While we at the ISN are proud to have our partners mentioned among the leading conflict mediators — and grateful, as ever, to USIP and HD Centre for sharing their expertise with us in the form of case studies, practical guides and research reports — the Economist raises a serious question. Have governments really lost their taste for mediating conflicts? Is the UN really as paralyzed by competing political agendas as the article suggests?
Even as private organizations play a bigger role in peace processes today than they did in the past, governments and the UN are hardly less active in this area. Consider the following:
The intersection between economics and security is large and growing. Fighting wars and fulfilling security objectives has always had economic implications — in far more than just blood and treasure — and economic developments are having ever more rapid and dramatic consequences for traditional and emerging conceptions of security. This syllabus will help keep you up to date.
It's week 27 on our editorial calendar, Photo: Leo Reynolds/flickr
This week the ISN takes a closer look at the following topics:
On Monday, ISN Insights examines the potentially dark shadow of government overreach in its efforts to regulate the cyber sphere, courtesy of the University of Lucerne’s Jonas Rey.
We introduce a new information platform on Tuesday – thebook syllabus – to point you in the direction of cutting-edge literature on the topic of energy and security.
On Wednesday, CEPR co-director Dean Baker opines about central banks and budget deficits in ISN Insights.
Read-up on Yemen in our country profile on Thursday.
And our Friday podcast with the Graduate Institute’s Thomas Biersteker tackles the topic of public-private partnerships.
Last weekend Fareed Zakaria devoted a short segment of his program, Global Public Square, to some startling news: in the Pacific island nation of Samoa, there will be no 30th of December this year. Samoans will go to sleep on Thursday the 29th and awake on Saturday the 31st. The country is set to hop the International Date Line, moving from 11 hours behind Greenwich to 13 hours ahead of it.
Samoa’s Prime Minister noted in May that the move would be good for tourism—as, since neighboring American Samoa will remain on the other side of the line, “people wanting two birthdays or two wedding anniversaries can travel to Samoa and have them.”
More significant benefits are associated with the underlying shift that the move reflects. As Zakaria tells us, while the east side of the date line was originally preferred for its closeness to the Americas, Samoa now conducts most of its trade with Australia and New Zealand, which at present are almost a full day ahead—an inconvenience indeed. Hopping the date-line is an attempt to adjust to this new economic reality.
But ever since the need for a Line was demonstrated on a Thursday afternoon in 1522 – when Magellan’s Victoria sailed into Cape Verde with a ship’s log showing Wednesday – many countries have seen the benefits of toying with the Line.
It’s been almost a month since the 9th International Security Forum (ISF) came to a close. In case you need further political inspiration and don’t want to wait until the next ISF, here’s a brief list of upcoming international events for your calendar.
Since 1999, the Cannes Water Symposium has become a key International Forum on various issues related to water, the sea and sustainable development. The 13th annual conference will take place in the Palais des Festivals in Cannes and will gather professionals, scientists and political decision-makers — all specialists on Water and the Environment. The conference will comprise scientific and technological workshops on 1) developing innovative and clean harbors and waterways, 2) sanitation, and 3) water quality and health.
“The EU as a Global Actor” is an international conference held by the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy in cooperation with other leading organizations. The conference aims to consider the political, economic, and cultural development of the European Union, both as a regional organization and as a key player in global affairs. It aims to explore the challenges and opportunities facing the EU with respect to internal reform and growth, while also reflecting on the roles and responsibilities the organization faces on the global stage.
The 7th International Internet Law & Politics Conference (IDP, Internet, Derecho y Política), will focus on the current Net Neutrality debate and its consequences for the development of the Internet from both legal and political standpoints.
