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Why Russia needs a defamation law... a proper one.
Many democratically-minded Russians have seized upon the recent re-criminalisation of defamation as an further example of Russia’s regression during Putin’s third term. They miss the point, argues...
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Snap goes the Crocodile
Marina Akhmedova spent four days in the company of drug users in Yekaterinburg, central Russia, and was met with a picture of hopelessness and despair, punctured by love, dreams and misplaced hope....
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Debating “the commons” in post-socialist Bulgaria
The absence of solidarity with other causes and the persistence of neoliberalism in Bulgarian protests against the Forestry Act underline the need to adapt our understanding of "the commons" to new...
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The eurozone crisis and the Marshall Plan metaphor
Until the summer of 2012 I cannot find any use of the Marshall Plan as an analogy for understanding and resolving the eurozone sovereign debt crisis. The Marshall Plan had at its centre a massive...
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Turkey’s Kurds: in need of more voices
The military approach, sole government policy since the 1980s, has failed. Hawkish voices are no longer able to dominate discussion and portray the Kurdish question solely as a security issue. Can a...
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Why local power and self-interest can be good for transparency
Think of your local Indian, South African, Mexican or Russian investor looking for guaranteed profits; pool them all together and you could have community of millions to leverage for demanding...
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Libya and Islamism: the deeper story
The interpretation of Libya's elections of July 2012 as a victory for secularism is misleading. A more nuanced reading of the vote must accommodate the reality and potential of Islamism, says Alison...
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Senegalese youth: taking a stand
The recent elections in Senegal signalled the emergence of a youth consciousness in the country. Young Senegalese people have sent a strong message to the ruling elite that the times have changed, and...
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The long war gets longer: the campaign of violent dissident republicans
Northern Ireland is held up as an exemplary case study of building sustainable peace. Recent violent activity from dissident republicans poses real threats, but isn't likely to establish a 32 county...
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The unmaking of Syria
The Saudi regime and Washington are fundamentally working at cross-purposes, for the Saudis’ nemesis is al-Qaeda-like groups, not the Muslim Brotherhood, which will most likely be the beneficiary of...
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In the new NHS, what the private sector wants, it gets
Monitor, the lead regulator, is already easing the ‘regulatory burden’ borne by private companies enjoying the new market for healthcare in England. When pushing its Health and Social Care Bill...
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BBC Olympics coverage: what are your thoughts?
The BBC's coverage of the Olympic Games has been met with mixed reviews, from effusive praise of Clare Balding to accusations of a sense of forced jingoism. How do you feel about it? The BBC prides...
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The future of sex. Samuel R. Delany on working all that stuff out for yourself
In the worlds Samuel R. Delany describes and creates, a sense of community is to be found chiefly in marginalized social spaces – here people are supportive of each other, free from sexual judgment or...
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This is our country, and Jesus is from here
Examine the contributions of members of different religions and sects in achieving independence from the Ottoman Empire or the French mandate. Don’t use minorities to inflame feelings of insecurity in...
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Challenging the populist right - European precedents
The European left should be the most committed and consistent advocate of democracy, human rights and the rule of law in order to prevent discrimination. But further than that, it should espouse a...
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ourBeeb podcast 1: Claire Enders, Britain's leading media analyst
The first audio highlights of an ourBeeb discussion about the challenges and opportunities facing the BBC, featuring the CEO of Enders Analysis. ourBeeb recently held a group discussion with Claire...
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Will the success of Team GB's women prove to be a game changer?
One of the most positive outcomes of Team GB’s success has been the prominence of Women Athletes winning medals. Author of a new book on the Olympics Mark Perryman considers the likely long-term...
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Towards a good enough Legacy: the long term impact of London 2012
As London 2012 draws to a close the questions of Legacy and how to measure the Games' impact emerge as present tense issues. In this week's Friday essay Phil Cohen challenges the starting point of...
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The audit of a political campaign versus Marine Le Pen: Jean-Luc Melenchon in...
After a strong showing in the 2012 French Presidential election, Jean-Luc Melenchon took on Marine Le Pen in Henin-Beaumont, a former mining community near the northern town of Lille, in the French...
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Stop sanctions against Iranian students in the Netherlands
Iranian students in ‘sensitive’ studies should not be seen as posing a threat. They are usually not secretive nuclear scientists, but scientists, artists, architects, economists. These students,...
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