How Important is Democratic Participation in Development?
Democratic participation must be considered the most significant feature of a ‘bottom up’ approach to development as it provides accountability, efficiency and stability.
Memory, Identity, and Extremism in the Ayodhya Dispute
Extremist elites amongst both Hindus and Muslims effectively mobilised the ordinary masses, aligning them to their own interests and harnessing narratives of collective identity.
Re-Examining US Intervention in Indonesia
While consensus is lacking on the US’ role in directly planning the coup, American military and monetary aid were instrumental in Sukarno’s downfall and the outbreak of civil war.
State Failure and the Agency vs. Structure Debate
The concept of state failure suffers from inherent over-simplification and is vulnerable to circular arguments that can be misleading to policy-makers targeting contemporary challenges.
South Asia’s Increasing Nuclear Capabilities
Though nuclear capabilities do not necessarily connote military agendas, the possession of nuclear ability naturally stirs concern. As such, India’s nuclear strategy has spawned regional unease.
Developmental States and Gender-Equity
The Developmental State is usually regarded as one of the most successful models for economic growth. But that model’s success is built upon gender inequalities that hinder progress for women.
The Future of Nuclear Power in South Korea after Fukushima
As South Korea is poised to become a leader in nuclear technology, the events of Fukushima question the wisdom of continuing the international expansion of its nuclear complex.
The Institutional Aspects of Russia-EU Relations
Russia has a special relationship with the EU, but since the end of the Cold War, both entities have struggled to find enough common ground for cooperation.
Aid Conditionality and Sexual Rights in the Third World
The current human rights framework, while tackling sexual rights, fails to take local contexts into account, thus increasing discrimination and limiting the impact of local activists.
The Rise of China’s Sovereign Wealth Funds
China’s utilization of SWFs serves to fulfill political objectives in spite of the international regulations which tend to inhibit the combination of political and economic goals.
