In The News

China Considers Relaxing One-Child Policy

Tania Branigan March 24, 2011
Human-rights advocates have long railed against China’s one-child policy – and exemptions have gradually been granted to a limited number of families, allowing them two children. Warned about population imbalances and young adults overwhelmed with caring for aging parents without sibling support, officials quietly ponder how to extend a two-child policy gradually for all Chinese. One out of six...

How a One Drink Changed Fortunes, Incited Protests

Farok J. Contractor March 9, 2011
Tea, native to Asia, reached Europe in 1606, after Dutch traders sent a bulk tea shipment; within a century, the caffeinated drink became a popular beverage. Globalization’s pace was slower then, but the resulting prosperity and pain were still immense, explains Farok J. Contractor, professor of management and global business. He traces the course of tea’s globalization over the centuries: High...

Women's Rights in Afghanistan Lose Steam

Tom A. Peter March 9, 2011
As the world observed International Women's Day, news of the the fate of women in Afghanistan is discouraging. Since the US overthrow of the Taliban in Afghanistan a decade ago, women in urban communities gained basic human rights, including education, voting and the ability to step out onto public streets. But cultural resistance to equality in Afghanistan remains strong, reports Tom A....

Europe Confronts Mediterranean Mayhem – Part II

Shada Islam March 2, 2011
In October, Angela Merkel pronounced that Germany’s multiculturalism has failed. Months later – amid massive protests against autocratic North African leaders whose policies long provided a bulwark for Europe – UK’s David Cameron and France’s Nicolas Sarkozy echoed her assessment. This YaleGlobal series suggests that Europe cannot bury its head in the sand, and instead must work with Muslim...

When Millennia-Old Mummies Threaten National Identity

James Cuno February 23, 2011
Centuries ago, traders and travelers bearing commodities and ideas forged a series of routes crossing Central Asia, connecting China with Rome. What became known as the Silk Road is the epitome of early and unprecedented globalization. Archaeological excavations in the oasis areas of the Tarim Basin, the far western reaches of modern China, uncovered mummified human remains from 3,500 years ago...

Bigger Abroad

February 23, 2011
A growing share of Hollywood’s profits come from overseas markets. Audiences in emerging economies of China, Russia and Brazil determine which films are global blockbusters, reports an article in the Economist. A falling dollar and increased construction of cinemas overseas contribute a growing global audience. Overall, action films starring foreign actors do better than comedies focused on...

Revolution 2.0: Democracy Promotion in the Age of Social Media

Mark Sedra February 18, 2011
New communication technologies from the printing press to Facebook and Twitter don’t cause revolutions alone, argues Mark Sedra in an essay for the Globe and Mail. But fast means for distributing criticism and making plans can spur activism, particularly in promoting democracy. Social networking has emerged as the Web communication “medium of choice in the developing world, with those who are...