In an illuminating anecdote that David Shambaugh heard from two Chinese officials who witnessed an encounter between Hu Jintao and Russian leader Vladimir Putin with Beijing’s increasingly harsh scrutiny of… Read more »
The Organization of American States should invoke the Inter-American Democratic Charter to press Venezuela to restore judicial independence and the protection of fundamental rights, Human Rights Watch said today in… Read more »
In December 2013, David Satter became the first American journalist to be expelled from Russia since the Cold War. The Moscow Times said it was not surprising he was expelled,… Read more »
A citizen of Belarus who was born in Ukraine and writes in Russian, Nobel Laureate Svetlana Alexievich takes as her subject the “history of the Russian-Soviet soul”, The Times Literary… Read more »
At a time of authoritarian backlash against democracy assistance, the United Nations Democracy Fund (UNDEF) “has proven itself to be effective, respected and legitimate in parts of the world where… Read more »
As cyber attacks become more common for journalists and news organizations, more cyber security courses and guidelines for protection will follow. Yet, according to a researcher studying the issue, most… Read more »
Social accountability has gained increasing importance in the development sector over the past two decades, notes the World Bank’s Global Partners Forum. Development partners—including governments, private sector and citizens—recognize the… Read more »
Azerbaijani authorities are using spurious drug charges to pursue long prison sentences against two youth activists. The charges apparently are in retaliation for painting graffiti on a monument. The authorities… Read more »
As the Arab uprisings have unfolded, the economic and social issues at their roots have received little attention and in some cases have been entirely overlooked by the transitioning countries… Read more »
The collapse of the post-colonial Arab system is, at its heart, a crisis of legitimacy. The impact of colonialism, often blamed by Arabs for their woes, should not be… Read more »