The Growing Divide in Chinese-African Relations In December 2015, President Xi Jinping was declaring Zimbabwe to be China’s “all-weather friend.” Less than a year later, President Mugabe of Zimbabwe was accusing the Chinese of undermining his nation’s economy and “taking advantage” of Zimbabwe’s women. This seemingly rapid transition in relations might appear to be unexpected, […]
Category: World
The Emperor’s New Groove
Just weeks ago, China officially unveiled the J-20, its first stealth fighter, at Airshow China. The sleek jet was met both with derision from engineers who view it as little more than a knockoff of the American F-22 and F-35 and concern from policy experts who worry that the modern and inexpensive fighter may tip […]
America’s ADHD Nation
Image source: The Japan Times After a summer filled with doping scandals, barred athletes, and the Rio Olympics, Russian hackers exposed American gymnast Simone Biles in September for taking prohibited medication during the games. No scandal came of the revelation because the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) pre-approved Biles of her Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) medication. […]
South Africa: Demographics and the One-Party State
A voter shows her inked thumb after voting in South Africa’s municipal elections For the party that led South Africa out of Apartheid, a monopoly on the future of South Africa has long been assured — that is, until last August. Taking home only 53.9% of the vote in the municipal elections, the African National […]
The King of Kong
China has long struggled to contain separatist movements around its periphery. Until now, the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) focus has been on deterring activists and leaders in Tibet and the northwestern region of Xinjiang, while militarily dissuading Taiwan, where it has never held sway, from formalizing its independence. In Tibet and Xinjiang, the Party uses […]
The Cost of Conservation
How Conservation Endangers Indigenous Rights The term “climate refugee” is increasingly entering the mainstream as more people are displaced due to climate change. But what about those being pushed out of their homes by people who want to save the planet? Will there be a rise in what former U.C. Berkeley lecturer Mark Dowie […]
The Forgotten Migrants Of Central America
America’s Harsh Rhetoric On Immigration Policy Bleeds Across The Border By Adrian Hernandez-Morales The Northern Triangle, a region in Central America surrounding Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala, is perhaps one of the poorest and most violent places in the world. The predominance of gang rivalry, post-civil war instability, repressive political regimes and extreme poverty […]
Europe: At the Crossroads of Crisis
This article is the second of a three part series aiming to demistify the Syrian refugee crisis. Part one can be found here. As the largest democratic nation in close proximity to Syria, Turkey has been at the forefront of the international refugee crisis. Over the past five years, Turkey has accepted over 2.5 million […]
Medellín Rising: Interview with Governor Sergio Fajardo
This past March, UC Berkeley’s Center for Latin American Studies Department held a series of guest lectures by Sergio Fajardo, current Governor of Colombia’s Antioquia department and former Mayor of Medellín. A mathematician who studied at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Fajardo implemented transformative policies in Colombia’s 2nd most populous department and Medellín, its main urban center and former […]
Argentina: The Division of the Kirchneristas Portends the Return of the Right
After twelve long years of left-wing Kirchnerismo, the center-right political alliance Cambiemos (“Let’s Change”) finally took hold of the Casa Rosada, Argentina’s presidential residence. Only two months after losing the presidential elections against the center-right alliance on December 10th, Argentina’s former ruling Frente para la Victoria (“FpV”) bloc has already begun to crumble. With newly […]