Post-colonial African leaders. Quite an eclectic bunch of statesmen that have ranged from military dictators to pan-African philosophers to global icons. Recent events have put two of them in the spotlight.

You wouldn't consider the Kingdom of Swaziland a hotbed for civil unrest, however this tiny nation of just over one million people has made the headlines for very important reasons.

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.

The Why Democracy? Flickr photostream has been recently updated with photos from our workshops in Kenya, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Lesotho.

Have a look at the photos here.

 Political satirist, Jon Stewart, gets into how ineffective the media can be when it comes to protecting its own interests. 
 

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.

Researcher Hans Rosling uses his cool data tools to show how countries are pulling themselves out of poverty. He demos Dollar Street, comparing households of varying income levels worldwide.

Available here

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.