Respect is a Two-Way Street, but has Civility in Politics Hit a Dead-End?

Incivility in politics is nothing new, yet it has become increasingly prominent in an era dominated by social media outrage, where populist politicians can generate engagement and thrive on social media platforms. Yet, incivility in itself is not always harmful. Direct and sometimes aggressive confrontation may be valid or necessary to challenge oppressive policies or actions, however incivility that generates harmful rhetoric or prejudice may undermine democratic participation.  … Continue readingRespect is a Two-Way Street, but has Civility in Politics Hit a Dead-End?

When Seeing is No Longer Believing: AI and the New Information War

As the line between authentic and synthetic evidence becomes increasingly blurred, the consequences extend far beyond simply being deceived, threatening how the public trusts and perceives war. AI has accelerated this shift. In the hands of bad-faith actors, manipulated content can now be produced and deployed with unprecedented speed, scale and sophistication. AI is no longer just a tool for creating content. It has become a tool of war. … Continue readingWhen Seeing is No Longer Believing: AI and the New Information War

Borrowed Threads, Unbought Power

Does cultural influence actually buy a rising power anything that matters — a seat, a vote, a veto in the institutions that set the rules of the international system? South Korea and India offer a natural test of that question: two of the most culturally visible rising states in the world today, on markedly different paths toward converting that prominence into institutional weight. … Continue readingBorrowed Threads, Unbought Power

THE NEPAL FLASH FLOOD TO INDONESIAN WILDFIRES: WHEN NATURE STRIKES, WHO PAYS THE PRICE?

Nepal and Indonesia point to the same underlying truth from different perspectives. A flood and a fire are not, in isolation, disasters. They descend into catastrophe only after mismanagement and inefficient decision-making. Both disasters demonstrate that hazards are intensified by land-use decisions; that costs are absorbed disproportionately by children and low-income households; and that institutions respond well once disaster is visible but fail in the quiet years beforehand. … Continue readingTHE NEPAL FLASH FLOOD TO INDONESIAN WILDFIRES: WHEN NATURE STRIKES, WHO PAYS THE PRICE?

RAGS TO RICHES ON DEMAND: THE BLIND SPOT OF CHANGING NARRATIVES IN WESTERN MEDIA 

A young boy in the US and a young boy in China grow up under similar surveillance systems, hear similar promises of prosperity and absorb similar judgements about nations on the other side of the world. The former grows up in a system socially accepted as patriotic, while treating its mirror image suspiciously. … Continue readingRAGS TO RICHES ON DEMAND: THE BLIND SPOT OF CHANGING NARRATIVES IN WESTERN MEDIA 

The Accountability Gap: Global Contrasts and Responses to Political Corruption and Crime 

When certain states refuse to demand accountability and allow for corruption in the highest levels of power to go unchecked, it can lead to the normalisation of authoritarian leadership or practices, threatening the very fabric of democracy. With two different judicial systems and political histories, the US and Brazil reveal contrasting lessons in the value of accountability in the face of political corruption.   … Continue readingThe Accountability Gap: Global Contrasts and Responses to Political Corruption and Crime 

Space belongs to everyone –  or does it?

Space is no longer a question of whether humanity gets in there; rather, it’s who sets the rules once we do. Private companies already outpace states in access, equity and infrastructure, while geopolitical rivalries turn that dependency into a bargaining chip. This article traces the widening gap between the Outer Space Treaty and the reality of who controls the launchpads, who benefits, and whether polycentric governance can close the gap before the window closes. … Continue readingSpace belongs to everyone –  or does it?

The Rise of Mamdani-like Politicians and the End of the Myth of ‘Electability’?

For years, the surest way to kill a progressive campaign was to prop up a moderate opponent, or simply to label the candidate too progressive, too ambitious, too unrealistic, and therefore unelectable. Centrism was the default, and anything more ambitious was dismissed as unrealistic. That doctrine survived as long as it did because deteriorating material conditions hadn’t yet made “risky” and “unrealistic” look like the only options left on the table. But recent wins show us that things are changing. … Continue readingThe Rise of Mamdani-like Politicians and the End of the Myth of ‘Electability’?