On 17 March 2018, the New York Times and the Observer of London broke the news that the SCL Group and Cambridge Analytica used the data of 50 million Facebook users – without their knowledge or permission – to help the Trump campaign to influence the US elections. (The original New York Times article can […]
Author Archives: Jean-Andre Butcher
26
Jan
Jan
One of my favourite topics is the issue of land in South Africa. A recent judgment by the Supreme Court of Appeal reinforced the criticism by land activists that government’s decisions seem to favour land owners. The Right to Property enshrined under section 25 of our Constitution is certainly one of the most contested rights […]
Equality and Non-discrimination, Human Rights, Legal Resources Centre, Legislation, Litigation
Building trade union effectiveness through human rights and the law
19
Jan
Jan
The relationship between non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and trade unions is very important in that their joint impact on social and political issues can be very powerful when they work in sync. In the same light, when their joint agenda fails, it can be a setback for both parties. Both NGOs and trade unions provide important […]
Extractive Industries, Governance, Human Rights, Leadership, Legal Resources Centre
Mining Affected Communities: We need more than on-paper Social and Labour Plans
19
Jan
Jan
(Photo: An informal settlement close to the Lonmin mine, where 34 people were killed when police opened fire on protesting mine workers) Mining within communities is viewed as a conduit for further development of the community. It creates an expectation of an improved standard of living and gives the community a sense of hope for […]