Stories about International Relations from June, 2023
Kenya’s decision to remove visa restrictions sparks discussions about a borderless Africa
The Africa Visa Openness Index Report 2022 from the African Development Bank, highlights that only three countries — Benin, The Gambia, and Seychelles — currently offer visa-free access to all African nationals.
Russian Nobel laureate Dmitry Muratov: ‘Repression occurs when no one knows who might be targeted tonight’
"So who is opposing this potential junta, these armed people? Paradoxically, only the ability to speak the truth can stand up to armed men vying for power."
‘Ukraine today, Taiwan tomorrow': Is the comparison valid?
"Ukraine today, Taiwan tomorrow" is a phrase often heard in Taiwan pointing at the common threats Russia and China represent for both countries. But is that comparison valid?
In Azerbaijan, feminist activists say not the time to celebrate
At least ten political activists left the embassy premises following the extraction of feminist activists and Hasanli.
‘Pozor i styd': Russian has two words for shame
Russian often has two words where French has only one. One serves to describe the outer thing, while the other describes the inner thing.
Togo and China: Half a century of fruitful cooperation, but also of rejection of any form of criticism
After a presence since 1972, China celebrates 51 years of cooperation with Togo in 2023. While Lomé and Beijing publicize an ideal relationship, the reality on the ground is more complicated.
From Hong-Kong to Central Europe and back: Interview with Prague-based activist Loretta Lau
Central Europe is aware of the situation in China-occupied Tibet, but less so about Hong Kong. Byt one Hong Kong artivism performer is determined to change this.
How do international media portray Taiwan in their coverage?
Global mainstream media often reduce their coverage of a country based on assumed risks for conflict, as is the case for Taiwan. How does the Taiwanese media assess this portrayal?
Tajikistan's government adds another colossal building to its tally
Tajikistan building all these buildings is all the more striking given the fact that it is the poorest country in Central Asia.
Central Asian leaders sigh with relief as Erdoğan wins presidential elections in Turkey
After a cooling off in the relations in the 1990s and early 2000s, the blossoming of cooperation between Turkey and Central Asia has come under Erdoğan’s rule.
Can poetry in translation reimagine a free Belarusian–Ukrainian bridge?
Belarus is a victim of and a tool for Russia in its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Can poetry and translation establish a fragile bridge between Ukraine and free Belarusians?
Nepal mountaineer rescues a Malaysian climber from the ‘Death Zone’ of Mount Everest
Gelje Sherpa, a professional mountaineer and guide from Nepal, accomplished a remarkable rescue operation on May 18th by saving a Malaysian climber on Mount Everest during his expedition.
Switching from Taiwan to China has led to more exploitation: Interview with Cameroonian scholar Richard Atimniraye Nyelade
Cameroon first established relations with Taiwan upon its independence, later switching to Beijing. While Taiwan remains largely absent today, China dominates in Cameroon yet the relation remains far from equal.
After a decade of constrictions, how are NGOs operating in Azerbaijan?
Amid the Azerbaijani government's strict rules on NGO funding and leadership, most NGOs have been forced to cut down on services and develop self-sustaining mechanisms to continue operating.
Serbian politicians and media continue the anti-NATO narratives over 1999 Kosovo War intervention
"Despite the victimization narratives exhibited in Serbia, the government recognizes the role and importance of NATO in regional security, especially in the protection of the Serbian community in Kosovo ..."
Taiwan and Burkina Faso: A tumultuous history of cooperation and estrangement
While Taiwan was present in Western Africa in the 1960s, there is little memory left of this period, as Taiwan-based Burkinabe scholar Dramane Thiombiano explains to Global Voices.
As the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season begins, the Caribbean looks back—and to the future
At COP27, the Loss and Damage issue was finally added to the agenda, but any sustainable positive impact on the Caribbean must go beyond this.
Negotiations for Moldova's accession to the EU could commence this year
The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, made an impactful statement suggesting that Moldova could potentially become an EU member despite the unresolved Transnistria conflict.
Brazilian President Lula's endorsement of Maduro's regime sparks strong reactions among Brazilians and Venezuelans
Why it is so dangerous to talk about "constructed narratives" in the case of Venezuela
‘The task of achieving transitional justice in Taiwan remains unfinished': Interview with writer C.J. Anderson-Wu
Taiwanese translator turned anglophone writer C. J. Anderson-Wu explains in an interview how the need to convey Taiwan's experience of military dictatorship made her pick English as a creative language.
