In The News

Mali: Refugee Flows and Increased Hunger Point to Need for Mali Federation

Rene Wadlow July 1, 2012
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees drew attention to the increased number of refugees and internally-displaced people in Mali – a crisis deteriorating a society and economy already in disarray. Analysts point to political conflict as a root cause. The UNHCR is experienced in assisting refugees, but has not addressed the underlying political issues. Two rival Tuareg groups, the Mouvement...

After the Arab Spring – Part I

Gustav Ranis September 21, 2011
The Palestinian-Israeli pressure cooker of complex mix of interests and injustices has long threatened to explode – an issue ready-made for extremists of all stripes to needle leaders in Israel, the Palestine Authority or the United States. Since the Arab Spring swept old regimes from power, notably in Egypt, Muslims everywhere are emboldened to demand democratic institutions and full...

People on the Move – Part I

Joseph Chamie June 14, 2011
Waves of desperate migrants cross the Mediterranean, fleeing the repression, poverty and war gripping North Africa. Immense inequalities in living standards between the two zones draw migrants to Europe: Global media display stark contrasts between wealthy and poor, and internet sites lay out itineraries for affordable transport, shelter and job contacts. In the first article of a two-part series...

China to Block UN Report on North Korean Nuclear Capability

February 21, 2011
A Chinese expert was part of a team that prepared a report for the UN Security Council on North Korea violating sanctions, according to a Reuters article, yet China plans to block the report. The team expressed concerns that the impoverished nation may transfer technology – obtained illegally from Pakistan – to other secretive regimes. “North Korea almost certainly has several more undisclosed...

Iranian Exiles Struggle to Stay Involved

Neil MacFarquhar July 30, 2010
The reelection of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in June 2009 sparked some of the worst social unrest in Iran since the1979 Islamic Revolution. Using popular networking websites such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, protesters mobilized quickly on streets and university campuses. Swift government repression ensued causing some protesters to seek refuge abroad. Away from home, using internet...

For Somalis Caught Between Islamists and Weak Government, Fleeing is Only Option

Sudarsan Raghavan April 21, 2010
Al-Shabab, the Islamist group that controls increasingly large swathes of Somalia, has instituted a repressive and violent regime that is forcing Somalis to flee to neighboring countries. Al-Shabab has gained strength despite an Ethiopian invasion, supported by the Americans, in 2006 designed to remove Islamists from power. Now, however, the internationally-supported government is paralyzingly...

A Modern Tale of Meatpacking and Immigrants

Kate Linthicum February 2, 2010
For many years, Grand Island in Nebraska has hosted many immigrants passing through in search of work. But migration has come in distinctive waves: refugees from the Vietnam War in the 1970s, refugees from Eastern Europe in the 1990s, Mexican and Latino immigrants in the last couple of decades, and now a new wave of African refugees, including Somalis and Sudanese. Many of the new immigrants are...