Category: Governance

Time for corporate responsibility – and accountability in MENA?

     

The Economist described corporate social responsibility as “two-faced capitalism,” highlighting the inevitable tensions between making money and doing good. But too many businesses are guilty of political irresponsibility in the… Read more »

Intell chiefs warn of ‘coming ideological battle’ with resurgent authoritarians

     

  Liberal democracies should prepare for “the coming ideological battle” with newly resurgent authoritarian powers, the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee heard on Tuesday. “China and Russia are more aligned than… Read more »

Understanding Central Europe’s illiberal metamorphosis

     

To understand Central Europe ’s illiberal metamorphosis, bear in mind that the region’s political imperative for almost three decades was “Imitate the West!” That process went by different names –… Read more »

Are social media platforms ‘rotting democracy from within’?

     

  Facebook has entered a new era of cautious glasnost, inviting researchers to look ‘under the hood’ of various aspects of its operations, and understand how it formulates and implements… Read more »

Petrofraude: the scam that emptied Venezuela’s tables

     

Venezuela has more oil than Saudi Arabia and more poverty than Colombia. Once one of Latin America’s richest countries, it’s now plagued with shortages of everything from toilet paper to antibiotics and food, The… Read more »

Middle East braced for ‘future without stability or freedom’?

     

Unless something changes, the Middle East should brace for the worst of both worlds: a future without stability or freedom, the FT suggests. Public support for U.S. military action and… Read more »

Persuasive populism enters the mainstream

     

Populist parties have more than tripled their support in Europe in the last 20 years, securing enough votes to put their leaders into government posts in 11 countries and challenging… Read more »

Opposition aims to rescue Bangladesh’s ‘decaying democracy’

     

The announcement of a schedule for the next general election in Bangladesh has triggered hope of a credible poll but also concern about more political violence across the Muslim-majority South Asian nation,… Read more »

China’s ‘Belt and Road Power Play’ imperils democracy

     

The United States and China are in a competition to shape the course of the 21st century. At stake is whether the prevailing international order that has backstopped peace, prosperity,… Read more »

As unrest flares, could more inclusion repair Iraq’s fractured democracy?

     

Iraqi security forces fired tear gas and live ammunition Wednesday as demonstrators took to the streets for a third day in the southern city of Basra. One person died and 21… Read more »