The rescue of high profile hostage Ingrid Betancourt may mark the beginning of the end for Colombia's FARC guerrilla movement, coming just weeks after the death of the group's leader and a series of defeats at the hands of the military, writes a Latin America research group.

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Get the real scoop from development organizations and civil society activists about what's happening before, during, and after next week's G8 summit of the world's most influential leaders.

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BUCHAREST, Jul 3 (IPS) - The attack on Bulgarian gays at their first gay pride march is symptomatic of widespread opposition to the movement.

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Young people from developing countries -- including Nepal, Iraq, and South Africa -- are meeting with their counterparts from the world's most powerful nations this week to draft recommendations on global issues, which they will share with world leaders at next week's G8 Summit.

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Native Americans' overwhelming affiliation with the Democratic Party may be uncertain this year, as both presidential candidates have placed an unprecedented emphasis on their issues, writes Native American blogger Mary Annette Pember.

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As Guinea faces political and economic uncertainty, Guineans "must present a united front against the restoration of the Conté dictatorship" and ensure free and fair elections in December, writes the International Crisis Group, a global think-tank.

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Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have called on Ethiopia to abandon a law the groups say would dramatically increase government control of non-governmental organizations.

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Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia are suffering from ?a paradox of plenty,? where abundant energy resources have increased the trend towards authoritarianism, says a new report from the democracy watchdog Freedom House.

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A group of indigenous Chileans -- who are often excluded from their country's AIDS prevention efforts -- are working to bring a health center to their isolated island and ensure their government provides them life-saving services.

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Kids can learn about microcredit success stories and lend a helping hand by playing interactive games from an online initiative called One Hen. Each time a child wins a game and donates 'beads' Opportunity International gives a small loan to a poor entrepreneur.