Elections in East Timor © Irene Slegt/Progressio

Latest news on development issues and from Progressio’s projects around the world:

Terminator technology: Poor farmers at risk warns Progressio (23 May 2008 )
As the world faces up to the impact of global food shortages, the livelihoods of 1.4 billion of the world’s poorest farmers are at risk from ‘terminator’ technology, Sol Oyuela, Progressio’s Environmental Officer, warned in the Guardian newspaper.

Ban on Terminator technology under threat (15 May 2008 )
Progressio criticises the UK and EU for undermining the ban on Terminator technology that would spell disaster for the developing world and agricultural biodiversity

Growing Tension in Zimbabwe as full election results still not declared (8 Apr 2008 )
International development agencies, Progressio, Tearfund, Trócaire, the Foundation for Development and Partnership in Africa (FEPA), and Christian Aid warn that Zimbabwe is becoming increasingly tense as election results continue to hang in the balance.

Immediate Action Needed on Zimbabwe as Controversial Election Results Emerge (1 Apr 2008 )
International development agencies, Progressio, Tearfund, Trócaire and FEPA are calling for immediate action to stop what appears to impartial observers as government-led election rigging of Zimbabwe’s March 29th polls.

Beyond the kitchen: advancing women’s political decision-making in Somaliland and Timor-Leste (29 Oct 2007 )
Although there are differences between Somaliland and Timor-Leste – Somalilanders are Muslims, whereas most of us Timorese are Catholics – there are also many similarities, writes Ivete de Oliveira. Both our countries are poor and have seen conflict in recent years. In both, grass roots organisations supported by Progressio have been playing a strong role in helping to rebuild our countries from scratch. And for me, a crucial similarity is that Somaliland’s culture, like that of Timor-Leste, has historically been deeply patriarchal and resistant to letting women’s voices be heard anywhere but in the kitchen.