Stories about International Relations from November, 2012
Misreading Magnitsky & Congress From Russia
Russian opposition bloggers were ecstatic on Saturday, after the United States House of Representatives passed the so-called Magnitsky Act with bipartisan support. Unfortunately for supporters of the Act, it is still far from becoming law.
Arab League on Gaza: “Blah Blah… Blah Blah Blah”
The Arab League is meeting at its headquarters in Cairo, Egypt, to discuss Gaza - and netizens aren't holding their breath or being optimistic about a strong reaction. Sultan AlQassemi tweets: "Live update from Arab League meeting on Gaza aggression by Israel: We will not tolerate blah blah! We must stand with blah blah bah."
Why is the GCC Quiet about Gaza?
“Gulf countries awfully quiet about Gaza,” tweets Foreign Policy editor Blake Hounshell. Lebanese journalist Antoun Issa adds: @antissa: Amazing how eager GCC are to arm Arabs to fight each other, while disappearing completely when it comes to Palestine. #Gaza The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is made up of Bahrain, Qatar,...
Croatian Senior Generals Acquitted of War Crimes
Eric Gordy of East Ethnia comments on this Friday's UN appeal court's judgment acquitting Croatian generals Ante Gotovina and Mladen Markač of war crimes: […] Some people are delighted with the judgment and other people are outraged, with divisions following predictable political lines. The appeals chamber itself is no less...
What is the Role of the Army in Africa Today?
The army has often played a determining but ambiguous role in the African political process. Between 1950 and 2000, 53 African countries were subject to military coups leading to regime change. After a period of respite in the 1990’s, the African continent was once again the scene of many military coups in the first decade of the 21st century, with 27 attempts at takeover. Being both a factor in the consolidation and the destabilisation of regimes, the army is regarded with suspicion in most countries and does not seem to know how to adapt to changing mindsets.
Is Ethiopia Fit to be a Member of the United Nations Human Rights Council?
Ethiopia was among four African countries that were elected as members of the United Nations Human Rights Council on 12 November, 2012. Considering Ethiopia's poor human rights record, many Ethiopians online feel that their country is not fit to be a member of the council. One netizen uses a local proverb to describe Ethiopia's membership at the council, "A fool makes a donkey carry red meat and send her along with a hyena! So the hyena will chomp through the red meat and later turn on the donkey!"
Iran: Netizens Reflect on Four More Years for Obama
With Iran featuring as one of the main topics of US foreign policy, it's no surprise that Iranians took a great interest in the election. The majority of Iranians wanted Obama to win to avoid what they saw as a probable war.
Hungary: Why Do We Have To Pay Attention To China?
‘Az igazi Mao’ blog [hu] is trying to draw attention to the contemporary China that Hungarian citizens may not be too familiar with; its title refers to a Hungarian experimental documentary, The Real Mao, which tells a fake story of former Chinese leader Mao Zedong. In a recent entry, ‘Az igazi...
Slovak “Decent Life” Protesters Burn EU Flag
About 100 people took part in a follow-up “Together for a Decent and Safe Life” protest [sk, images, videos], co-organized by Oskar Dobrovodský, in Bratislava on Nov. 10 (more about Dobrovodský's case and the previous, Oct. 13, rally is here). After the protesters burned the EU flag, police detained two...
Why is the Arab League in a Hurry to Meet over Gaza?
The United Nations Security Council called for and held an emergency meeting Wednesday night to discuss the latest Israeli airstrikes on Gaza, and consequent Hamas rocket attacks into Israel. The Arab League, on the other hand, said it would meet on Saturday [Nov 17, 2012] to discuss the latest tension, drawing ridicule and anger from netizens around the Arab world - for it's [lack of] action.
Worldwide Protests Planned in Support of Gaza
On Twitter, Egyptian Nora Shalaby shares the link to a document which contains a constantly updated list of demonstrations being planned in support of Gaza worldwide. The list is being maintained by Omar Robert Hamilton (@RiverDryFilm) and @southsouth.
Bridge Blog for Afghanistan and Pakistan: ‘Understanding the Neighbor’
In a fellowship program 22 journalists from Afghanistan and Pakistan gathered together twice, once in Islamabad and once in Kabul to understand each others, share value and make cultural exchanges. The documented their experiences in a blog titled ‘Understanding the neighbor' and are ready to challenge the decades old established narratives about their neighbors.
“Self-Defence is No Offence”: Nigerian Student on Trial in Ukraine
On Nov. 5, 2011, Olaolu Femi, a Nigerian student in Ukraine, was attacked by a group of young people in the city of Luhansk; he was detained the next day, and his alleged attempt to defend himself and a friend was interpreted by the Ukrainian prosecutors as attempted murder, for...
Arab World: What will Change with Obama's Re-Election?
Barack Obama has won a second term as US President but how does he fare among netizens across the Arab world? Here's a snippet of the conversation on Twitter following his re-election. Reactions were divided and while many were not pleased with the US foreign policy in the region, others were happy Obama won.
Catalan TV Show Flares Debate Over Independence from Spain
Catalan public television, TV3, recently broadcast a special news program called "Independence, step by step". It has caused massive debate at a heated moment in Catalan politics, not long before an election that is considered a plebiscite over the Catalonia's independence from Spain.
Coalition of African Nations Agrees to Send 3,300 Soldiers a year to Northern Mali
Seven African nations of ECOWAS namely Nigeria, Senegal, Niger, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire and Togo have agreed with Malian government [fr] to send 3,300 soldiers a year to Northern Mali to take back control of northern Mali from Islamist fighters. Other nations outside the ECOWAS might also send in troops.
India Reacts to the Re-Election of US President Barack Obama
The recently concluded US presidential election generated much interest in India. Congratulations were abound at government level. But what about those on the ground in India - what has been their response?
Rediscovering The Bonds Between Afghanistan and Pakistan
An Afghan-Pak Journalist Exchange Programme 2012 brought together 22 journalists from Pakistan and Afghanistan who worked on join reporting projects and cultural exchange to rediscover the bonds between both the countries.
Australia: Having Our Say about India, the World’s Largest Democracy
What lies ahead for India, which is not just the largest democracy but will soon have the biggest population? You can join the discussion of The World's Largest Democracy at Australia’s vibrant social media site, Our Say.
U.S. Policy Toward Latin America After the Election
How will Barack Obama's re-election affect U.S. policy toward Latin America? The realistic answer is that policy will not be affected greatly, and the change that occurs will be related more to domestic constituencies than foreign ones. […] In short, at this point we don't have any reason to believe...
