Q & A Archive

Editor’s note: This article is part of an ongoing WPR series on a range of countries’ space priorities and programs. The European Space Agency (ESA) expects that its Schiaparelli module will land on Mars on Oct. 19 for a brief mission to study what causes dust storms on the planet. In an email interview, Thomas Hoerber, a professor at the ESSCA School of Management, discusses the ESA’s mission and its relationship to the European Union. WPR: What are the European Space Agency’s space capabilities and who are its major international partners, in terms of space diplomacy and commercial ties? Thomas […]

Earlier this month, hundreds of people marched in Asuncion, demanding the resignation of Paraguayan President Horacio Cartes and denouncing widespread government corruption. In an email interview, Mercedes Hoffay, a program manager at Global Americans and Christopher Sabatini, a lecturer of international and public policy at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs and the executive director of Global Americans, discuss Cartes’ leadership and politics in Paraguay. WPR: How successful has Cartes been at following through on his 2013 election promises, namely growing the economy and reducing crime? Mercedes Hoffay and Christopher Sabatini: Cartes’ follow-through on his campaign promises has […]

Editor’s note: This article is part of an ongoing WPR series on the status of women’s rights and gender equality in various countries around the globe. An economic downturn might unexpectedly be improving gender equality in Italy, though many key issues are still not being addressed. After several women were murdered earlier this month in Italy, the government has allocated $13 million for a plan to combat violence against women and an additional $14 million to fight human trafficking. In an email interview, Annalisa Rosselli, a professor at the University of Rome Tor Vergata, discusses women’s rights in Italy. [marketing]blockbuster[/marketing] […]

Last week, the International Monetary Fund agreed to a tentative deal with Egypt to loan it $12 billion over three years, in exchange for undertaking major economic reforms. The Arab world’s most populous country, Egypt has been cash-strapped and staggering from crisis to crisis in the five years since longtime President Hosni Mubarak was toppled in a popular uprising. President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi, who ousted Mohammed Morsi in a coup in the summer of 2013, came to power with the promise of righting the economy, but that hasn’t happened. Instead, el-Sisi has taken after his predecessors and pursued grandiose development projects, […]

Editor’s note: This article is part of an ongoing WPR series on the status of women’s rights and gender equality in various countries around the globe. On Saturday, more than 50,000 people took to the streets of Lima and eight other cities in Peru to protest violence against women and what they see as an indifferent judicial system. The demonstrations come after three high-profile cases in which activists believe male perpetrators were given lenient sentences by Peruvian courts. In an email interview, Jelke Boesten, a reader at King’s College London, discussed the fight for women’s rights in Peru. WPR: What […]

Editor’s note: This article is part of an ongoing WPR series on the legal status and socio-economic conditions of indigenous peoples in a range of countries. The recent arrest of an indigenous leader in Guatemala sparked outrage among the country’s indigenous communities, which claim the government is systematically discriminating against them. In an email interview, Jennifer N. Costanza, an independent scholar who focuses on indigenous rights and the politics of resource extraction in Latin America, discussed indigenous rights in Guatemala. WPR: What is the legal status of Guatemala’s indigenous peoples, what legal struggles have they fought in recent years, and […]

Editor’s note: This article is part of an ongoing WPR series on countries’ risk exposure, contribution and response to climate change. During the opening ceremony of the 2016 Olympic Games, Brazil showed a video that highlighted the risks the planet faces—higher temperatures, rising sea levels and melting ice sheets—because of climate change, winning the country praise from environmental advocates. In an email interview, Carlos Rittl, the executive secretary at the Climate Observatory in Sao Paulo, discussed Brazil’s climate change policy. WPR: What is Brazil’s risk exposure to climate change, what effects of climate change are already apparent, and what sorts […]

Editor’s note: This article is part of an ongoing WPR series on a range of countries’ space priorities and programs. The Russian state space corporation Roscosmos announced that it plans to reduce the number of cosmonauts at the International Space Station from three to two in a bid to improve efficiency and reduce costs. In an email interview, Asif Siddiqi, a professor at Fordham University, discussed Russia’s space program. WPR: What are Russia’s space capabilities, in terms of its space-industrial complex, and who are its major international partners, in terms of space diplomacy and commercial ties? Asif Siddiqi: The Russian […]

Editor’s note: This article is part of an ongoing WPR series on the legal status and socio-economic conditions of indigenous peoples in a range of countries. The Ecuadorean indigenous political party Pachakutik yesterday officially validated the results of its presidential primary, naming Lourdes Tiban as the party’s nominee for next year’s election. In an email interview, Manuela Picq, professor of international relations at Universidad San Francisco de Quito (USFQ) in Ecuador, and currently a Loewenstein Fellow in the department of political science at Amherst College, discusses the legal, political and socio-economic status of Ecuador’s indigenous peoples. WPR: What is the […]

Throughout the month of July, a series of violent clashes in Kashmir between protesters and Indian security forces left more than 50 Kashmiris dead and more than 5,000 injured. In an email interview, Anit Mukherjee, an assistant professor in the South Asia Programme at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), NTU, Singapore, discusses the Indian military’s domestic security role and civil-military relations. WPR: What role does the Indian military play in domestic security, including the Kashmir conflict and the Naxalite insurgency? Anit Mukherjee: The Indian military has historically played an important role in countering domestic insurgencies and separatist […]

Editor’s note: This article is part of an ongoing WPR series on countries’ risk exposure, contribution and response to climate change. South African Airways made history in mid-July, when it conducted Africa’s first biofuel-powered commercial flights, between Johannesburg and Cape Town. In an email interview, Robert Looney, distinguished professor in the department of national security affairs at the Naval Postgraduate School, discusses South Africa’s exposure and response to climate change. WPR: What is South Africa’s risk exposure to climate change, what effects of climate change are already apparent, and what sorts of adaptation approaches will it have to adopt or […]

In late July, Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto visited Argentina, where he and Argentine President Mauricio Macri agreed to expand an existing trade agreement and seek a more comprehensive one moving forward. In an email interview, Sean Goforth, director of research for Nearshore Americas, discusses Mexico-Argentina political and economic relations. WPR: What was the nature and extent of Mexico-Argentina political and economic ties under former Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, and how are bilateral ties likely to change under President Mauricio Macri? Sean Goforth: At odds! Mexico’s foreign relations have been oriented around integration into the North American economy. […]

Last week, the United States significantly expanded airstrikes in Libya against the self-proclaimed Islamic State, upping its military involvement in a country mired in civil war since a NATO-led intervention helped topple dictator Moammar Gadhafi in 2011. Libya’s United Nations-backed government in Tripoli, known as the Government of National Accord, or GNA, requested the airstrikes. They have centered on the coastal city of Sirte, where Libyan forces aligned with the unity government have been engaged in fierce street battles with the Islamic State. The strikes have reportedly come from jets launched from a U.S. amphibious assault ship in the Mediterranean […]

Editor’s note: This is the first article in an ongoing WPR series on the legal status and socio-economic conditions of indigenous peoples in a range of countries. Bolivian President Evo Morales entered office in part thanks to Bolivia’s politically organized and potent indigenous movement. In an email interview, Linda Farthing, a writer and editor specializing in Bolivia and Latin America whose latest book is “Evo’s Bolivia: Continuity and Change,” discusses the legal status and socio-economic conditions of Bolivia’s indigenous communities. WPR: What is the legal status of Bolivia’s indigenous peoples, and what are the key political and socio-economic issues facing […]

Last month, Albania’s parliament approved a judicial reform package meant to curb corruption and patronage that was prepared with the assistance of experts from the United States and the European Union. In an email interview, Agron Alibali, a special counsel for Frost and Fire Consulting in Tirana, discusses the judicial reforms. WPR: What are the problems facing Albania’s judiciary? Agron Alibali: Albania’s judicial system today is inefficient and corrupt. The belief is that cases, especially property disputes, are decided in favor of the highest bidder. A lot of judges have amassed wealth that cannot be justified by their salaries alone. […]

Editor’s note: This article is part of an ongoing WPR series on the status of women’s rights and gender equality in various countries around the globe. Last month, Pakistani social media star Fauzia Azeem, who went by the name Qandeel Baloch, was murdered by her brother in an alleged honor killing that was condemned by women’s groups, but praised by some people on social media. In an email interview, Anita Weiss, a professor at the University of Oregon, discusses women’s rights in Pakistan. WPR: What is the current status of women’s rights and gender equality in Pakistan? Anita Weiss: Many […]

Editor’s note: This article is part of an ongoing WPR series on the status of women’s rights and gender equality in various countries around the globe. The Colombian government and rebels from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) agreed during peace negotiations last month to promote women’s access to property and to deny amnesty to perpetrators of sexual violence. In an email interview, Felipe Jaramillo Ruiz, a founding member of Colombian Network of International Relations and doctoral student at the Graduate Institute of Geneva, discusses women’s rights in Colombia. WPR: What is the current status of women’s rights and […]