| Brits vote in their new e-lections
Residents of the UK got to try out the government’s
new e-voting pilot scheme earlier this month during
local elections.
A UK Electoral Commission sponsored survey identified
e-voting to be the most popular way of improving voter
response. The survey showed that more than half (55%)
of adult voters being offered some form of e-vote would
be more likely to participate in local elections. The
group most keen to use an electronic voting system,
however, was 18 – 24 year olds, with three-quarters
saying that they would be encouraged by such a system.
The various methods of e-voting available included
text messaging, Internet, electronic kiosk and digital
TV, with touch-tone phone and voting via the Internet
being the most common.
Nicole Smith, director of policy at the Electoral
Commission said, “People still care about education,
taxes, policing and healthcare as much as before, but
turnout at elections has been falling. That is, at
least in part, due to a lack of convenience for voters.”
Turn-out in last years local government elections
was just 32% and according to MORI/Commission surveys
in 2001, twenty-one per cent of non-voters said they
didn’t vote in the last general election because
the polling station was inconvenient for them.
“When life is very hectic, a trip to the polling
station can be hard to fit in. So, it is important
we look at all kinds of ways in which we can make it
easy for people to use their vote” says Smith.
Skeptics argue, however, that most internet-connected
households represent the same demographic as those
most politically engaged and therefor will not improve
voter turnout. There are also fears regarding the many
security issues such as people “selling” their
vote or the elections becoming a serious target for
hackers wishing to rig the outcome.
Spanish archaeologists discover new civilization
A team of scientists from the Universitat Autonoma
de Barcelona, the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de
Nicaragua, and the Censejo Superior de Investigaciones
Cientificas have found strong archaeological evidence
for the existence of a previously unknown prehistoric
civilization in the jungle on the Atlantic coast
of Nicaragua.
Evidence suggests the newly discovered civilisation
is similar to the societies of the Mayan civilization
and existed between 750 B.C. and 400 A.D., when it
disappeared suddenly.
The find, which includes the discovery of petroglyphs
and unusual centres of monolith production and distribution,
could extend the geographical limits of the process
that gave rise to the Mayan civilization.
Over 2,500 years ago, intense contact between cultures
of the Atlantic side of Central America gave rise to
a process of regional “globalization” that
stopped abruptly during the fifth century A.D. resulting
in classical Mayan societies in the northern regions.
By contrast, in the Nicaraguan jungle, current evidence
suggests the abandonment and burning of known settlements,
along with the definitive disappearance of this new
civilisation and the appearance of a significantly
different way of life.
First announced in November 2002, the discovery was
confirmed this April and is the result of six years
of continuous research in the area.
WHO bridges cities in an effort to promote peace
The World Health Organization (WHO) launched a new
partnership for health and human development of European,
Palestinian and Israeli cities this month.
Aimed at promoting dialogue through enhanced collaboration
in the areas of health between local governments and
the public, the initial phase of the programme will
invite health officials from Israel and the Occupied
Palestinian Territories to participate in study tours,
training initiatives and workshops throughout Europe.
The first European cities invited to participate include
Geneva, Barcelona, Lyon, The Hague, Brussels, Torino,
and Hamar (Norway).
At a later stage, it is hoped that direct exchange
between Israeli and Palestinian municipalities can
be arranged.
“Such a partnership among municipalities has
clear advantages,” says Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland. “It
allows for concentration on day-to-day needs and common
concerns. It can play an important role in promoting
health and peace-building initiatives.”
WHO – in the past – catalysed comparable
partnerships with cities in the Balkans and claim this
kind of program can have significant benefits for people
living in conflict affected cities.
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