Transcending Boundaries
Politics affect everyone's daily routine. Irrespective of your location, personal education, professional training or interests, politics have developed into a boundary transcending phenomenon.
Politics affect everyone's daily routine. Irrespective of your location, personal education, professional training or interests, politics have developed into a boundary transcending phenomenon.
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Oil based economies and turbulent world markets /
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EU Referendum: Should Britain Leave the EU? |
Geo-political Parameters, Implications, and Possibilities of Upcoming Pan-Orthodox Council
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Oil price reached its peak of $105 per barrel (Brent) in 2014, however later that year, oil prices fell dramatically. Oil has always been an integral part of the global economy, capable of introducing new transitions. Staggering oil prices continue to be a matter of serious concern for major oil producers around the globe.
By Sabah Khadri |
Opinions regarding the so-called ‘Brexit’ differ widely. British Prime Minister David Cameron argued, during a press conference in Brussels, that Britain’s leaving the EU would be a huge risk to both the national and economic security of the UK. Cameron’s mantra is that Britain is ‘stronger, safer and better off inside a reformed EU’ and he has promised he will campaign with his ‘heart and soul’ to keep Britain inside it.
By Susanna Georgiou |
Last week, leaders of the Orthodox Church announced in Geneva the date, place, and agenda for the long-awaited council of Orthodox Christian patriarchs and metropolitan officials. The last time Orthodox leaders met for an official council was the Second Council of Nicaea in AD 787.Needless to say, the geo-political conditions have changed drastically since the last time Orthodox leaders met for an official council.
By Matthew Shoemaker |
Is Saudi's National Identity on the Road to Conflict?Saudi Arabia spent much of the 20th and 21st century building a national identity that presents itself as the leader of global Islam. This however, and a number of geopolitical factors bring it at odds with its Shia- majority neighbour, Iran.
By Peter Banham |
Have we learnt anything? Applying lessons from Ebola to the Zika outbreakWhen taking a retrospective look at the Ebola crisis of 2014, it becomes clear that the securitised response to Ebola was a deliberate effort to alter the status of the disease; a form of strategy designed to change the way we responded to it. Are we about to make the same mistake with our response to the Zika virus?
By Mia Lombardi |
China's Middle East Balancing ActWhile much is being made of foreign military-based intervention in the Middle East, there is a notable absentee in the debate. With the world's largest military and second largest economy at its disposal, what is China's Middle East policy?
By Orestes Georgiou Daniel |
Austerity Trap: The Story of Bad Timing
The Eurozone economic debate has been widely dominated by polarised views on austerity and has created deep divisions in the European political arena. Is the Eurozone crisis a demand or supply side one? Is fiscal contraction or fiscal stimulus the correct answer? These policies are not mutually exclusive and can be complementary. The question should not be whether to apply austerity or stimulus policies, but when and how to apply both of them.
By Brice Reguimi |
Can the Future Generations Survive our Polluted Actions?
Even though 2016 just started, our world is still fueled by the same source that was used since the mid-eighteenth century – fossil fuels. Everything around us evolves, but our primary energy source remains the same. The world needs to switch over to a better, cleaner and more efficient energy. The technology exists, the knowledge is there, and the science is backing up every effort.
By Vanko Antonov |
Xanadu or Bust: The Oyu Tolgoi Mine and Mongolia’s Future
Rio Tinto’s massive gambit in Mongolia comes at an inauspicious time for commodities, but may be the country’s only way forward.
By Jon Danilowicz Jr |
What has the Arab Spring changed in the Middle East?
Five years have passed since the eruption of the Tunisian Jasmine Revolution which sparked the Arab Spring and, since then, much has changed in the region. Yet, apart from the regime transformations and unstable security dynamics, the newly-shaped personal affiliation and grouping is a change worth exploring.
By Tareq Sharawi |
Freedom of Speech
France recently commemorated the one-year anniversary of the attacks on the Charlie Hebdo magazine. Amidst the plethora of news reports and special programs discussing these attacks, a few things came to mind. What is the nature of these attacks and how have they impacted freedom of speech?
By Amaury Crucy |
Labour Leadership Faces Rebellion over Trident Nuclear Deterrent Renewal in the UK
The British Labour Party faces tough days ahead as backbench MPs begin to revolt against Jeremy Corbyn's leadership. The renewal of Britain's Trident nuclear missile deterrent is at stake as Labour deliberates whether or not to support the defence system.
By Matthew Shoemaker |
The European Union (EU) in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Does the EU hinder or facilitate the consolidation of democracy?
After the end of the Cold War, one of the remarkable incidents of the 20th century was the dissolution of Yugoslavia. As this straitjacket of the 20th century gave way, it led to a fundamental reshaping of Central Eastern Europe (CEE). What are the problems faced by Bosnia and Herzegovina and how does the prospect of EU accession impact their solution?
By Efser Rana Coskun |
One Nation Against Trump
On Tuesday, President Barack Obama delivered his final State of the Union Address. Unlike in previous years, this speech focused less on his agenda for the upcoming year and more on his accomplishments in the last eight years, as well as his vision for American prosperity in the coming decade. Both parties made veiled criticisms of Donald Trump, each even willing to blame itself for creating the political climate that has allowed Trump’s rise.
By Jesse Bruner |
Peace Parks - The Global Solution?
The concept of Peace Parks (PPs) has been presented as a new approach to conflict resolution that highlights the positive linkage between conflicts and environmental concerns, and which counters environmental security approaches (that on the contrary perceive environmental change as a potential cause of violent conflict).
By Emmie Letourneur |
Syria at War: The Sectarian Conflict
The sectarian dimensions of the Syrian Civil War are at the forefront of the international agenda. What is the true, complex nature of the conflict?
By Mehdi Botteman |
“Orbanization” vs Normalization: Poland’s Government in Context
A little over two months into its term, the new Polish government is being portrayed in the Western media as mere goose-steps away from outright dictatorship. Superficial similarities between the new government in Poland and that of Hungary undermine realistic appraisals of Warsaw’s policies.
By Jon Danilowicz Jr |
The Name Vladimir Putin Should Start Saying
Alexey Navalny is a Russian phenomenon that has demonstrated to the entire world how to become a popular politician by fighting corruption with blog posts. His strategy of reckless attacks on Russia’s corruption has won the hearts and minds of millions of his compatriots and has become a headache for his political opponents.
By Dmitriy Frolovskiy |
Russia’s Risks of 2016:
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Confidence Building Measures in Cyprus: How can they be a success?
Confidence building measures are portrayed as the starting point for a possible solution to the Cyprus Issue. Whenever there is a renewed attempt to solve the Cyprus Issue, confidence building measures are tabled first. It is an important aspect of reconciliation and a fostering of trust; but they have constantly been overshadowed by the so called "peace-spoilers".
By Loucas Kyprianou |
Burundi: A disaster in the making
How the ego of one man and his clan was about to bring down the work of thousands of people, taking thousands of lives with it. It is not God who spoke to Pierre Nkurunziza for he sold his soul to the devil, without the blink of an eye.
By Thibault Lambrecht |
The Politics of "Building Walls"The increased use of the security rhetoric to mobilize political support undermines US national security and divides the nation. Why the candidates need to tone it down to reduce the threat of the Islamic State (IS).
By Loucas Kyprianou |
Pollution with Chinese Characteristics: What is China doing about it?
During more than 3 decades of impressive economic growth, air and water pollution have been presented as necessary collateral damage in China’s development. However, with air pollution in Beijing on December 7th reaching 40 times the limit considered safe by the WHO, it is becoming ever more important for China’s leadership to revise past policies, which have sacrificed environmental welfare in the name of economic progress.
By Orestes Georgiou Daniel |
The Security Sector Reform and Burundi: A Brief Overview
The Security Sector Reform has suffered from the post 9-11 period were many western governments prioritized security and capacity building over long term reforms. The persistent conflicts that plague Africa have not faded away following that military build-up. It is time to place SSR at the center of the debates.
By Thibault Lambrecht |
Illiberal Democracy and Political Violence in Bangladesh
Beginning earlier this year with the brutal slayings of secularist bloggers in broad daylight, Bangladesh has quickly developed an international reputation for violence. Though the international community sees the hand of IS behind every shadow, the recent violence in Bangladesh originates not in Raqqa but in the highest echelons of its political class.
By Jon Danilowicz Jr |
The Borrowing Epidemic
Going into the holiday season, the last thing fund managers and investors need is yet another credit crunch. Not only are markets less liquid, making them more vulnerable to swings in investor sentiment, but the pressure may mount further as demand for high yield debt appears to be cooling.
By Stanislav Kostyukhin |
Israel’s Wall – A Barrier to Terrorism or Peace?
Following a record-high number of Palestinian suicide bombings targeting Israelis in 2002 during the outbreak of the Second Intifada, the building of a barrier separating Israel from the West Bank commenced. The barrier is now several times the size of the Berlin Wall and is yet to be completed after 13 years of construction.
By Neoclis Neocleous |