Foreign Policy Blogs

Human Rights

Turkey and the EU: Sleeping with the Enemy

Turkey and the EU: Sleeping with the Enemy

Ankara has manifested a habit of eagerly seeking concessions and funding from the EU, but being notably less keen on keeping its own side of the bargains.

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Why are we Ignoring a Genocide?

Why are we Ignoring a Genocide?

Despite the EU and the US confirming this fact, the Canadian government has resisted calling the atrocities taking place in Syria and Iraq a genocide.

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Why Genocide Prevention is the Most Important Issue of our Times

Why Genocide Prevention is the Most Important Issue of our Times

Recently, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry acknowledged that a genocide is occurring. We all knew about it for a long time.

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Lesvos Online: Social Media, Refugees, and Foreign Policy at the Individual Level

Lesvos Online: Social Media, Refugees, and Foreign Policy at the Individual Level

The refugee crisis in Europe stems from competing state and non-state actors in Syria and uneven responses by state and supra-state actors in Europe. But one of the most interesting—and useful—responses to the crisis have been at the individual level.

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China Attempts to Save Face at UN Human Rights Council

China Attempts to Save Face at UN Human Rights Council

China tried to save face last week, by lashing out at those critical of its human rights record during a meeting of the UN Human Rights Council.

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International Humanitarian Law and Counterterrorism: Turkey and the PKK

International Humanitarian Law and Counterterrorism: Turkey and the PKK

The indiscriminate killing of civilians in order to fight terrorism is unlawful. Moreover, the state’s brutal response has actually led to an increase in the number of terrorist attacks.

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Slavery and Forced Labor in Brazil

Slavery and Forced Labor in Brazil

Brazil is estimated to have around 155,000 people being exploited in slave-like conditions.

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The Value of Having a Heated Discussion on Refugees and Genocide

The Value of Having a Heated Discussion on Refugees and Genocide

Many leaders who are currently in power were decision makers during the time the events of the Rwandan genocide unfolded. Despite peacekeepers showing evidence of what was occurring and Western leaders having full knowledge of the genocide, next to nothing was done to stop the violence.

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Greek Islanders To Be Nominated For Nobel Peace Prize

Greek Islanders To Be Nominated For Nobel Peace Prize

On remote Greek islands, grandmothers have sung terrified little babies to sleep, while teachers, pensioners and students have spent months offering food, shelter, clothing and comfort to refugees who have risked their lives to flee war and terror.

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The Legality of Refusing to Assist Oppressed Groups

The Legality of Refusing to Assist Oppressed Groups

With atrocities taking place in Iraq and Syria, the international community must stop the oppression against certain groups. Indeed, the lesson of Rwanda has been almost entirely ignored in 2015.

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Where are the Syrian Christian Refugees?

Where are the Syrian Christian Refugees?

Are Syrian refugees a threat to U.S. national security? In the wake of the San Bernardino shootings, most Americans are on edge and many are reluctant to let in any more Muslims, especially Syrian refugees.

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Refugees Are The Wrong Target for U.S. Politicians

Refugees Are The Wrong Target for U.S. Politicians

In the wake of the Paris attacks, American politicians of all stripes are rushing to burnish their security credentials. In their proposals they are undermining the one measure that might exhibit America’s basic motives in Syria, while adding nothing to U.S. security

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How We Used to Identify Refugees

How We Used to Identify Refugees

With the mass migration of refugees to Europe, the monitoring and identifying of claimants has been overwhelmed or simply ignored. With the latest attacks in Paris, there has to be accountability by governments to monitor who they allow into their countries.

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Algeria’s Role in Europe’s Migrant Crisis

Algeria’s Role in Europe’s Migrant Crisis

NATO’s cooperation with Algeria offers potential in combating international human trafficking networks. Reviving the ‘regional NATO’ plan for a joint military organization of Saharan states would allow governments to better disrupt the routes used to transport many migrants to the Mediterranean coast.

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Remember Rwanda when Discussing Syria and Iraq

Remember Rwanda when Discussing Syria and Iraq

Rwanda will always be remembered as a genocide that came from the failure of the international community to act.

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