Right, 2011, it's here (although two weeks in) but nonetheless filled with a mix of tragic and hopeful events ranging from floods in Australia to secession in Sudan.

There's no doubt that 'Please Vote For Me' is a great film. Hilarious kids, dirty tricks and a fascinating peak into Chinese society makes this film a must-see in the Why Democracy? collection. Have a look at this New York Times review if you don't believe me.

There was a fair amount of nervous planning prior to the second Why Democracy? workshop, mainly due to the Zimbabwean government's intolerant attitude toward democracy-related discussions. What we discovered was that our northern neighbours certainly have a lot to get off their chests.

The two-day Harare workshop was an introduction to Steps, the films and the Learning Methodology. Like Nairobi, a range of civil society organizations were invited to discuss and participate in discussions about using film to stimulate debate in their communities.

The ever popular Why Democracy? film, "Please Vote for Me" was screened at the Move-ing Ahead film festival in Ahmedbad, India to a warm reception.

Kanan Dhru, founder of the Research Foundation for Governance in India (RFGI) who organized the festival explains the reaction to the film:

The first Why Democracy? workshop was held in Nairobi Kenya from 28 - 29 April 2010. The workshop was an introduction to STEPS, the films and the Facilitation Guide. Participants came from a range of civil society organizations in Nairobi.

We've reached that time in the year when retrospective analyses litter many news stories and blogs. 2009 has certainly been a year of change, growth and dramatic falls and here are just a few links that package them all.

Time magazine seem to take the reigns when it comes to highlighting the Top 10 of almost everything. From the best inventions to best performing politicians, the Time website covers entertainment, sports and education.

It has been a long time since the Democracy blog has been active but not to worry, Why Democracy? is still going to deliver fresh insightful takes on democracy. 

Today's blog provides a snapshot of global events and what has been written about them. And so, in no particular order...

The Why Democracy? documentary Iron Ladies of Liberia was recently screened to a Burma Activist gathering in Thailand. Their response below demonstrates the applicability of the Liberian story to other struggling nations. These shared experiences on democracy highlight the effectiveness of the Why Democracy? films to promote an exchange of ideas in different parts of the world.

Recent reports in the media have stated that US president-elect, Barack Obama, is planning to close the Guantanamo Bay detention centre. Having been at the center of US interrogation debacle, Guantanamo Bay has become a human rights disaster for the United States military.

The Free Zone Film Festival in Belgrade, Serbia - freezonebelgrade.org - is young, fresh and noisy. Just four years old, this year (7 to 12 November) it had a new team. Srdjan Keca, the programme director is 28 years old, with his equally young colleagues Bojana Cućilović (festival coordinator), Jeja Veljković (guest team organisor) and Dragana Jovanović (press liason).