Historically, hosting the Olympics has been a symbol of patriotism and national rebirth. Hosting the Games has been a way to show off the best of one’s country and has been a way to demonstrate a nation’s ascent (Beijing, 2008), international superiority (Atlanta, 1996), and, now, national rebirth (Tokyo, 2020). When Japan won its bid … Read more
The long-awaited and elusive Trans-Pacific Partnership may finally be in reach. The TPP has the potential to be the largest trade agreement in world history, with the countries in the Partnership collectively producing 40 percent of global GDP, significantly more than even the European Union. The deal is also structured in a way that China … Read more
Yesterday, October 11, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their “extensive efforts to eliminate chemical weapons.” This award must be seen as an endorsement of the perceived success of the OPCW in working to arrange for the destruction of chemical weapons and averting a once-imminent … Read more
Yesterday, October 11, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their “extensive efforts to eliminate chemical weapons.” This award must be seen as an endorsement of the perceived success of the OPCW in working to arrange for the destruction of chemical weapons and averting a once-imminent … Read more
[LETTER FROM TEL AVIV] Ablel was born and raised in Eritrea, but he knew he needed to leave. One of the tens of thousands of refugees fleeing a repressive dictatorship and ongoing economic crisis, Ablel managed to cross the northern border, past the Eritrean soldiers who jail anyone they capture. He made it through all … Read more
This piece was written on August 21 by a Harvard student who wished to write anonymously. On August 21, the United Nations issued yet another statement expressing its shock and concern towards the latest death report coming out of Syria. One of several statements issued over the past two and a half years, this report … Read more
Twenty-year-old Ashin Ghozhaka was walking to his mother’s village near Kyaukpadaung, central Myanmar, when a Land Rover drove past him. He waved it down and got a ride. “It was air conditioned, and the people inside didn’t speak Burmese,” he remembers. “I was confused. Much later, I realized they were from the United Nations.” That … Read more
The past few years have not been Russia’s best, at least from an international perspective. Since the reelection of Vladimir Putin for a third term as president in 2012 — but even during his role as prime-minister — the country has been known for major human rights violations that often escalated into full-blown violence. Such … Read more
Not surprisingly, Egypt has deteriorated into chaos and violence once again. Last week, hundreds were killed and thousands injured as the post-coup Egyptian government mauled thousands of Muslim Brotherhood supporters in Cairo. Usually when something like this happens anywhere in the world, the United States is either looked to for leadership, blamed for the bloodshed, … Read more
On July 21, Japan went to the polls to elect a new prime minister and decide on the make-up of the Upper House of the Japanese Parliament, the National Diet. The results were not surprising, not for the Japanese, nor for the international press. Shinzo Abe, chosen for the second time to be the acting … Read more