Tuesday, April 23, 2024
Tunisia Votes: Observations from the field (Video)
Between October 21 and 30, 2014, Joyce Kasee and Hamid Khan were short-term elections observers with the Carter Center’s Elections Observations Mission in Tunisia. The Carter Center works globally to advance democratic elections and governance consistent with universal human rights.
Afghans Express Cautious Optimism: Survey Shows Governing is Key
The results of the 10th annual Asia Foundation survey of the Afghan people provides some indication that a government that seeks to govern with greater inclusivity, respect for the rule of law and attention to justice might also help strip the insurgency of any remaining legitimacy and strengthen the government’s negotiating hand as international troops withdraw. This will be the major challenge of Afghanistan’s new, reform-oriented government.
Afghanistan: Struggling for Momentum in London
It was yet another big international meeting on Afghanistan, one of a dozen or so high-profile diplomatic extravaganzas at the ministerial or head-of-state level since January 2002. But the meticulous efforts to plan these meetings, which are set months if not years in advance, are sometimes mocked by the capricious unfolding of events.
Still No Cabinet in Kabul: Who Loses Most?
A slew of news reports coming out of Afghanistan in the past week have picked up two dominant themes: Afghans are frustrated that the new government has still not selected a cabinet, and they now attribute the ongoing economic and security crisis to the fact that no ministers have been appointed to oversee these important ministries.
Strengthening Special Envoys to Address Major Conflicts
Assigning special envoys and special representatives helps in tackling major foreign policy issues, and the approach will almost certainly continue to be used as conflicts span borders and threats proliferate. That means identifying the correct envoy for any particular conflict is essential, according to a panel of experts who made recommendations for more effectively applying this foreign policy tool during a discussion at USIP.
Afghanistan: Taliban in Transition?
During the year of “transition” in Afghanistan in 2014, attention was focused on whether or not the government would survive. The greatest threat was not Taliban violence but a possible breakdown of the elite consensus during the election and a return to civil war. The transition, however, has also forced the Taliban to react to new facts on the ground.
Countering Extremist Violence: Local Activists Are Already Doing the Job
Fatima Kadhim al-Bahadly, an activist for women in southern Iraq, remembers the swell of chaos across her country last June. The extremist militant group calling itself “the Islamic State” had captured Mosul in the north, and the country’s most powerful cleric, Ayatollah Ali Sistani, had issued a call for citizens to take up arms against the insurgents. Suddenly, her city of Basra was awash in weapons. Young men left universities to join armed groups.
New Support From U.S. As Colombia Peace Talks Resume
As the Colombian government and the FARC guerrilla group resume their next round of peace talks in Havana today, they received a strong boost of support with the recent designation of Bernie Aronson as U.S. Special Envoy to the Colombian Peace Process. He already has plans to meet with the parties in Havana during this round, which will end on March 7.
Muslims Condemning Violent Extremism? Count the Ways.
At the recent White House Summit on Countering Violent Extremism, President Barack Obama urged Muslim leaders to oppose the ideologies of groups like the so-called Islamic State. The same week, Saudi Arabia’s top cleric Sheikh Abdul Aziz al Asheikh declared that “the misuse of the religion by extremists is greatly damaging the image of Islam.”
To Counter Boko Haram, Nigeria Pastor Urges, Step Into 'Dark Arenas'
Nigeria’s next government needs to have the political will to act decisively against the Boko Haram extremist group, said Pastor Esther Abimiku Ibanga ahead of the country’s March 28 presidential election. Ibanga, a civil society leader from northern Nigeria’s Plateau state, was recently awarded the prestigious Niwano Peace Prize, which honors significant contributions to inter-religious cooperation, for her efforts to promote women’s empowerment and peace.