Kaisa Schreck

Last week, ISN Insights examined the following issues:

• The growing importance of critical minerals in world politics and for US national security in a piece by Christine Parthemore.

• The policy options to reduce the attractiveness of crime in places like Mexico and El Salvador in an article by Viridiana Rios.

• The rise of ‘sovereign wealth’ and its impact on the world economy and geopolitics in a piece by An Jacobs and Matthew Hulbert.

• Sudan’s referendum in an article by Martina Santschi and David Lanz.

• Climate change and carbon politics in Friday’s ISN Podcast with Dr. Jean Pascal van Ypersele, Vice Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel in Climate Change (IPCC).

This week we will be looking at: Vietnam’s geopolitical rise, the growing importance of E-diplomacy, the future of private military security companies, Colombia’s shifting foreign policy and human rights in Haiti.

Make sure to tune in each day for the newest ISN Insights package. And if you’re an active Twitter or Facebook user, look us up and become a follower/fan!

Departing slightly from our usual format, here’s a taster for what ISN Insights will be looking at in the weeks and months to come:

This week: the economics of drug trafficking, the increasing importance of ‘rare earths’ minerals in global trade and security, the rise of sovereign wealth funds, Sudan’s upcoming referendum and climate change.

In the coming weeks and months we’ll be exploring the following issues and more: Vietnam’s geopolitical position, EU foreign policy, Cuba’s economy, rising Chinese naval power, Yemen, US-Colombian relations, economic growth in Africa, hardliners vs. reformists in Libya, E-diplomacy and much, much more.

Stay tuned and connected in 2011: Read the ISN Blog, follow us on Twitter and ‘Like’ us on Facebook.

The ISN Blog team would like to thank our readers for an exciting and interesting year. Thank you for interacting, taking part in discussions here and our other social media platforms and for helping us grow and expand our reach!

Stay in touch with us as the new year kicks in; comment and ‘like’ on Facebook, re-tweet on Twitter and let us know, via e-mail or comments on the blog if there are any particular stories you’d like us to cover or feature here in 2011.

We’ll be offline until the 3 January 2011 when another year of original blog posts, ISN Insights, Podcasts and Publications starts!

In the meantime, we’d like to wish you a peaceful and restful holiday period filled with calm, kindness and just enough snow!

– ISN Bloggers

In the past week, ISN Insights examined:

• The US-Congo Minerals Law in a piece by Jon Rosen

• The trajectory of Indian defense policy in an article by Harsh V Pant

• The impact of global currency wars on African economies in a piece by Edoardo Totolo

• Belarusian elections in an article by Jeremy Druker

• Modern-day slavery and human trafficking in a piece by Cassandra Clifford

This week, ISN Insights will examine: US cyber command, Maoism in India, Guinea and Ivory Coast elections and the political implications of the Irish bailout.

PLEASE NOTE that ISN Insights will be on a publishing break from the 24.12.2010 to the 03.01.2011.

Last week, ISN Insights looked at:

• Bosnia’s post-election future in a piece by Anes Alic

• The importance of nuclear nonproliferation efforts and the dangers of hyping up the nuclear bomb threat in an article by Justin Alger

• The struggle for democracy in Iraq in a piece by Mark N Katz

• Al-Qaida’s fast-evolving strategy in Yemen in a piece by Jarret Brachman

• An ISN Podcast questioning the role of higher education in developed societies with Alison Wolf

This week, we will be examining: Congo minerals, Indian defense policy, the effects of global currency wars on Africa, the upcoming elections in Belarus and Haiti in Friday’s ISN Podcast.

Make sure to tune in each day for the newest ISN Insights package. And if you’re an active Twitter or Facebook user, look us up and become a follower/fan!