Tag: Political crisis

All Eyes on Libya

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Post date 23/03/2011
3 Comments on All Eyes on Libya

Libyan Uprising, by Libyan_Uprising.svg: Rafy, en:User:Interchange88 derivative work: War.dog (Libyan_Uprising.svg) [CC0 (creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/deed.en)], via Wikimedia Commons — Libyan Uprising (Source WikiCommons)

How do you follow the situation in Libya? Where do you get your background information from?

Here is a selection of fascinating links we’ve come across:

The Global Peace Index has put together a great list of authoritative media sources and social media channels – I won’t repeat them all here.
ReliefWeb collects situation reports, maps and news from the humanitarian perspective.
The University of Colorado Library has the best background links collection on Libya I’ve come across so far.
For research and policy papers on Lybia, don’t forget to check out the ISN’s full-text Digital Library.
Always a great source of analysis, this is the Council on Foreign Relations‘ coverage of Libya.
Your classic country profiles: Libya’s entry in the CIA World Factbook and the BBC Country Profiles
In case you’re interested in economic issues, the World Bank also has a profile on Libya, including statistics.
And for comprehensive data on the security aspects, browse the Facts on International Relations and Security Trends (FIRST) database.

We’ve missed your favourite source of information? Leave us a comment!

Tags International Relations, Security, Libya, Political crisis, Uprisings

As the Crisis in Egypt Unfolds….

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Post date 04/02/2011
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tahrir — More than a week later, Tahrir Square is still full of demonstrators, photo: Mashahed/flickr

With rumors abound that Mubarak will have to accept a US brokered deal to step down today (amid fresh waves of protests in Cairo), the situation in Egypt is developing so fast that accurate and constantly updated information is key to understanding the present and possible future of this Arab stalwart. What will this day bring to the streets of Cairo? More horrific violence or a sense of renewed resolve and purpose? Will Friday, 4 February 2011, mark the end of Mubarak’s three decade rule?

In addition to pointing you to resources we hold in the ISN Digital Library on Egypt in last week’s post (lots of interesting stuff analyzing the background to the current crisis), we’d like to give you a taster of what we’re monitoring here at the ISN for the newest information on the crisis as it unfolds, day by day, hour by hour.

The best way to stay up to date is to follow Twitter streams: Search for #Egypt or #Cairo to get a live stream of tweets relating to the protests or follow Al Jazeera’s twitter stream which is currently focused on this issue.

You can also follow News Blogs: we found the Guardian News Blog, the Reuters Live Blog and the Al Jazeera Live Blog to be the some of the best in providing up-to-date information and analysis on the situation on the ground.

In addition, Andrew Sullivan- a prominent blogger at the Atlantic magazine does a stellar job at scouring through the Net to find interesting information and quotes on the issue, in addition to providing biting and up-to-date original analysis.

And of course, let’s not forget @Sandmonkey, a prominent Egyptian blogger and activist who is tweeting from Tahrir square as we speak!

Let us know if you’ve found other sources to be equally, or even more helpful.

Tags Government, Egypt, History, Political crisis, Demonstrations, Tahrir Square, Politician

A Day of Demonstrations in the Middle East

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Post date 26/01/2011
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In the wake of the major upheavals in Tunisia, commentators are pointing to the next flash points in the Middle East, identifying countries where repression, social inequality and food crises have contributed to a simmering, and now increasingly explosive situation.

Demonstrations, strikes and street battles have already started in Cairo and other cities in Egypt (follow them on the Guardian blog), and Lebanon is in the throes of its own political crisis, with the younger Hariri stepping down in favor of what will most likely be a Shiite (and some say Hezbollah) dominated government. Sunnis all over the country have reacted in fury and mass protests are ongoing.

How did it come to this, and can people power triumph elsewhere in the region in the way it did in Tunisia?

To delve deeper into this issue and the spectrum of challenges and deep-seated problems that their populations face, check out our resources on Egypt and Lebanon.

Tags Lebanon, Political crisis, Strikes, Political protests, Government, Egypt, Tunisia

Crises and Maps

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Post date 26/01/2010
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OSM-Haiti — Map of Port-au-Prince based on OpenStreetMap data

For all the criticism about open collaborative projects, these have one unquestionable asset: the speed and efficiency of updates.

In crisis situations such as the Haiti earthquake, this makes all the difference. I’ve been following the developments of OpenStreetMap (OSM) after the first earthquake hit and it’s fascinating. Just check this comparision with Google to convince yourself (play with the transparency in the top right corner).

Tags Geography, Technology, Internet, Natural disasters, Haiti, Maps, Political crisis

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Iran: Options for the West

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Post date 04/09/2009
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Iran: Domestic Crisis and Options for the West

What are the effects of Iran’s domestic crisis on the nuclear issue?

A new analysis by the Center for Security Studies (CSS) looks at policy options available for western governments.

Roland Popp, senior researcher at the CSS, argues that the weakening of the Iranian regime is unlikely to ease negotiations with Tehran over the nuclear issue.

You can download the paper here.

Tags Political crisis, International Relations, Security, Elections, Iran, Foreign policy, Non-proliferation, Western World, Nuclear weapons