Analysis and Evaluation of Existing Initiatives, Mechanisms, and Standards - Reform and Enhancement of Existing Initiatives to Incorporate China - Further Perspectives and Visions for Sustainable Investments in the African Resource Sector

A Zimbabwean journalist - one of the few who reports from inside the country and thus prefers to remain anonymous - on the culture of fear and the atmosphere of frustration within the country: "People have reached the stage that if they go to the polling stations, they will not be intimidated into voting for Mugabe. The problem is that Mugabe will instill so much fear in people so that they will be too scared to go the polling stations."

Large numbers of Iraqi live in neighbouring countries, especially Syria and Jordan. This report attempts to give an overview of the origin and magnitude of the crisis, probes the likelihood of substantial numbers of refugees returning in the near future, and assesses the responsibility of international actors towards the refugees.

The work of the hbs China office focuses on the complex interactions between Chinese and global developments. Against this backdrop, the office supports Chinese partner organizations who implement projects in areas such as ecology/sustainability and follow China’s role in processes of global change.

On Saturday March 29th, 2008 I realised that whatever inspired Munch’s famous painting “The Scream” it was probably comparable to being locked in a room with Zimbabwean Electoral Commission (ZEC) officials trying to count to 410.

The atmosphere in Zimbabwe is characterised by anxiety and anger. Since midnight March 29th, 2008 Zimbabweans have been eager to hear the official pronouncement of results by the body running the elections – but to no avail.

It is a symptom of the diminished expectations and shrinking horizons in Zimbabwean politics that Simba Makoni's entry into the 2008 presidential race has created such a stir in the country's body politic. With the country sinking further into the mire of an extended political and economic debacle, the prospect of yet another disastrous Mugabe electoral 'victory' appeared a desultory inevitability.

Background information and analysis after the elections in Zimbabwe.

What will a post-elections Zimbabwe look like? We will have to wait and see. In the best case, a government of national unity or tentative reforms under ZANU-PF seem possible. In the worst case there might be a bloody uprising or the military could intervene in case of an opposition win. Anything is possible.