In her introductory speech for the Women’s Rights Award 2016, Anne Brasseur, the president of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, underlined how important fighting for Human Rights is. “Betraying and losing our values is betraying and losing…
Category: Middle East
Here’s what you need to know about the Turkish elections – Ekin Can Genç
It’s been a week since the Turkish general elections. Unlike the previous elections or referenda of the past 12 years, this one was not a clear victory for AKP or the party’s de facto leader Erdogan. Turkish politics has so…
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Africa, America, Asia, Climate Change, Continent, Democracy, Europe, Human Rights, Middle East, Migration / Refugees, Oceania
Climate Refugees: The Crisis that isn’t Recognised – Harriet Ainscough
Last year saw the largest number of refugees worldwide since the Second World War, and this year the numbers don’t look to be reducing. There’s an aspect to this crisis which isn’t accounted for within the UN Convention on the…
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Thomas Hobbes: Liberty and Necessity
You can read an introductory post to Krijn’s series on liberal political philosophy here. Thomas Hobbes was an early modern English philosopher. In his treatise Of liberty and Necessity, Hobbes defines individual liberty as follows: “Liberty is the absence of…
The War Against Terror is a Bigger Threat than Terrorism Itself – Eirik Natlandsmyr
The September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center was an attack on a symbol of freedom and cooperation. Just a few days after the attack, the Security Council on behalf of the United Nations pushed through new terror legislation…
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International Drug Ban Fuels Terrorist Groups – Anniken Karlyme Wullum
The political debate on prohibition against drugs has changed more, and faster, than most people could have anticipated. Tolerating others’ use of substances you would never even touch is liberal in its essence. Every human has the right to decide…
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Africa, America, Asia, Continent, Europe, Human Rights, Middle East, Migration / Refugees, NUV National Academy, Oceania
The Refugee Crisis: A Global Problem Needs International Solutions – Vilde Marie Ystmark
Today, millions of people are fleeing their homes due to war and conflicts, living in temporary camps with no idea what the future will hold. Behind the numbers, there are refugees with worries no one deserve to bear and hopes…
Does thinking about Liberalism matter?
You can read an introductory post to Krijn’s series on liberal political philosophy here. This might sound like a strange question to ask, especially on a blog by and for liberals. What’s the point? We all agree that being liberal…
Is the War Against Terror Really a Fight for Democracy? – Alena Santalainen
I have to admit that I was pretty shocked with the news we all recently received from Tunisia, where almost 25 people were killed due to a terrorist attack on the museum. Most of those killed, or affected, were tourists. The…
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Liberal Rights and Development – Rachel Edwards
Human rights matter as an end in themselves; I hope this isn’t disputed among liberals. These rights are also crucial to achieve economic growth in developing states. Institutions are the ‘rules of the game’ in society, which shape how people live…
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