Trade : Paradigm shift in WTO Secretariat towards non-mandated issues (PRIV)
(D. Ravi Kanth, Geneva)
As the curtains are brought down at the World Trade Organization (WTO) for this year, it appears that a paradigm shift has taken place in the functioning of the WTO Secretariat under the leadership of Ms Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, especially the way in which it has allegedly provided resources for advancing the non-mandated issues.

Peru : Rural women seed water today to harvest it tomorrow (PRIV)
(IPS, Cuzco)
"When I was a little girl we didn't suffer from water shortages like we do now. Today, we are experiencing more droughts, our water sources are drying up and we cannot sit idly by," Kely Quispe, a small farmer from the community of Huasao, located half an hour from Cuzco, the capital of Peru's ancient Inca empire, told IPS.

Mideast : Liberal facade hides Lebanon's patriarchy (PRIV)
(IPS, Beirut)
Despite its apparent liberalism, Lebanon scores low in gender equality, especially in politics.