As a blogger and a young student, I have seen the civic spaces within Pakistan evolve over the past decade especially because of the reemergence of democracy after a decade long military dictatorship. Also, with the expansion of social media…
Category: Asia
The Taliban take over Afghanistan – How Did it Happen and What Does the Future Look Like?
The capital city of Afghanistan, Kabul, was overrun by the Taliban on the 15th of August 2021. However, to the surprise of many, there was very little to no resistance. The Afghan National Army did not put up much of…
Taking Ideas to the Streets, IFLRY’s Bootcamp in Istanbul, a Participant’s Perspective
IFLRY’s Istanbul boot camp, titled “Taking Ideas to the Streets”, from 1-4 July was IFLRY’s first in-person event after an entire year of online webinars, mainly due to the rising threat of the COVID19 pandemic. Therefore, there was a lot…
Interview with Koen Stoop from the World Uyghur Congress – Part 2
This article is part of a two-part interview regarding the situation in East Turkestan, a region in the People’s Republic of China that is home to several minorities, predominantly Uyghurs, who are suffering from severe represessions by the Chinese government.…
Continue reading Interview with Koen Stoop from the World Uyghur Congress – Part 2
Interview with Koen Stoop from the World Uyghur Congress – Part 1
Two articles brought my attention to what is happening in the Chinese province of East Turkistan (widely referred to as Xinjiang) in the past few months, although it is not an entirely new issue. The first was published in The…
Continue reading Interview with Koen Stoop from the World Uyghur Congress – Part 1
The Comeback of Industrial Policy
European or National Champions. While that term might be reminiscent of the dramatic penalty shootout last Sunday, which led to Italy being crowned winners of the Euros 2020, it is also a reemerging theme in political capitals around the world.…
China and a Renewed Transatlantic Alliance
The European Union is, as so often, attempting a difficult balancing act, oscillating between economic interests and a value-based foreign policy. Shortly after the EU-China Comprehensive Agreement on Investment (CAI) was announced to be concluded in principle, it already seems…
India’s Crackdown on Freedom of Information during the Pandemic:
Since the start of the pandemic, many countries have been accused of falsifying statistics and silencing whistleblowers; however, unsurprisingly, most of those countries were already infamous for curbing free speech even before the pandemic. So, how did the pandemic worsen…
Continue reading India’s Crackdown on Freedom of Information during the Pandemic:
How Liberal Governments are Failing the People of Myanmar — and What to Do about It
As you, my dear reader, probably know, a military coup took place in Myanmar in February. Although, you, just like me, might have been too focused on the latest updates following the controversies regarding the AstraZeneca vaccine to dive deep…
Continue reading How Liberal Governments are Failing the People of Myanmar — and What to Do about It
A Bad Time to be a Liberal in Turkey!
The authoritarian regime of Erdogan has begun to increase its oppression of LGBTQ+ members and university students, reaching a level that carrying the LGBTQ+ flags are now deemed to be a criminal offense by law enforcement. The appointment of a…