In The News

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...

Anonymous and the Global Correction

February 28, 2011
New communication technologies arm young activists with the tools to disrupt powerful, traditional institutions that simultaneously depend on the internet and apply excessive controls. Since 2005, a loose band of activists known as Anonymous have opposed censorship or a restricted internet, their plans and goals emerging amid fast, furious chatter of message boards. What began as sport in Japan...

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...

Irish Pubs Close in Droves

Conor O’Clery February 4, 2011
Replicas of traditional Irish pubs are thriving around the world, but tourists could soon have trouble finding the real thing in Ireland. The original pubs, some centuries old, are putting out the last call and closing doors, as they confront a declining customer base. The culprits: rising unemployment, tied to the global recession, and declining disposable income for Irish citizens, whose taxes...

Anger Divides America Blocking New Thinking

Lewis M. Simons January 31, 2011
In a vibrant democracy, citizens press fervently for many causes, and US presidents must frequently remind their nation, as Abraham Lincoln once did before he became president and before the Civil War, that "A house divided against itself cannot stand." As during the Civil War, today’s anger spilling out in the United States focuses inward, seeking to lay blame for the nation’s decline...