by Kavinya Makau and Zawadi Nyong’o, Pambazuka, Kenya - Mention sex in most places on the African continent and you are likely to be met with questioning glances. Yet, our African reality suggests that if we are to deal effectively with the HIV/AIDS pandemic on the African continent, we must consider the tapestry of human sexuality and sexual rights issues, whether we consider them vile or not.

by Sreemati Chakrabarti, The Hindu, India - Sixty years after the two countries established diplomatic relations, Indians and Chinese need to break the mental barrier and begin to trust one another. Here's how the trust deficit can be overcome.

by Navneet Alang, This Magazine, Canada - From the start, we knew the web was going to change things. What we possibly didn’t realize was, unbeknownst to many, new modes of cultural exchange were being born that replaced blind consumption with careful curation, often by simply removing the costly barriers erected around “the good stuff.”

by Ruth Ellen Gruber, JTA, USA - The radical far-right Jobbik party is poised to emerge in next month's elections in Hungary as a potent force in Parliament, and the prospect is ringing alarm bells in Central Europe's largest Jewish community.

by Linda Heard, Arab News, Saudi Arabia - The Arab Summit was held in Libya earlier this week. Such summits are known for showcasing divisions rather than unity and there are some who feel the Arab League’s international stature isn’t what it should be in light of the fact it purports to represent 22 Arab countries with a collective population of approximately 358 million. Indeed, if its members could ever manage to reach consensus on major issues, it could be a force to be reckoned with instead of a forum for argument.

by Susan Straight, The Washington Post, USA - I'll fill out my form. I will check a lot of boxes, but they will be only as accurate as family tales and mystery allow.

by Siobhán Dowling, Spiegel, Germany - Silvio Berlusconi's center-right coalition emerged victorious after regional elections in Italy this week. However, most German papers argue that this success has less to do with the prime minister himself than it does with the increasing strength of his ally, the anti-immigrant Northern League.

by Sarah Wambui, Capital FM, Kenya - Renowned advocate for women and children’s rights Graca Machel is challenging African governments to invest in women as they come up with revival plans to reshape and reform their financial systems after the global financial crunch.

by Thelma Mejía, IPS, Italy - Reporters in Honduras have long complained about gag laws, threats, exile and attacks. But never before have so many journalists been killed in one month.

by Mira Galanova, Santiago Times, Chile - With discontent among Chile’s indigenous population simmering for centuries, Chile is looking to Canada for a solution.

by Eliza Anyangwe, The Guardian, UK - With up to one billion people (one-third of the world's poor) living in what are termed 'fragile states', the ease and frequency with which national disputes cross borders to become regional conflict and the growing distaste for direct intervention by western governments, an innovative approach to promoting development and humanitarian action in fragile states is called for.

by Sinead O'Connor, Washington Post, USA - To many people in my homeland, the pope's letter is an insult not only to our intelligence, but to our faith and to our country.

by Mya Guarnieri, Al Jazeera, Qatar - To a people already sharply divided over settlements and their place in the peace process, the feud was seen to mirror Israeli society's inner conflicts.

by Reena Amos Dyes, Emirates Business 24/7, UAE - From international legislative commitments to NGOs dedicated to women's welfare, Saudi Arabia's policies and programmes are promising steps towards full participation of women in its labour market. However, with less than 15 per cent of its national labour force comprising women, the Kingdom has still an enormous source of untapped potential for its labour force.

by Ida Lichter, The Australian, Australia - Arbitration courts for conferring an Islamic divorce or even settling disputes based in religion may appear innocuous and a useful option, but relevant experience outside Australia highlights some of the problems.

by Sarah van Gelder, Yes!, USA - Race-baiting at recent tea party rallies shows we have a long way to go to move beyond racism. But there are exciting signs that a post-racial society is in the making.

by Farangis Najibullah, Radio Free Europe, Czech Republic - Health authorities in Uzbekistan felt obliged recently to deny the existence of any order on the forced sterilization of women, saying surgical contraception is performed only as a last resort and only at the patient's request.

by Maryam Ismail, Khaleej Times Online, Pakistan - The film The Hurt Locker is an infomercial for the war on terror, reiterating the one-sided portrayal of US soldiers as self-sacrificing and hardworking.

by Jean Mackenzie, GlobalPost, USA - Attempts by Hamid Karzai to stay in power have many observers worried. Hopes of democracy are gradually fading in Afghanistan, say foreign and domestic observers. President Hamid Karzai is now so focused on his own status that he is ready to sacrifice any pretense of fair play to perpetuate himself and his family at the center of the power.

by Rosie Sharpe, The East African, Kenya - While there are many outstanding issues in the implementation of the 2005 Sudanese peace deal, the issue of sharing oil revenue stands out as potentially decisive, and could lead to a return to war.

by Julie Bindel, Guardian, UK - Iceland has just banned all strip clubs. Perhaps it's down to the lesbian prime minister, but this may just be the most female-friendly country on the planet.

by Dheera Sujan, South Asia Wired, Netherlands - A third to half of the world’s population – that’s two to three billion people folks – cook with small stoves burning wood, charcoal, dung and coal.

by Sarah Irving, Ethical Consumer, UK - The fair trade movement has, by paying just prices for export crops like coffee, fruit and cotton, improved the lives of some of the world’s poorest farmers. But recently – as much by accident as design – several new Fairtrade certifications and fair trade projects have tried to bring these benefits to producers in conflict zones.