Global Politics
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How Nationalist Russia Navigates the Global Market
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Russia is a post-apocalyptic state, enduring mass metanarrative collapse and total industrial failure in the aftermath of the USSR’s dissolution. In less than three decades, the Federation returned as a major world power. Russia’s continuing revitalization has been fueled, rather than hindered, by its many crises. The Federation’s antifragile tax, currency, and trade policies, the…
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Conservative climate policy: where are we heading?
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Harvey Phythian analyses the government’s record on the environment After 10 years in government, the Conservatives have recently tried to represent their environmental policy – and its supposes success – as a natural extension of Conservative thinking. While climate change, sustainability and environmental issues are not generally the focus when the Conservatives talk about the…
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Locked down in Uganda
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Irene, a 56-year-old Ugandan, sat on the side of the road in a colourful dress, attempting to sell fruits, biscuits and candies to the empty street in Kampala. In efforts to curb the spread of Covid-19, most people in the Ugandan capital have been confined to their houses for the past weeks, rendering streets deserted…
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The Law and the Wisconsin Election
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The April 7th election in the U.S. state of Wisconsin shocked democracies everywhere. Harrowing footage of voters invoked notions of fear and injustice as elderly and disabled were shown waiting in in lines amidst this international health crisis. Even more, individuals were only able to vote at five (of what had been thirty-four) polling stations. Between…
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A Western Delusion: Narratives Surrounding Neocolonialism in Africa
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Ever since Chinese President Xi Jinping’s announcement of the ‘Belt and Road Initiative’ in 2013 raised disapproving (or perhaps jealous?) eyebrows in the west, an insidious trend has emerged in relation to reporting on China within western media circles. Scaremongering articles, complete with ominous headlines such as ‘What China is really up to in Africa’, have rushed…
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The Chloroquine Conundrum and Herd Immunity in Pakistan
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Pakistan has had a questionable engagement with the COVID–19 pandemic with analysts terming the state’s response as complacent, supplemented by a refusal to follow social–distancing guidance by congregating for prayers and living in densely populated regions with shared communal spaces. With the lack of sufficient healthcare infrastructure, Pakistan should be teetering on the edge of…
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The dangers of masculinity contests in a time of pandemic
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Sharmila Parmanand is a PhD candidate in Gender Studies at the University of Cambridge and a Gates Scholar. Pandemics are political. Decisions around framing the problem, prioritising solutions, and increasing state powers need scrutiny. I contribute to the conversation on the politics of public health emergencies by using a feminist lens to examine the performance…
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Afghan Peace Deal: Bracing for an Uncertain Future
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Almost 18 years after launching the “War on Terror”, the United States finally negotiated a peace deal with the Taliban in February 2020 to end the conflict; the key highlights being the withdrawal of foreign forces within fourteen months and the recognition of the Taliban as a legitimate stakeholder in Afghanistan with a rightful share…
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Interview with Dr. Samir Saran
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OPR interviews Dr. Samir Saran, President of Observer Research Foundation, a New Delhi based think tank. Over the years, through its intensive international collaborations and the Annual Raisina Dialogue, the ORF, under Dr. Saran’s leadership has emerged as a leading institution shaping debates on Foreign Policy, new technologies and public policy. In February 2020, The…