Stories Archive | Page 59 of 84

Analyses

The history of the Islamic Republic of Iran—established in 1979 following the revolution that overthrew Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi—is marked by a dense sequence of developments that have progressively altered its political and institutional configuration. These changes, however, have only sporadically been recognized by Western analyses, which have instead tended to perpetuate a more functional and instrumental stereotype based on the image of a monolithic, highly verticalized religious autocracy. While such a characterization was broadly accurate during the first decade of the Islamic Republic, it has undergone a profound transformation since 1989.

International Affairs
China’s Growing Economic Role in Algeria
Gianni Del Panta 25 September 2018

In contrast to European strategies of one century ago, Chinese influence in Africa does not take place via military campaigns or colonization. By contrast, pointing to economic and, above all, infrastructural projects Chinese leaders describe their model as a win-win cooperation.
Society
3 Ideas of Europe Are Failing, but a New One Can Rise
Ivan Krastev 21 September 2018

Seventy years ago, Europe managed miraculously to turn the destruction of World War II into the foundation of its peace project. It succeeded at turning the antiestablishment anger of 1968 into political progress. It succeeded in less than two decades at uniting a Europe divided by 50 years of Cold War. If Europe has managed to turn so many failures into success, one can certainly hope that it will achieve the same miracle again today.
Society
The Tv-Web-Groundwork Trinity: Matteo Salvini’s Neo-Trumpian Propaganda
Martino Mazzonis 18 September 2018

The 45-year old Matteo Salvini has led the Lega through its metamorphosis from a regional-localist-pro EU party and key ally of Silvio Berlusconi, into a nationalist, anti-European and xenophobic parliamentary block whose strength seems likely to keep growing through next year’s European elections.
Religion
New Roads of Islamic Thought
Massimo Campanini 6 September 2018

Casablanca, Morocco, hosted in July an important international conference on Sources of Pluralism in Islamic Thought. This is a topical subject, but above all one worthy of being debated with the wider public, whose perception is that Islam has been a never-changing monolith with no internal differentiations since the days of Muhammad.
International Affairs
The Economic Crisis Unsettling Iran
Marina Forti 5 September 2018

Within the past two months, Iranian editors have been cutting the number of pages and newspapers they publish — at least one daily has closed shop entirely. This is not due to government censorship or a sudden drop-off in readership: there is simply not enough newsprint to go around.
Religion
Christians in Syria: escape, decimation and fear of Assad’s return
Riccardo Cristiano 23 July 2018

It is March 7th 2013. In a few short months Father Paolo Dall’Oglio will be taken prisoner by ISIS in Raqqa, right at the beginning of his mission to save others who had been kidnapped in Syria since 2011.
Society
India: A new vulnerability
Mujibur Rehman 26 June 2018

Post-2014, cow vigilante groups have emerged as the most prominent non-state actors in India in terms of their capacity to unleash violence. They strike at will even in regions not governed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Human Rights
The Race Against Peace: diplomacy in the DRC
Nicoletta Fagiolo 18 June 2018

The war in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which never makes world headlines, is by far the worst crisis in numbers of people killed and uprooted, before Syria, Yemen and other severely war-torn areas in the XXI century. It is one of three countries in the world declared a level three emergency by the United Nations.
International Affairs
Armenia: the revolution continues
Matteo Tacconi 14 June 2018

Following massive street protests in April against then premier Serzh Sarksyan, leader of the old regime, a general strike on May 2nd and then the election of Nikol Pashinyan, leader of the democratic movement as head of the government a week later, the Armenian revolution has vanished from daily headlines.
International Affairs
Pompeo’s Demands On Iran At Odds With Reality
Seyed Hossein Mousavian 8 June 2018

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo laid out a list of demands on Iran in a speech threatening to “crush” the country on Monday. His bellicose words come weeks after President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of the Iran nuclear deal and are nothing short of an ultimatum demanding Iran’s total surrender to U.S. wishes.