Analyses
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A change in Mexico’s Presidency may lead to a re-focus on border security issues. Since Felipe Calderón came into office in 2006, security links between the US and Mexico have gotten noticeably stronger, the Mérida Initiative being the most obvious example of this. Funding under this program will almost certainly continue next year. Since “Mérida assistance” is costing the US government hundreds of millions of dollars a year, now would be an appropriate time to ascertain whether this is the best use of taxpayer money, or whether it promotes human rights or has even been effectual. If the deficit is the preeminent threat to national security,...
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By Tim CayfordCurrent warnings of global warming are being ignored. Nowadays, it seems you cannot have an energy conference without a discussion about climate change. I had a fresh realization of this last month at an energy conference, which took place in the northern limits of the Netherlands, home of Europe’s largest gas field, which is known as the Groningen Field. Throughout the conference, the paradigm of moving toward a more environmentally-sound energy scheme was a dominant, if unspoken, theme. But though we seem to be pretty good at talking about the environmental challenges that face our energy plans, I wonder if we are very good at listening. A bit paradoxically, the opening remarks...
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Better forest laws and a more sustainable use of India’s forests could be instrumental in changing the lives of forest tribals. The 250 million forest-dependent people in India have been victims of major historical injustices such as continuation of repressive colonial forest laws and are amongst the poorest in the country. To empower forest communities, India has passed two historic laws in the last 15 years. However, their effects on the ground have been disappointing. While all of this sounds desultory, a number of “transformations” have been taking place recently, which if harnessed properly, could significantly better the lives of these communities. Background When...
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*[This article was originally published by Knowledge@Wharton on December 7, 2011] Analysis on the effect that Europe's shrinking economy will have on the economic recovery of the global economy. The European Union, the world's largest single market representing more than 30% of global GDP, is likely to face recession in the coming year, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). In late November, the Paris-based think tank forecast that the eurozone economy, comprising 17 of the European Union's 27 members, will decline 1% in the fourth quarter and an additional 0.4% in the first quarter of next year. Meanwhile, the...
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By Jana KobzovaWhile the Lisbon Treaty has had a positive impact on the European Union’s neighborhood policy, important issues remain unresolved. In the 1970s, a Chinese diplomat was asked about the impact of the French revolution on world politics. He famously replied that it was too early to judge. Similarly, attempting to assess the impact of the Lisbon Treaty on the EU's neighborhood policy (ENP) not even two years since its creation may be jumping the gun. Thus far, only one thing is certain: those who hoped that the Treaty would swiftly turn the European Union of 27 states into a unified and effective actor in its “neighborhood” must be disappointed. While the EU now has its...
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*[This article was originally published by Knowledge@Wharton on November 28, 2011] Fragile stability probably best describes how visiting Wharton finance professor Zvi Eckstein sees the world. From Cairo's Tahrir Square to Wall Street and beyond, the former deputy governor of the Bank of Israel recently shared his thoughts with Knowledge@Wharton about the world's economic and social hot spots. As 2011 draws to a close, the impact on youth is considerable in his home country, Israel, as well as other nations. In this interview -- conducted shortly before the eurozone's sovereign debt crisis took yet another turn for the worse due to sinking investor confidence in Italy --...
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The current political dialogue in the United States is ultimately counter-productive. As a European living in the United States, I have observed the differences in political debates on both sides of the Atlantic. Since the election of President Obama, I have perceived a change in the narratives and actions in US political debates, not only in Washington, but also amongst average citizens. In Europe, despite all the physical violence in Britain and Greece, and public dissatisfaction these countries as well as in France, Spain, and Italy, it seems that violent rhetoric directed at intellectuals has been toned down. Why so Recently, I have been struck by the harsh rhetoric of political debates...
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Commentary on the importance of a common and inclusive approach for calming various tensions in the Middle East. With the war drums on Iran sounding again and the Arab Revolts following an arduous path, the question of a sustainable perspective for a conflict-ridden region remains to be dealt with. After all, the lack of both security and cooperation is an enduring malady plaguing the region. Civil-society effort towards common security and regional cooperation Some years ago a civil-society initiative for a Conference for Security and Cooperation in the Middle East (CSCME) was spearheaded in Germany by peace and conflict researcher Prof. Mohssen Massarrat in collaboration with the...
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The Libyan Revolution ends whilst the Egyptian one continues. Many Egyptians are not happy about the achievements of their revolution. The youth, socialist and liberal activists, and even the Islamists despise the continuity between the post-revolutionary military government and the former Husni Mubarak regime. Somehow they think that the presence of the old president has not entirely vanished. Indeed, Mubarak did not resign, did not flee like Zine El-Abideen Ben Ali, the former Tunisian president, and he was not the victim of an armed assault like Ali Abdullah Saleh, the Yemeni president. Mubarak simply disappeared from the public scene on February 11, leaving power to the Council of the...