On June 30, 2009 North Carolina became the sixth state to enact a comprehensive anti-bullying law. Governor Beverly Perdue signed the School Violence Prevention Act (SB 526) which protected LGBT students from being bullied in public schools. SB 526 was landmark legislation because it was the first gay rights bill to pass the North Carolina legislature in over thirty years. Since SB 526 was passed, the number of states with anti-bullying laws has tripled. Today at least 18 states have enacted legislation similar to the School Violence Prevention Act. Below is a map of states with anti-bullying laws. The states shaded in dark blue are the states that protect LGBT students from being bullied.
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I'm very disappointed at the United States Supreme Court because their ruling(s) on same-sex marriage did not go far enough. In 2006 South Africa became the fifth country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage. In Minister of Home Affairs v. Fourie the Constitutional Court of South Africa ruled 8-1 that Parliament must enact same-sex marriage legislation within a twelve month period.
With less than three months remaining before federal elections, the Australian Labor Party has selected a new leader. Former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd emerged as a favorite to lead the party going into the 2013 federal election. The ALP hopes that Rudd’s leadership will improve the party’s chances at retaining power. Earlier today, Julia Gillard resigned from office. In an interview, Gillard vowed to retire from politics in the event she was not selected to lead her party. The June leadership spill is the second leadership spill this year (the last occurred in March). Due to its large size, the ALP has experienced a lot of infighting. Many Labor MPs fear this infighting could cost them the election this year. In recent months, the ALP has faced several setbacks on issues ranging from mining tax revenues to a structural budget deficit.
My friend cooked the Pavlova, an Australian meringue-based dessert made from whipped egg whites, vanilla, caster sugar, cornflour, white vinegar, and rose water. The Pavlova was named after Russian ballet dancer Anna Pavlova. This dessert was first created during the 1920s and is popular in Australia and New Zealand. This simple recipe is a great dessert for any occasion.
Australia is the only developed country in the world to not incorporate a Bill of Rights or Human Rights Act into their constitution. For over a hundred years politicians in Australia have debated human rights legislation, however each time this issue has been debated it has never been met with success. The National Human Rights Consultation process lasted for several months. During this period, political leaders met with citizens to discuss the Human Rights Act. Over 10,000 Australians sent submissions to the government regarding this issue. According to Amnesty International, more than 80% of those submissions were in favor of passing a Human Rights Act. Despite overwhelming support, the Australian Labor Party shelved a proposal to add a Human Rights Act into their Constitution in 2010.
South Africa has historically had high levels of social and economic inequality. According to the World Bank, South Africa has the fourth highest gini coefficient in the world. Roughly a quarter of the population is unemployed and live on less than $1.25 per day. If anyone in South Africa were to be taken out of poverty, it is almost guaranteed that someone else would fall into poverty. During the Apartheid, most white people enjoyed a high standard of living. The quality-of-life for a white South African was comparable to that of a developed country. After the Apartheid, many white South Africans left the country.
Plagued by corruption, the African National Congress has been suffering at the ballot. In 2009 the ANC lost 33 seats in Parliament and control of the Western Cape. The ANC underperformed in 8 of South Africa’s 9 provinces. This map shows the percentage change in votes from the last election (purple notes decline). Many political experts believe that the ANC will retain power after the 2014 election, however they are expected to continue losing seats as other minor parties such as the Democratic Alliance grow in popularity. The ANC is expected to lose enough seats that by 2019 or 2024 they could be forced into coalition. Federal elections in South Africa are scheduled for next year.
Many countries throughout the world have passed Immigration Equality legislation which allow bi-national same-sex couples to attain citizenship (in their partner’s home country). This legislation aims to provide same-sex couples the same rights and privileges as heterosexual couples during the process of attaining citizenship. Immigration Equality can be enacted in one of three ways: same-sex marriage, domestic partnerships/civil unions, or through immigration policy.
The Australian Labor Party looks like they will lose power after this year’s election. Opinion polling shows that Labor is not viewed favorably among likely voters. In 2010 Labor was forced into coalition with The Greens, however keeping a left-wing coalition in power seems unviable at this point.Countries in which Socialist International member parties were in government or part of a coalition.
The Democratic Alliance is a rising political party in South Africa, they are going to play a very important role in the country's political future. |
Gabriel FilerThis blog started as a place to dump my thoughts as I tried to wade through the complexity of this world. It also serves as a platform to put my ideas out into the ethers. Archives
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