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The Prodigal Son Returns

I’ve missed you even if you did not know that you missed me. From 2007 to 2014 I was at various times the: Blogger/Senior Blogger/Senior Editor for African Affairs here at FPA. Well, I’m back! I’ll mostly be focusing on South Africa, because politics and society in South Africa in the next few months will […]

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Ukraine and Turkey: when politicization starts at school

Ukraine and Turkey: when politicization starts at school

This fall, two of the EU’s biggest neighbors decided to celebrate the new school year with a slew of retrograde education policies. Ukraine sparked off a minor diplomatic crisis on Europe’s eastern frontier after Kiev unveiled politically charged plans to prevent minority-language students from learning in their native tongues. Earlier, Turkey drew strong international condemnation […]

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Why a ‘No’ Win at Referendum is the Best Option for Erdogan

Why a ‘No’ Win at Referendum is the Best Option for Erdogan

Few analysts have looked at the effects on Erdogan’s future – and that of the Turkish state – if the final votes tip the polls towards the ‘No’ option.

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Gambia Seeks to Clean Up the Past, Look to Future

Gambia Seeks to Clean Up the Past, Look to Future

After emerging from a harsh dictatorship, now comes the gargantuan task of reconciling Gambia’s past horrors, and laying the groundwork for future prosperity.

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BURDEN OF PEACE: A Candid Discussion with Filmmaker Joey Boink

BURDEN OF PEACE: A Candid Discussion with Filmmaker Joey Boink

Paul Nash of the Foreign Policy Association spoke with director Joey Boink about “Burden of Peace,” the challenges of he faced while filming in one of the world’s more dangerous countries, and human rights in Guatemala.

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GailForce: Cypberspace Symposium Part II

GailForce:  Cypberspace Symposium Part II

Last week was pretty interesting for cyber policy issues.

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Next Week’s Headlines

Next Week’s Headlines

While news about the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and the Greek debt floods the airwaves, other hotspots simmer just out of view.

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GailForce: Cyberspace Symposium Part I

GailForce:  Cyberspace Symposium Part I

The theme of this year’s event was: Protecting Cyberspace: Policy, Partnerships, and Practical Solutions. The event was well organized, informative and thought provoking.

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The Eroding Authority of Government?

The Eroding Authority of Government?

How does the “the eroding authority of government” impact American foreign policy making?

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The Weight of History on the Arrested Development of Kazakhstan’s Nuclear Potential

The Weight of History on the Arrested Development of Kazakhstan’s Nuclear Potential

Kazakhstan’s tragic history of nuclear catastrophe still bears heavily on the national consciousness in the midst of new talks with Toshiba.

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Nigerian Security in the Era of Cheap Oil, #Hashtags and Terror

Nigerian Security in the Era of Cheap Oil, #Hashtags and Terror

If the crisis worsens, Nigerian army capabilities will surely fall short without outside help.

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Trade And Strategic Logic

Trade And Strategic Logic

America’s true strategic logic of trade is to promote development for every possible people and place. In practice, though, the first two of Froman’s three themes compromise that of broad-based development.

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Syrian couple under Islamic State rule aspires to flee to Turkey

Syrian couple under Islamic State rule aspires to flee to Turkey

A Syrian human rights group reported on the struggles faced by a young couple living under Islamic State rule in Raqqa. The two of them are thinking of getting married and fleeing to Turkey.

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Torture as a False Moral Dilemma

Torture as a False Moral Dilemma

Many people — ordinary citizens and high-ranking government officials alike — tacitly view the torture issue as a moral dilemma. They acknowledge that the practice is morally repugnant, but they also assume that it is a fast and effective method for securing vital information that cannot otherwise be obtained.

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Review: Speechwriting for Leaders

Review: Speechwriting for Leaders

On a chilly November evening in 2011, Poland’s foreign minister, Radoslaw Sikorski, stood before the German Society of Foreign Affairs in Berlin and delivered one of the best speeches of his career.

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