China vs. the British Commonwealth
A current situation within the Commonwealth can be summed up in four words, "the Chinese have arrived," to which the critic can add four more words, "the British have departed."
An existential threat to humanity: Democracy’s decline
Increased outsourcing of production has contributed to hypernationalism, which in turn is fueling the rise of anti-democratic leaders who exploit people’s desperation.
Some see this years vote as "pointless" because even those who want to distance themselves from the establishment still have to play by Beijing's rules.
Biden’s democracy summit is a South Asian diplomatic flub
As in many parts of the world, including in South Asia, the Biden's Summit for Democracy summit is likely to do more harm than good
Biden’s democracy summit: Just talk or can it effect change?
Biden's summit comes at a challenging time for democracy. The global monitoring organization Freedom House called this year’s report on the state of global freedom “Democracy Under Siege.”
Biden's democracy summit: Problematic invite list casts shadow on impact
Rights advocates are questioning whether the virtual Democracy summit can push world leaders who are invited, some accused of harboring authoritarian tendencies, to take meaningful action.
Illiberalism appeals, even in democratic societies
A growing number of people are alarmed by changes they see in their own country and fear that a tipping point has been reached where some are ready to abandon democracy.
Cambodia's hopes for democracy crushed 30 years after landmark peace deal
The West paved the way for the country's first democratic election — now Hun Sen wins every seat in parliament, and arrests opposition members and rights campaigners.
Has nation-building in Afghanistan failed?
Experts say history has shown that Afghanistan's traditional tribal groups tend to reject central government rule, which was the case during the British, Soviet and U.S. interventions.
The fight for open societies begins again
Freedom House reports that less than 20% of the world’s population now live in what it categorizes as fully free societies, the lowest share in more than a quarter century.
While populism is hardly new, the internet — especially social media — has enabled misinformation and reckless promises to be disseminated more efficiently than ever before.
COVID-19 hits the biggest democracies the hardest. But why?
The pandemic is thought to be further entrenching economic and social inequalities.
