Political Systems
At the end of the Cold War, the idea spread that liberal democracy was going to take over the world. In reality, authoritarian regimes have resisted, and political systems remain varied.
Citizens’ Self-Defense Groups in Mexico: Rightful Defenders, Incontrollable Groups or Whistle-Blowers?
The rise of civilian self-defense groups in various states across Mexico since 2011 bear witness to the powerlessness and corruption of state bodies confronted with the pervasiveness of organized crime.
Ebola: A Post-colonial Epidemic
One reason Ebola has been so difficult to contain is that it emerged in countries marked by poverty and violence.
International Health Cooperation Abolished by Ebola?
Since 1976, there have been twenty-five recorded epidemics of the Ebola virus. The 2014 outbreak is the most serious.
The Netherlands and the Multicultural Crisis
For several decades, there has been general consensus bridging the Dutch political class regarding the notion of a multicultural society. This consensus is now being challenged.
The Umbrella Revolution and the Future of China-Hong Kong Relations
In this article, Willy Lam argues that the events of recent weeks represent a turning point in China-Hong Kong relations. The author analyses the multiple facets of the movement in Hong Kong and Beijing's response.
Migration Flows and Policies: India at a Turning Point
India hosts millions of economic migrants from neighboring countries, especially Nepal and Bangladesh. It is also a haven for large refugee communities from Tibet or Sri Lanka. In the past years, India’s dynamic economic growth has brought in new types of migrants: young European graduates, entrepreneurs and highly skilled Indian migrants returning home.
Are Europe's Migration Funds Adequate to Meet Growing Challenges?
Europe’s history books have always identified the Mediterranean as a bridge between different civilisations and cultures. Scholars, such as Fernand Braudel, have portrayed the Mediterranean as the bedrock of Western culture from which dialogue, mutual understanding and trade have been promoted since the very origins of our civilisation.
International Relations: the Era of Anthropologists
Both perpetrators and forms of violence change. States are no longer the central referents of contemporary conflicts. We can no longer understand them as the outcome of a linear history starting from tribal societies and leading to Western political structures.
Understanding Political Instability in Thailand: Constitutionalism and Coups d’États
Since 1932, Thailand has been the stage of regular coups d’états and constitutional changes, with the most recent in May 2014.
John Kerry in the Middle East: from Weak to Hopeful Diplomacy?
In 2013, Barak Obama and John Kerry managed, not without difficulty, to steer Israeli and Palestinian leaders back to peace negotiations. At the same time, Washington re-established dialogue with Tehran in talks aimed at finding a solution to the Iranian nuclear problem.
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