Female Army ROTC Cadet applies camouflage

To Arms: Sexual Abusers after the Military and a Call for Action 

In-Depth Analysis By Alan Cunningham on June 27, 2024 | Reading time 7 min

It is a well-known fact of life that many of those accused or even convicted of sexual assault, harassment, or abuse within the U.S. Armed Forces can go about their daily lives without much change. Many are able to lead active and personally prosperous lives while their victims in some cases are jailed, forced out of the military, or take their own lives. One such individual is Michael D. Kepner II, an honorably retired Lieutenant Colonel of the United States Army. He is a sexual assaulter who has been able to engage in an active, financially and professionally profitable life outside of the military despite a conviction and sentencing.

Stepanakert City in the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan

Environmental Terrorism, Eco-Terrorism, and Water Management: The Case of Nagorno-Karabakh

In-Depth Analysis By Laura Pennisi on May 16, 2024 | Reading time 19 min

The world is experiencing an increase in terrorist attacks, including environmental terrorism. The presence of natural resources and infrastructures, especially water-related ones, in contested areas subjected to traditional forms of terrorism, requires further attention within terrorism-related research. The case of the Nagorno-Karabakh war is an interesting case with regard to the concept of environmental and eco-terrorism. In this respect, the implications of water issues after the 2020 war and the dangers involved for the future of the region are of particular interest.

2022 Pakistan Floods

Climate Change Justice: The Case of Pakistan Post-2022 Floods

Opinion By Fateh Najeeb Yasar and Abdullah Ismail on March 10, 2024 | Reading time 4 min

Pakistan was hit by devastating floods in 2022 inflicting massive losses and damages. This sparked a pressing demand for climate change justice as the country sought fair treatment in addressing the impact of climate change on its people and land emphasizing the historical responsibility of the Global North and the fair distribution of environmental challenges. Pakistan, contributing less than 1% to global emissions, becomes a tragic example of vulnerability, burdened by the consequences of emissions, not of its making.

Greg Abbott, Governor of Texas

Terrorists on the Border? The State of Texas’ Classification of Drug Cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and the Efficacy of Such a Policy

In-Depth Analysis By Alan Cunningham on October 29, 2023 | Reading time 14 min

The United States Southern border is among the most contentious issues for the U.S. government and society. It affects roughly 30 million American and Mexican citizens living on the border and increased sensitivity to the matter has only grown in the 21st century. In Texas, Governor Greg Abbott signed nearly 800 new pieces of legislation into law. One of them, known as Senate Bill 1900, is the most recently controversial and impactful in terms of border security, homeland security, and immigration policy in Texas.

Protester at the "Kill the Bill" march in London, 2022,

Is democracy failing us?

Brief Analysis By Martina Nitti on August 23, 2023 | Reading time 7 min

In recent years, especially after Covid-19, Europe has seen a rise in far-right attitudes and change in the internal political systems of single states. Some far-right parties have encountered more support from the citizens, some governments changed directions altogether. Can this phenomenon be considered a consequence of the health crisis and to what extent was this development already apparent before the pandemic?

Anti-racism activists during a March Against Racism in 2022

The impact of online Islamophobic discourse on offline anti-Muslim hate-crime

In-Depth Analysis By Muhammad Ali Sohail on August 3, 2023 | Reading time 13 min

Although online hate speech is deeply rooted in Islamophobic sentiments and exhibits distinct characteristics from offline forms of abuse or violence, substantial evidence supports the assertion that online hate speech serves as a catalyst for offline actions. Amidst the proliferation of Islamophobic discourse in online spaces, the dissemination of fake news and misinformation thrives within echo chambers, perpetuating a cycle of prejudice and intolerance.

Human Trafficking Protest, NYC

Save the Children? A Sound of Freedom, Operation Underground Railroad (OUR), and the White Savior Complex

In-Depth Analysis By Alan Cunningham on July 24, 2023 | Reading time 10 min

Sex trafficking is an incredibly serious issue within the larger context of human trafficking, that transcends international borders and involves perpetrators across “racial, ethnic, and gender demographics”. Of all human trafficking victims worldwide, some 27% are children and are used for forced or sexual labor. Child sex trafficking is a serious human rights issue and combatting it should be (and already is in many cases) a priority for all international organizations and nation-state governments. There is also no denying that this issue is often not placed at the forefront of mainstream Hollywood films. If they are, such as in “Taken” (2008), they are quite problematic. The recent release of Sound of Freedom has changed that.

Srebrenica Genocide Memorial

The Breakup of a State: The Balkan Model of the Holocaust

Brief Analysis By Gjorgji Hadji Vasilev on July 11, 2023 | Reading time 5 min

Only a few decades after World War II, the international community largely failed in its role as an intermediary in the war that followed the breakup of Yugoslavia. On the doorstep of the 21st century, new genocides took place in Europe with the ethnic cleansing in Srebrenica, Prijedor, Foca, Bratunac, Sarajevo, as well as all the occupied places and cities under siege in the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The terrible events in Srebrenica left a black shadow on European history. According to the International Committee of the Red Cross, 7.079 Bosnian Muslims were killed in Srebrenica between July 12 and 16, 1995, in what turned out to be the worst genocide in modern Balkan history.

Viktor Orbán in front of a banner saying "Peace and Security"

How Orbán Exploits Russia’s War in Ukraine for Domestic Political Gains

Brief Analysis By Gabriela Greilinger on July 5, 2023 | Reading time 5 min

Hungarian Prime Minister Orbán’s controversial stance on Russia’s war in Ukraine helps, primarily, himself. His anti-Ukrainian rhetoric as well as positioning himself as a “pro-Peace” force in Europe and protector of Hungarians bring him – duly needed – domestic plus points.

Top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi architect of the Saudi-Iran Saudi-Iran Truce

The Iran-Saudi Arabia Truce – A Guide For The Future Pakistani-Afghan Relationship

Opinion By Abdullah Ismail on June 22, 2023 | Reading time 3 min

The power dynamics in the Middle East are evolving and a Saudi Arabia-Iran truce gives a glimpse of the bolstering ties between the Gulf states and China. The Saudi Arabia-Iran deal brokered by China is a success for China, Iran, and Saudi Arabia and a win for the region as a whole. Could it work as a blueprint for Pakistan and Afghanistan?