Headlines

• The world can look to Latin America as a source of inspiration for how citizens can reclaim and advance democracy.
• More than 600 initiatives in L.A. are trying to close the gap between citizens and governments by increasing political participation.

Feb. 8.– For the past decade, as trust in institutions has declined around the globe, politics in many countries has seemingly turned into a contest pitting self-interested “elites” against everyone else. And as the conviction that “elites” don’t represent the interests of “the people” has become increasingly common, two alternative ways forward have become ascendant, too.

One path is rooted in populism and represented by the building of walls, both literal and figurative. The other is inclusive, and founded on collaboration and trust.

On Friday, February 2nd, the House Intelligence Committee, chaired by Republican Representative Devin Nunes, released a four-page memo alleging surveillance abuses by the FBI. Earlier this week, Republicans on the Committee had voted to make the document public.   

Washington DC, Feb.3 (DP.net).– The HPSI Majority Staff memo alleging the FBI abused its surveillance authority became public after requests by House Republicans to President Trump, who authorized the memo's release, even after the FBI expressed "grave concerns" about the "accuracy" of the document, authored by House intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes, R-Calif.

However, the “grave concerns” expressed by top Democrats and some Justice Department officials in a public campaign to block the release of this memo highlighting alleged intelligence abuses appear to have been unfounded, and the document revealed none of the “sources and methods” the memo’s opponents claimed would be compromised.

The White House explained its justification for fully declassifying the memo as follows: that public interest in the disclosure outweighs the need to protect the information. That public interest was explained in a statement from press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders last Friday.

“The memorandum raises serious concerns about the integrity of decisions made at the highest levels of the Department of Justice and the FBI to use the Government’s most intrusive surveillance tools against American citizens,” Sanders said.

Outstanding Cuban personalities in exile presented in Europe the document  "Basis for the future of Cuba: 2018-2030" that, accompanied by a "Manifesto of Social Justice for the Cuban future" (both are already circulating in the island), were elaborated with the specific purpose of posing a viable and coherent alternative to the regrettable economic policy of the current regime, through a response to the plans and projects that will extend to 2030 as they were approved by the National Assembly last May and June in Havana.  

Miami, Feb. 2.– The workshop held under the auspices of the Participatory Democracy Cultural Initiative to combine the efforts made from various sources in a think-tank devoted to the analysis of these topics was held on November 4th, 2017 at the Law School of the International University of Florida (FIU), thus achieving both consensual documents.

According to its organizers, sponsors and editors, "Democracy is the sum of the will of the people governed by a constitutional consensus and a government promoting law and order with full respect for the human rights and fundamental freedoms of its citizens. Every government in democracy is responsible for the well-beign of its people. With these efforts we are leaving traces and sowing seeds of freedom, confident that they will germinate in an authentic democracy in the Cuba of the future, for the sake of Democracy in the whole world".

To this end, they have presented a letter to His Excellency Mr. Pavel Telička, Vice-President of the European Parliament, with a copy to Federica Mogherini, European Union High Commissioner for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, with the request that they submit the documents prepared in response to the plans of the Cuban government to H.E. Donald Tusk, President of the European Council and all the other members of the European Union. In addition, these documents are being widely distributed in Cuba.

Seven out of ten refugees who have returned to Afghanistan have been forced to flee their homes once more, according to figures from The Refugee Aid.

After the massive withdrawal of military aid and assistance, an unfinished war on terrorism sows present chaos. President Trump announced that he would send more troops to Afghanistan as part of his strategy to “win” the conflict. ←click here  

Jan. 24.– The Refugee Aid has conducted a survey in Afghanistan where 1,161 returned refugees have participated.

According to the Refugee Aid, the survey shows that 72% of them have had to escape from their home at least twice. For 27% of the respondents it has been necessary to flee three times.