe Camp of Biden and Sanders try unity Background The US Democrats want to reunite the country and overcome the social division. To do this, it is necessary to reunite the own political camps within the DNC. All children left behind: The Education Disaster in the USA Comment In the midst of a phase of new records of COVID19 infections and an epidemic that is completely out of control in large parts of the country, the new school year in the USA is gradually beginning. The political failure in dealing with the corona epidemic is having particularly dramatic social consequences here. More about Europe Middle East & North Africa Egypt today: Covid-19 on top of repression, repression on top of Covid-19 Interview Amidst the Covid-19 crisis in Egypt, a recent chain of events reveals the systemic violence that the regime of President al-Sisi exerts. To address those developments, what’s behind them and how international actors might respond to them, we are speaking with Amr Magdi, Middle East researcher at Human Rights Watch. By Johannes Gunesch Coronavirus crisis in Israel: A lifeline for Netanyahu Background Benjamin Netanyahu could not even win the third election held within one year. Now, he is using the coronavirus crisis to profile himself as an indispensable statesman and secure his power – to the detriment of Israeli democracy. By Dr. Steffen Hagemann More about Middle East / North Africa Latin America Brazil's trade with China: donkeys as an addition Background Despite criticism of China's growing influence in Brazil, Brazil's role as an exporter of raw materials and trade relations with the Asian giant were further consolidated in the first year of the Bolsonaro administration. More about Latin America North America More about North America From Berlin around the World The Heinrich-Böll-Foundation works with more then 100 partner projects in 60 countries and maintains offices in 30 countries. About half of our founding goes to projects in foreign countries. Offices in foreign countries
Corona crisis in South Africa: Hand-washing in townships? Commentary With only three day notice, South Africa went into full lockdown on the night from 26 to 27 March. What happened in the three days leading up the lockdown is highly impressive. Instead of everyone following the instinct of making provision for themselves, neighbourhood solidarity networks sprang up spontaneously. By Katrin Seidel
Nigeria: A Dual Challenge Background Nigeria stands at the very brink of its own COVID-19 epidemic. However, the country has been in the grips of serious crisis for weeks: the collapse in oil prices has led to brutal budget cuts and provokes a recession in the country, which depends heavily on oil exports. The timing could not be worse in view of the forthcoming pandemic challenges. By Jochen Luckscheiter
Flying blind: Myanmar in the Covid-19 crisis Commentary With low testing rates, but rising numbers of infections, Myanmar’s government is virtually flying blind trying to get on top of Covid-19 with a lockdown. The collapse of clothing exports to Europe has led to a sharp rise in unemployment, while armed conflicts continue, mostly in Rakhine State, and critical coverage of it has become a criminal offence. By Axel Harneit-Sievers
The Hong Kong way to combat Covid-19: “Take things in our own hands” Background The SARS pandemic in 2003 still lives vividly in the memory of Hongkongs citizens. Therefore, the Hongkongers responded quickly when the first cases of COVID-19 appeared. What did the city learned about crisis management? Which impact did the collective memory has regarding the virus spreading? By Lucia Siu
Camp of Biden and Sanders try unity Background The US Democrats want to reunite the country and overcome the social division. To do this, it is necessary to reunite the own political camps within the DNC.
All children left behind: The Education Disaster in the USA Comment In the midst of a phase of new records of COVID19 infections and an epidemic that is completely out of control in large parts of the country, the new school year in the USA is gradually beginning. The political failure in dealing with the corona epidemic is having particularly dramatic social consequences here.
Egypt today: Covid-19 on top of repression, repression on top of Covid-19 Interview Amidst the Covid-19 crisis in Egypt, a recent chain of events reveals the systemic violence that the regime of President al-Sisi exerts. To address those developments, what’s behind them and how international actors might respond to them, we are speaking with Amr Magdi, Middle East researcher at Human Rights Watch. By Johannes Gunesch
Coronavirus crisis in Israel: A lifeline for Netanyahu Background Benjamin Netanyahu could not even win the third election held within one year. Now, he is using the coronavirus crisis to profile himself as an indispensable statesman and secure his power – to the detriment of Israeli democracy. By Dr. Steffen Hagemann
Brazil's trade with China: donkeys as an addition Background Despite criticism of China's growing influence in Brazil, Brazil's role as an exporter of raw materials and trade relations with the Asian giant were further consolidated in the first year of the Bolsonaro administration.
