In The News

Elections Expand Voting Rights for Foreigners, Younger Citizens

Cho Chung-un June 15, 2006
South Korea seeks to make the most of democracy by granting foreigners and young Koreans the right to vote in larger numbers than ever before in the country’s local elections. Integration of foreigners is a major concern throughout the world, but South Korea is the first Asian country to grant voting rights to foreigners who have lived in the country for three or more years. The move could prove...

Islam and the West

June 8, 2006
Such a dichotomous opposition of terms as the “West” and “Islam” will inevitably be loaded with misunderstanding and contention. If words alone perpetuate misconceptions, then political, strategic and cultural relations between the two entities can be expected to be more complex. In discussing the current crises of understanding between countries like Iran and Iraq, and the US and Great Britain...

Latin America’s Left Turn

Jorge G. Castañeda June 7, 2006
Mexican-born political scientist Jorge G. Castañeda describes the resurgence of left-identified political leaders in Latin America as two-pronged. One form, most present in Chile, Uruguay and Brazil, has Marxist and Castroist roots, but has evolved to a practice based in social policy and internationalism within a market framework. The other – which Castañeda defines as “peculiarly Latin...

India's 'Idol' Recipe: Mix Small-Town Grit and Democracy

Somini Sengupta June 1, 2006
Like previous versions in the US and the UK, "India Idol" is a singing competition that has become a favorite part of popular culture. The show invites aspiring singers to display their life dreams and perform for a national television audience that then votes for its favorites. The Indian show has two distinct characteristics: Women do not win, and rural and isolated regions of the...

Chinese Influence in Brazil Worries US

Humphrey Hawksley May 24, 2006
The US has claimed the right to influence Latin America since the 1823 Monroe doctrine. Yet China diligently presents itself to the developing world, including Latin America, as a formidable model for ending poverty. Nations in South America like Brazil have taken notice, and the US can only fret about protecting the Americas as its turf. China continues to invest billions for infrastructure,...

This is Freedom, Say Courageous Women Risking All for Democracy

Declan Walsh May 24, 2006
As Afghanistan falls back into violence at the hands of the Taliban, a small number of courageous women risk their lives for the cause of democracy. Emerging from a history that has notoriously treated women’s views, education and personhood as beneath consideration, several female politicians – including one 18-year-old – have come to prominence in Afghanistan. Unfortunately, that prominence...

A Taliban Comeback?

Ahmed Rashid May 23, 2006
Almost five years after the US invaded Afghanistan in retaliation for 9/11, the Taliban appears on a comeback trail, sparking a renewal of ethnic and warlord-based conflict with an overlay of ambition from neighbors. In confronting a powerful Taliban resurgence in southern Afghanistan, the Pakistan-US alliance is also at odds. Complicated politics and unrest place Afghanistan’s moderate...