Issue

Governance

The balance of power between strong states was for decades the dominant issue in discussions of international security. But today, it is fragile states that are seen by many as posing potentially greater threats. Weak infrastructures, internal conflict, and lack of economic development provide fertile ground for trafficking, piracy, terrorism, nuclear proliferation, disease pandemics, regional tensions, and even genocide.

As a result, there is a growing movement in the international community to find comprehensive ways to promote stronger states, as well as more effective solutions to deal with those that are already on the brink of failure.

In Governance, you'll find reporting from around the world—from East Timor to Haiti, from Guinea Bissau to Afghanistan. The reporting demonstrates the dangers weak states pose—and also the international interventions that appear to be making a difference.

 

Governance

Natasha Alford Interviewed on Racial Representation in Puerto Rico

Natasha S. Alford joins LatinoUSA to take us through her reporting of Afro-Puerto Ricans and the census. She explains what factors have led to the undercount of the island’s black residents, how incorrect data could affect Afro-Puerto Rican communities, and how activists are battling to change that.

Six Years After Ferguson, Barriers to Voting Persist

The shooting of Michael Brown in late summer of 2014 started a national conversation about police racism and brutality; and in St. Louis, it started a renaissance of the city’s history of organizing, activism, and engagement in politics. Despite the progress, harsh voter ID laws and socioeconomic and cultural obstacles limit numbers at the polls.

Syria: The Next Chapter

The Syrian war: We see the headlines, but know far less about the people caught in the conflict's crosshairs. What comes next for them, and how will that impact the future of the country and the wider Middle East?

Mainstreaming Pakistan's Tribal Areas

Even as they grapple with US drones, the Pakistani military, and al-Qaeda and Taliban jihadis, the seven million residents of FATA are struggling to bring the rule of law to their land.

South Sudan in Crisis

South Sudan is the world’s newest nation but ethnic violence, economic collapse and famine are spiralling. Millions of lives, and the future of the country, are at stake.

Russia's Real Foreign Policy

What does Russia really want and how does it get it? A look at Russian foreign policy—from agenda to implementation—in Europe and the Middle East.

Nigeria's Unfolding Crisis

Terrorized by Boko Haram for years, millions of people in northeastern Nigeria have fled to crowded camps and cities and are suffering from a deadly combination of severe malnutrition and infection.

Meet the Journalist: James Fenton

James Fenton discusses reporting on President Duterte's violent war on drugs in the Philippines. The number of casualties in a 7-month period reached 7,000 following the president's election.

Meet the Journalist: Emily Gogolak

Emily Gogolak, from the field in Tegucigalpa, discusses her reporting on violence against women in Honduras and the deportations of mothers and children from immigration detention centers in Texas.

Meet the Journalist: Ewen MacAskill

Ewen MacAskill visits Villa Grimaldi, a secret detention center in Chile, while uncovering the story of Roberto Kozak, a diplomat who helped save 30,000 prisoners after the 1973 military coup.

Meet the Journalist: Lauren Markham

Meet Lauren Markham, a journalist reporting from El Salvador for the Pulitzer Center and VQR Magazine about the mounting violence in the capital city and prospects of meaningful change.

Technology and Activism in Mexico

The following global affairs lesson plan for history, ELA, Spanish, and Humanities teachers investigates the use of technology in Mexico to combat corruption, and the impacts of that activism.

A Game Revealing Africa's Offshore Empires

This lesson guides students through the game "Continent of Secrets," which reveals what investigative journalists uncovered about the use of offshore companies by African businesses.

This Week: Pakistan and India are Becoming Nuclear Rivals

This week: Why Pakistan and India are equipping their submarines with nuclear-tipped missiles, what life is like for ethnic minority Vietnamese living in Cambodia, and how armed groups have filled a power vacuum in the Central African Republic.