By Olivia Magnanini BOLOGNA, Italy — According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) global data, in 2017, 18 journalists were murdered (motive confirmed) and another 262 were imprisoned. The imprisonment numbers are representative of a disturbing upward trend since 2000, with 2017 being the year with the highest number ever recorded for CPJ. The…
Continue reading ➞ Acts against the press are an assault on our constitutional principles
By John Poor and Sarahann Yeh Political pundits worldwide are mulling over the future of South American constitutional democracy. Years of corruption, nepotism and economic discrimination have led to unprecedented grassroots movements around the region, which, in some cases, have heralded expanded political and socioeconomic inclusion. In others, they have stirred populist tides to sweep…
By Mariah Franklin BOLOGNA, Italy — Since Britain’s vote to leave the European Union in June 2016, its political situation has been highly fraught. Prime Minister Theresa May’s tenure in office has been consumed by Brexit, and the results of the 2017 snap elections left May in a considerably weakened position when Conservatives were forced…
Continue reading ➞ Faltering Brexit negotiations trouble Theresa May’s future
By Rebecca Rashid WASHINGTON — On Friday, October 19, The SAIS Observer spoke with MSNBC host Chris Hayes, to get an insider opinion on the hysteria surrounding modern media. At a time when news outlets cover everything from the mysterious death of a Saudi journalist to Kanye West’s White House visit, cable news hosts are…
Continue reading ➞ MSNBC’s Chris Hayes on modern media and millennials
By Zhou Jie NANJING, China — On the second day of celebrations for the National Day, a peculiar crowd congregated at the corner of Xuanwumen along Nanjing’s city wall. Middle-aged residents weaved through mazes of hanging pieces of paper, some dangling on strings tied along fences and others fixed onto umbrellas. “Male, age 30,” one…
By Danielle Minnett BOLOGNA, Italy — President Trump’s economic war on China has escalated once again. This time, however, the U.S. has moved beyond just applying new tariffs to update the NAFTA agreement. The rebranded United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) currently awaits leaders’ signatures and legislative approval in each country. While the agreement provides small wins…
Source: greenamerica.org By Ritika Sood WASHINGTON — In a three-day summit on science, spirituality, and the environment on Oct 1, 2018, in Rajasthan, India, prominent anti-GMO (genetically modified organism) activist Vandana Shiva declared that “chemical farming” — the use of GMO technology to increase crop yields — was to blame for climate change. 1,000 kilometers…
From left to right: Samanta Sharmin Laskar (Bangladesh), Paula Álvarez-Couceiro (Spain), Sol Ahn (South Korea), Andreea Grigorescu (Romania), Khun Nyan Min (Myanmar), Guillermo García Montenegro (Venezuela), Dougal Robinson (Australia), Chris Van Eden (Netherlands) By Rebecca Rashid WASHINGTON — In one of the most polarized times in the nation’s history, the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice…
By Danielle Minnett BOLOGNA, Italy — On September 30, just before midnight, the U.S. and Canada struck a deal to include Canada on a revised North American trade deal called the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). With the 14-month negotiation period concluded, leaders of the three countries must now sign the agreement and seek approval from…
By Chris Morgan WASHINGTON — When any speaker makes a stop at SAIS’ Kenney Auditorium, it’s safe to assume that U.S. foreign policy will feature high on the agenda. Such was the case when the Independent senator from Vermont and former (perhaps future) presidential candidate Bernie Sanders delivered a well-attended speech to students and faculty…
Continue reading ➞ Does Bernie Sanders have a foreign policy?