Archives: Reports

Elections in Kazakhstan: Navigating the Challenges of Change

Early elections for the Majilis (the lower house of parliament) and the Maslikhats (the local legislative body) were conducted in Kazakhstan on March 19, 2023, as part of a national reform program that began after the country overcame its internal political crisis in January 2022. A new voting system was

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China’s Military Crescendo: A Thucydides Trap?

When Chinese leader Xi Jinping warned during a speech in 2014  that “we all need to work together to avoid the Thucydides Trap”, many wondered about the extent to which China would adhere to its own exhortation. This weekend, China announced at its annual ‘Two Sessions’ of the National People’s

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A Forgotten War: The Devastating Human Rights Crisis In Yemen

Yemen’s crisis is one of the many human rights emergencies the world is dealing with in our modern society. Yemen has been involved in a terrible conflict for more than eight years, leading to numerous human rights breaches. The Civil War started in 2014 and it sees Houthi rebels fighting

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Delaying The Green Transition: The Perils of Greenwashing

Many businesses have begun promoting their goods and services as “green” or “eco-friendly” as concerns about climate change and environmental sustainability have grown. While some of these claims may be legitimate, others are examples of “greenwashing” — a term used to describe the making of false or exaggerated environmental claims.

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A New Nigeria Or Tinubu’s Nigeria?

The 2023 Nigerian elections were tumultuous and highly contested, however, Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) party came out victorious as Nigeria’s next elected President. As former President Muhammadu Buhari steps down after nearly a decade in power, President Tinubu must be prepared to serve a nation

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Refugee Ship Left To Wreck In Crotone: The New Era Of Indifference?

Last Sunday, a wooden ship sank near Crotone in the southern Italian region of Calabria, killing 67 refugees. There are three major immigration routes in the Mediterranean – the main, and most deadly, route, from central North Africa to Italy; the western route, from Africa to Spain; and the eastern

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São Paulo Flood Reveals Underlying Failures of Brazil’s Urban Planning

Torrential rainfall decimated the coastal areas of southeast Brazil over the Carnival weekend, forcing São Paulo state and surrounding cities to cancel celebrations and deploy rescue workers to search for dozens of displaced and injured locals. Reuters forecasts that at least 57 people have been killed, and over 4,000 have

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Mean Streets: When Living On The Street Means Being Invisible.

Street children exist in every nation on earth, yet despite their extraordinary prevalence, scope, and gravity, the issue doesn’t receive enough attention in the media and public discourse. They are between the ages of 5 and 20 and dwell outside stations, in vacant buildings, under bridges, and in sewers. They

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The Dark Reality Of South Africa’s Energy Crisis

During his state of the union address, South African president Cyril Ramaphosa has declared a state of disaster to address the longstanding energy crisis that has plagued the nation since 2007. State-owned power company Eskom has conducted “load-shedding,” scheduled blackout periods, every day in 2023 to prevent nationwide power collapse

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Pacific Island Nations Demonstrate Respect In Face of Adversity

Kiribati intends to rejoin the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) after a formal apology from the new Fijian Prime Minister – who is also the Chair of the Pacific Islands forum – Sitiveni Rabuka. During his recent visit, Rabuka performed a traditional practice of ‘boka,’ a ceremony that seeks forgiveness and

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Indonesia’s Past And Present Human Rights Violations

Indonesian President Joko Widodo’s recent acknowledgement that his government regrets past human rights violations is an important step in national healing. However, this will mean little if current attacks on human rights are not addressed. At a press conference in January, Widodo cited 12 “regrettable” events and stated that he

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Iran’s Pardoned Prisoners: A Public Relations Stunt To Curb Real Change

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has approved pardons for “tens of thousands” of prisoners, including members of recent anti-government protests, after receiving a letter from judiciary head Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei calling for “a number of convicts jailed following the recent riots” to be pardoned on the basis of being

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World Economic Forum 2023: U.S. Climate Plan Sets Europe On Edge

The World Economic Forum’s final panel held its annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland this past month. The purpose of the annual meeting is to re-affirm the value of dialogue and public-private co-operation, not only to navigate the current crises but to drive long-term system-positive change. This year, the panel concluded

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The Quagmire Of US Involvement In Cross-Strait Relations

The world is experiencing a shift in the balance of power due to the weakening of the United States (US) led unipolar order, impacting the dynamic triangular relationship between the US, Taiwan and China. Since the beginning of 2023, there has been a significant uptick in attention to the extremely

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