The Concept of Sustainable Development
Sustainable Development is a concept that at its core is revolutionary, yet difficult to pragmatically define. The history behind sustainable development is one that does not stretch far. Tensions that can be found within this idea are numerous, ranging from its ambiguous and vague definition, to the failure of attaining a universal pragmatic and operational framework.
Turkey in the Unpredictable Middle East
Mastery of style and charismatic personalities are constants of Turkey’s celebrated leaders and incumbent Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is no exception. But what counts for an effective foreign policy is not noise but outcomes. With the right ingredients, Turkey will be in an enviable position to fully utilise its strategic geography, NATO membership and web of relations to advance Turkish interests in the region.
The Role of Intelligence in the 2003 Invasion of Iraq
This essay examines the events leading up to the Iraq War in 2003, including the evidence from the intelligence community which was presented to the international community as justification to begin military action in Iraq, as well as numerous documents and publications during the Iraq War which highlight the importance of intelligence, particularly in shaping the decision to go to war.
To What Extent Do We ‘Occupy a World of Our Own Making’?
This essay will critically assess the normative and empirical elements of society, primarily on the international level, which lend themselves to the constructivist brand of theory, focusing largely on the impact of the socio-historical and socio-cultural on state behaviour. It will also address the importance placed on power by Realists and others holding the classical world view.
Examining the 1956 Suez Crisis
The 1956 Suez War marked a new chapter in the development of Middle Eastern politics.The emergence of Nasserism in the Middle East after the Suez crisis sustains the idea that Egypt was the sole winner of Suez. The Suez War managed to bring into question the significant role of the Middle East in world politics, particularly in the Cold War context.
How has globalisation changed the international system?
Globalisation has become a major topic in the study of International Relations. Almost all aspects of the modern day society have been influenced by it in some way. Problems do not arise isolated any more and thus the solutions for these now have to be found in collective action rather than individual responses.
Collective Memory: the Holocaust and the genocide in Rwanda
Collective memory depends on the existence and upholding of hegemonic discourses that in these contexts create conditions of victimisation. Pictures often simplify events and narratives to the extent that we might misinterpret them. It has been argued that Holocaust pictures have, at least in the West, served as a template for images of other genocides.
Politicizing Famine Relief in the Horn of Africa Will Cost Lives
Humanitarian assistance is supposed to be provided impartially, on the basis of need and without concern for the politics of who is right. Civilians should not be punished for the sake of making political points or achieving a military victory. What is needed now is a singular focus in getting the access and supplies needed to prevent mass starvation. Politics can wait.
Popular Representations of Female Terrorists
Female terrorists are viewed using one frame and so terrorist acts are not analysed honestly. Despite the fact that these narratives are supportive of patriarchy and gender subordination, perhaps the most important issue with the way female terrorists are represented is that it presents an unfinished picture of terrorism and international politics.
Debunking a Phenomenon: the “Arab Spring” Misconception
The so called “Arab Spring” has been a popular notion in American media. US academics, journalists and politicians speak of the most recent Middle Eastern revolutionary movements as a single and similar wave of reform that they deem as one that could be defined along racial lines. Not only is this approach methodically flawed, but it also overrides a sense of remarkable national pride for individual nations.
