Beijing turns to Hollywood to win hearts and minds
When Yang Shuping spoke Sunday of her eternal gratitude to the University of Maryland for teaching her about “free speech” and showing her that her “voice mattered,” she may not… Read more »
Tag: National Endowment for Democracy
Liberians express hope and fear ahead of election
Hope and Fear, 2017 Election: The Voices of Liberians (above) is a video documentary assessing citizens’ fears and hopes as the country move toward the 2017 elections. The film… Read more »
Mideast sectarianism a byproduct of geopolitical rivalry
During his speech in Saudi Arabia, President Donald Trump spoke of the need to confront and “isolate” Iran. But the Iran challenge is more intricate and perplexing than the one faced… Read more »
‘Principled realism’ needs better ideas to combat extremist ideology
A “coalition of nations” in the Middle East is needed to stamp out “extremism,” U.S. President Donald Trump told the weekend’s Arab-Islamic American Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. “This is… Read more »
Counting the cost of corruption: citizen movements demanding transparency
Thousands of Moroccans marched in a northern town to protest against injustice and corruption this week, Reuters reports: Political protests are rare in Morocco, but tensions in al-Hoceima have been… Read more »
Caught between fear and repression in Bangladesh
The murders of secular activists by violent Islamist militants in Bangladesh have received considerable international and domestic attention, notes a new report from Amnesty international. However, they have taken place… Read more »
New corruption scandal a further blow to Brazil’s democracy
Brazilian President Michel Temer is once again under fire, this time amid reports that prosecutors have obtained recordings of him discussing hush money payments with a jailed associate. The obstruction… Read more »
Inside Russia’s social media wars
Marrying a hundred years of expertise in influence operations to the new world of social media, Russia may finally have gained the ability it long sought but never fully achieved… Read more »
Fates of Balkan and Western democracy ‘inseparable’
An assault on democratic norms in the Balkans should be treated with the same urgency as such a crisis would precipitate within the core of the EU, says Dr Jasmin… Read more »
Post 9/11 wars not about promoting democracy, says Condoleezza Rice
Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Thursday that U.S.-led interventions in the Middle East and Central Asia were not about spreading democracy, but about addressing regional security issues, Newsweek… Read more »