politicalviolenceataglanceBy Sarah Bakhtiari
Deterministic explanations are not at work here: the normalization of Cuba’s relationship with the United States is attributed to the unintended consequences of anticipated Deepwater oil spill flows toward the Caribbean state.
A new monograph from the International Center on Nonviolent Conflict explores the potential for sustained and organized civil resistance via noncooperation, self-organization, and disruption in the Colombian civil war context. In case you missed it, check out Oliver Kaplan’s related interview with a local Colombian peacebuilder from earlier this week.
Despite Hamas’ ascent to the helm of the quasi-state of Gaza, Daniel Byman argues that Israel’s 2005 withdrawal from the territory should be considered a success in many ways.
Abdi Warsame, a Somali city councilor in Minneapolis, is working to offer the Somali youth off more opportunity, but also isn’t letting them off the hook of personal responsibility—he led a similar life, and believes his story offers them a narrative of hope in the face of the Islamic State’s recruitment efforts.
The Chinese and Egyptians apparently couldn’t be farther apart on gender inequality—Chinese immigrants and business people in Egypt indicate that the subordinate status of women in Egypt is a significant problem in developing an industrious workforce, and inhibits modernization. Nevertheless, China is still grappling with serious gender and sexuality issues at home, explored in this symposium.
Is Poland a buffer state for the West, a second-class ally? Poland’s President Duda charged NATO with these allegations, in hopes of gaining a permanent NATO military presence in the country.
Is U.S. aid to Egypt at a rate of $1.3B annually illegal based on the Leahy law, which prohibits aid to military units that have committed human rights abuses? Senator Leahy himself challenged the Secretary of State on the matter, citing the Department of State’s own report on unlawful killings by Egyptian security forces. Some lawyers, however, disagree—the transgressions not being associated with a specific unit.
