Despite recent violent clashes, Sudan’s referendum on self-determination for the country’s south has been remarkably peaceful. Some commentators were predicting genocidal levels of violence, but reconciliation initiatives by civil society and pro-democracy groups have paid dividends in confounding the pessimists. Credit is also due to local political leaders and diplomatic statecraft, writes Dave Peterson, [READ MORE]

The democratic upsurge in Tunisia and Egypt, and the wider unrest across much of the Arab world, has exposed the futility of accommodating the region’s authoritarian regimes, writes Will Marshall (left). Prospects for sustainable democratization will likely hinge on emerging governments’ ability to address the socio-economic malaise that underlies the current turmoil [READ MORE]

Social media provided the tipping point in the dramatic wave of unrest across the Arab world, many observers suggest. The Mubarak regime’s attempt to sabotage communications technologies through a digital Iron Curtain (left) confirms that authoritarian governments are equally aware of liberation technology’s potential.

Several months before the [READ MORE]

Russian police detained dozens of democracy advocates in Moscow and St Petersburg on Monday as they held rallies to demand freedom of assembly.

The demonstrations were the latest in a series organized by the Strategy 31 rights group which has organized rallies on the last day of each [READ MORE]

The Soviet Union’s abuse of psychiatry to penalize and incarcerate dissidents caused international outrage.  But similar practices in contemporary China have attracted relatively little attention.

Buddhist nun Zhou Yi Juan was forced to enter a mental hospital for psychiatric treatment after organizing a memorial to the victims of the Tiananmen Square massacre, writes Wan Yanhai, [READ MORE]

Russia’s next presidency will be made in the Caucasus.

As in the elections of 1996 and 1999, the country’s leadership will be determined by events in the turbulent republics of the North Caucasus, said Miriam Lanskoy, director of the National Endowment for Democracy’s Russia and Eurasia program.

Her prediction, made several days [READ MORE]

US President Barack Obama today expressed his profound solidarity with Russia’s people and pledged support in investigating the terrorist attack on Moscow’s Domodedovo Airport.

At least 35 people were killed and 180 others injured when a suicide bomber detonated an explosive device on Monday. Many of the 110 hospitalized victims are in a critical condition.

While no group has yet [READ MORE]

The Tunisian army today fired warning shots over protesters marching on the headquarters of the longtime ruling party founded by ousted President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

Several ministers in the new unity government resigned their membership of the former ruling Constitutional Democratic Rally (RCD), which also dissolved its central committee, but it is unclear whether the move will [READ MORE]

Exiled dissident activist Li Xiaorong took part in last week’s White House brainstorming session with President Barack Obama to discuss how the administration should use US leverage in raising human rights with China and how the President should directly address the Chinese people.

This is what she told him.

First, the bad news.

“The human rights situation [READ MORE]

President Hugo Chávez  is making nice?

Venezuela’s populist president called for dialog and conciliation between the country’s polarized political camps prior to his annual state-of-the-nation speech to the National Assembly this week.

He told newly-elected opposition deputies he was willing to moderate recently acquired powers to rule [READ MORE]