International Women’s Day 2023: Embrace Equity
8th March or ‘International Women’s Day’ has been deemed a day to honor women all around the world.
It is a small reprieve from the remainder of the year and this specific distinction reminds us to pay a little closer attention to the women in our lives.
In her piece, Hafsa Ammar discusses this year’s theme, ‘Embrace Equity’, similar to that of last year’s ‘Accelerate Equity’.
Victor’s Peace: Merits & Pitfalls
Victor’s Peace strategy is deployed when all peaceful means toward conflict are unsuccessful in de-escalating it. The ultimate goal of the intervening party is to establish durable and long-lasting peace, instead of prioritizing their strategic motives.
In theory, military overtaking has negative connotations but in places where negotiated peace fails time and again, the immediate solution is Victor’s Peace, conditions can always be negotiated afterward.
Hafsa Ammar provides both national and international as well as historical and recent accounts to illustrate the concept and dimensions of Victor’s Peace.
The True Face of Crime in the United States
Many people around the globe look at America as a beacon of hope and success, yet upon a more detailed perusal of the nation, it is found to be a cesspool of high crime rates and a faulty justice system. These criminal acts include robberies/larceny, armed violence, fraud, assault, sex crimes, and homicides.
The Sicilian Mafia
Organized crime refers to a structured criminal enterprise whose primary focus is on generating profit, be it capital or other material profit.
Their criminal activity revolves around illicit activities, such as the provision of illegal substances, and in some cases, even human trafficking.
There are many major groups within organized crime functioning all over the world, but the most fear-inducing is the Sicilian Mafia.
West Papua: A Bid for Freedom
West Papua, also known as the western half of New Guinea, has been plagued by an armed uprising since the mid-nineties.
As did most global conflicts, this one too rose out as a result of colonization.
Previously a colony of the Netherlands, the region was being prepped and restructured for independence and self-determination.
However, the Indonesian government vehemently opposed this plan of action which led to the conflict still present to this day.
Gendered Dimensions of Terrorism
Terrorism is a tactic used by extremist groups and terror organizations to embed fear into the masses.
Hafsa Ammar explains how women, too, either voluntarily or involuntarily, are active participants in terrorism. Their harmless disposition allows them to blend in and pass off as a bystander.
Hence, a gendered discourse is necessary within terror studies to evaluate the difference between male and female participation and perception.
The Adani Group: Haifa Port and the Accounting Fraud
India has been a popular participant in international politics recently. It has graced the headlines with its business tycoon, Gautam Adani.
The Indian billionaire was just hit with a major scandal of accounting fraud while also landing one of the most significant ports in the Middle East region, the Haifa Port of Israel.
A Biographical Sketch of Ashoka the Great
Ashoka the Great was an emperor of great prestige, influence, and cross-continental impact. As the third Mauryan emperor, he was widely known for his two life achievements: the conquest of Kalinga and the preaching of Buddhism.
Israeli Politics and Its New Far-Right Direction
Israeli politics has been making its round on international headlines in the past few months, especially after the historic 6th re-election of Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition in November of 2022.
The government’s newest version is deemed the most right-wing establishment in Israeli history.
It includes the Noam Party, Bezalel Yoel Smotrich of the Religious Zionist Party, and the infamous Itamar Ben-Gvir of the Otzma Yehudit party.
Russian Influence Operations: Disinformation Campaigns
Hybrid warfare is a term worn out in academia, being overused in every situation where there is a complexity or overlap of tactics. One incredibly invasive hybrid tactic that is being utilized all around the globe is disinformation through narrative building.
Hafsa Ammar discusses how disinformation has allegedly been used extensively by Russia against its enemies, particularly against the US.
Russia: Myths and Realities
“Russia: Myths and Realities” was written and published by Rodric Braithwaite in 2022. Braithwaite has formerly served as Britain’s ambassador to Russia, giving his book the authenticity it needed.
The author has attempted to shine a light on the cold hard facts of Russian history while unraveling the myths—whether those created by the Russians themselves for glorification or by the West as an attempt to villainize them.
Alternative Dispute Resolution in the Philippines
Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) mechanisms refer to alternatives for litigation and adjudication. They are methods for conflict resolution outside official courts and can be adopted due to a variety of reasons, ranging from the benefits of low costs to quick and efficient rulings.
ADR can act as a substitute for adjudication or even as a companion/precursor to court proceedings. The Republic of the Philippines still places considerable significance and respect on its tribal roots which can be seen in its various ADR mechanisms.
The Role of Modernism in Shaping Nationalism
Hafsa Ammar observes the role of modernism in international relations i.e. the rise of nationalism and identity politics.
Where primordialism holds that nationalism has existed as a universal and independent concept, modernism maintains that the development of the international system is what induced nationalism.
Turkey, Greece and the Cyprus Dispute
Hafsa Ammar discusses how international mediation sometimes is necessary to maintain world order and peace.
She builds on this case by recalling the Cyprus dispute. The mediation attempts by the US and the United Nations managed to subdue Turkey and Greece, and this effectively prevented the conflict from escalating.
Seed Out: A Non-Profit Microfinance Organization in Pakistan
Seed Out is a non-profit organization formed by Zain Ashraf in his attempt to bring sustainable economic stability and progress to underprivileged neighborhoods in Pakistan.
It is a crowdfunding platform for budding entrepreneurs in Pakistan, as declared on its website, meaning that it fosters direct relations between the donors and the beneficiaries.
Black Lives Matter—A Theoretical Outlook
American society is set up to reward those who are born advantaged but claims that all can succeed through arduous work—a portrait of race neutrality painted by the privileged white class. This has led to the re-instigation of the ‘black struggle’ in America. The struggle is not new, as it has reared its head multiple times in the history of the US.
To understand the different layers of the BLM conflict, Hafsa Ammar studies the movement through the instrumentalist theory of ethnicity, the social identity theory, and the strain theory.
The social identity theory elaborates on the sharp divides between the ‘blacks and whites’ and explains how such an ethnic divide manifests in education, employment, social interactions, narrative building etcetera. The instrumentalist theory highlights the cultural and racial peripheries within which they live and die. Lastly, the strain theory is used to study the manifestations of the social roles assigned to the African American race.
How Russia’s Oil Exports Saved Its Economy
The West believed that the sanctions on Russia would completely leave the latter immobilized. Hafsa Ammar notes that while that was very likely, Russia’s influence and resources insulated itself from economic shocks. One significant Russian resource would be crude oil, as it has now become the primary oil supplier to both China and India—a position that once belonged to Saudi Arabia.
