asias cauldron Courtesy: Random House
18 July 2014

Book review: the rise of China

‘Asia’s Cauldron: The South China Sea and the End of a Stable Pacific’ is a pragmatic narrative by Robert D. Kaplan of the receding power of the U.S. and China’s growing dominance

IBSA Courtesy: Gateway House
15 July 2014

Time to revive the IBSA Dialogue Forum

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Brazil for the BRICS summit is an opportunity for India to intensify its engagement with South America and reactivate the long-dormant IBSA (India, Brazil and South Africa) grouping. This grouping is a promising partnership comprising of different models of democracies spread over three continents

US_Flag_Backlit Courtesy: Jnn13/Wikimedia Commons
9 July 2014

Awaiting an American ambassador

The U.S. has not yet appointed a new ambassador to India. But this absence of urgency is less a ‘signal’ to India and more a result of factors such as a backlog of appointments awaiting approval in the Senate and candidates unwilling to accept the post only for the remaining period of the Obama administration

brics Courtesy: wikimedia/commons
4 July 2014

Mandate for BRICS Bank

Brazil is all set to host the 6th BRICS Summit from July 15. In light of the fact that most developing nations have concerns over the pro-western bent of the World Bank and the IMF, the BRICS initiative of setting up of a Development Bank needs to gain momentum and the nations should finalise the mandate on a priority basis

Ceren Courtesy: BBC
27 June 2014

El Salvador’s new president

The election of Salvador Sanchez Ceren, a leftist ex-guerilla fighter, as president of El Salvador, is a reflection of the maturity and inclusiveness of the Latin American democracies. With his compassionate and pro-poor policies, Ceren has the vision and compassion needed to reduce poverty and break the vicious cycle of crime and violence which has paralysed El Salvador

Kurdish struggle Courtesy: dimoqrati.info
27 June 2014

The Kurds: a historic opportunity?

Recent geopolitical shifts has given birth to the very real possibility of a fractured Iraq. The on-going civil war in Syria and an unstable Iraq has renewed the call for a Kurdish nationhood. Although presented with a historic opportunity, rebel factions and authoritarian governments still present a hurdle to the quest for an autonomous Kurdish region

iraq us Courtesy: laprensa
26 June 2014

Iraq crisis: 2003 revisited?

Over two years after American troops left Iraqi soil, the rise of the brutal ISIS is forcing a war weary U.S.to contemplate a return to the country. Amid plummeting approval ratings and divided opinions at home, President Barack Obama will have to carefully weigh the implications of a disintegrated Iraq on the U.S. and indeed, the world.