In The News

Pity the Giants

Kesa Nimrahong September 30, 2004
Despite strong international sanctions against the illegal trade, ivory products still flourish in Thailand, where ivory carving is a traditional art. Thailand finds itself at the epicenter of an international black market, ushering in large shipments of African ivory each year. Materials are smuggled through a complicated trail that sometimes passes through ports as far flung as Saudi Arabia and...

Too Much Consensus

September 2, 2004
Deciphering world policy jargon is often a daunting task. Fortunately, Foreign Policy magazine clarifies a few key ideas in its "Field Guide to the Consensuses." After the 1990 Washington Consensus, John Williamson's expression of support for market theory, the world has witnessed the births of a few other "consensual" ideas. The Beijing Consensus, antithetical to its...

Certified Globalization

Tim Bartley August 26, 2004
In recent years, certification – private regulation of corporate labor and environmental practices – has developed through complex interactions with and reactions to governments, NGOs, and corporations. Indiana University sociologist Tim Bartley traces this history and outlines the controversy surrounding the adoption of these standards. While critics view certification as thinly veiled...

US Report, in Shift, Turns Focus to Greenhouse Gases

Andrew C. Revkin August 26, 2004
After rejecting the Kyoto Protocol on climate change in 2001 and questioning the scientific validity of reports issued by a UN climate panel, the Bush administration issued a report indicating that emissions of heat-trapping gases were the only likely explanation for global warming. The White House report to Congress is said to reflect "the best possible scientific information" on...

The Metrosexual Superpower

Parag Khanna August 16, 2004
Europe is a “metrosexual” superpower, writes Parag Khanna, a fellow in global governance at the Brookings Institution; just as modern metrosexual men mix traditional masculine traits such as strength with an eye for style, Europe wields influence around the globe through soft power and finesse. Instead of overt displays of military strength, Europe has racked up diplomatic success through doling...

Japan Elbows its Way into Far East: Not Only for Energy

August 12, 2004
As a country poor in natural resources, Japan has had to look elsewhere for its energy needs. Although most of Japan's oil imports presently come from the Middle East, instability in the region has prompted Japan to look to relatively oil-rich Russia as an alternative source. Through building good relationships with the local government, investing in the area, and fostering a positive...

Signs Across the Atlantic: 'Europeans for Kerry!'

Shada Islam August 12, 2004
With the US presidential elections nearing, Europe is carefully evaluating its tumultuous relationship with its transatlantic neighbor. Shada Islam, a Brussels-based journalist who specializes in EU foreign policy, says that differences between the two sides run almost as deep as the ocean that separates them. The relationship between the EU and the Bush administration has been plagued by...