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Adoption, Blockchain, and Carnival

Revellers wearing lanterns parade through the streets during the carnival procession of Basel, Switzerland, 15 February 2016
Keystone

Here are the stories we'll be following the week of February 19, 2018:

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swissinfo.ch


a costumed flute player at the Basel Morgestraich carival parade
Keystone

Monday

The famous Basel Carnival, which runs from Monday until Wednesday, will kick off this morning with the ‘Morgestraich’ parade. The Basel ‘Fasnacht’ is Switzerland’s largest and most traditional carnival celebration, and the last of season. We’ll publish a photo gallery capturing the antics of Basel revellers, as well as images from other carnival celebrations throughout the country.

Syrian refugees gather at Azraq refugees camp in Azraq, Jordan, 29 January 2018.
Keystone

Tuesday

swissinfo.ch business correspondent Matthew Allen takes a look at the Swiss-based charities and non-governmental organisations, including the UN World Food Programme and the International Union for Conservation of Nature, that are experimenting with blockchain to maximise their impact – especially in underdeveloped or volatile parts of the world.

An image of a child who has been put up for adoption lies in an envelope in the Bern City Archives 
Peter Klaunzer/Keystone

Wednesday

Statistics show that adoption in Switzerland is on the decline – both within the country and in terms of adoption of children from abroad. We dig deeper into the legal, financial, and social issues behind this trend to address the question: is the adoption model becoming obsolete in Switzerland?

A person passes in front of a billboard with an ad campaigning against the NoBillag initiative
Keystone

Wednesday

Also on Wednesday, we’ll publish the results of the second – and final – poll concerning Switzerland’s first set of nationwide votes for 2018, coming up on March 4. The issues on the table: NoBillag, a people’s initiative aimed at scrapping the licence fee for the public Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (which includes swissinfo.ch), and a constitutional amendment seeking to extend the right of the national government to impose federal taxes until 2035.

 

A group of people sit around a drinks-laden table at a mock tax haven event in Australia aimed at fighting corruption
Getty Images

Thursday

For the last 50 years, the UN has been pushing for the acceptance of corporate social responsibility by urging companies to be more respectful of human rights. Political scientist Gilles Carbonnier examines the key milestones behind these efforts, as Switzerland prepares to vote on the issue in the coming months.




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This content was published on At eight years old, Manarekha still has difficulty speaking and counting. But now she is helped by a pioneering school in the Swiss canton of Ticino.

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