On Top of Mountains

June 16, 2023 - No column today, but lots of links to what's happening in the world

Jun 16, 2023

Happy Father’s Day!

We’re also remembering Juneteenth on Monday.

No column today - I’ve been on the road. I did have thoughts on Silvio Berlusconi’s passing and the legacy he leaves, along with Antony Blinken’s trip to China this weekend. I’ve also been thinking about the resignation of Keechant Sewell as NYPD Police Commissioner. I know that’s not foreign policy - but it is about women. I’ll leave you with this video of me hiking in the Alps.

— Elmira

On our radar...

Can NATO effectively deploy feminism? Stéfanie von Hlatky weighs in on the importance of Women, Peace, and Security plans for understanding the role of gender in security. (Inkstick Media)

US

Donald Trump’s indictment put US rule of law to the test, says Dahlia Lithwick. (Slate)

The US lifted the Trump era Title 42 last month. That was the order that turned away migrants at the southern border to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Lydia Cleveland, Alexandra Leader and Erika Frydenlund explain why the lift did not result in a surge of migration and how instead the number of migrants has stayed at an all-time high. (The Conversation)

Could the US be overstating China’s technological power? Maybe Johanna Costigan and Jeffrey Ding say. In a Q&A, the two outline the distinction between the number of innovations produced versus the number that are actually integrated into an economy. 🤔 (China File)

Africa

Where so many West African countries have been gripped with political instability, Senegal stood out as an oasis — until now. The country that has not seen upheaval since its independence in 1960 has been encountering political trouble. Elodie Toto looks at what’s happening, ahead of the 2024 elections. (Foreign Policy)

Do UN peacekeepers help or hurt? Paisley Dodds explains why 60 UN peacekeepers will be sent home from the Central African Republic after new allegations of sexual abuse and exploitation surfaced in the country. (The New Humanitarian)

A win for Women’s rights in South Sudan. The country ratified The Maputo Protocol, a treaty by the African Union on women’s rights. Nyagoah Tut Pur outlines for us what she expects from the government in order to see positive change. (HRW)

The US is suspending all food aid to Ethiopia after widespread food theft was revealed. Katharine Houreld shares how this will impact the 20 million Ethiopians experiencing extreme food insecurity. (Washington Post)

Asia

With its growing oil reserves, will China change its course of action on Taiwan? The West used to rely on China’s military weakness and its reliance on the Middle East for oil, but now these factors are fading away, say Trisha Curtis and Lewis Libby. (National Review)

How will AUKUS, the trilateral pact among Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States shape Indo-Pacific security? Lauren Kahn explains. (CFR)

Last month, Pakistan's Sharia court gutted its Transgender Person’s Act, however, this does not mean that the trans and gay community of Pakistan is not making gains in other ways. Gender and sexuality in the nation has been contorted by imperialism, extremism, and more. Somaiyah Hafeez lays out the scene. (The Diplomat)

Next week, Japan’s House of Councillors will vote on a proposed bill determining whether or not nonconsensual intercourse will finally be recognized as rape. Yet, the bill lacks a clear definition of rape and relies instead on eight “example scenarios,” says Susanné Bergsten. (HRW)

The Americas

As part of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi's tour of Latin America, he signed a deal on trading petrochemicals with Venezuela. Deisy Buitrago and Vivian Sequera report on the details of the deal and relationship between the two countries. (Reuters)

Colombian President Gustavo Petro has been in hot water for a while now, and he continues to suffer. Frida Ghitis on the latest scandal he’s entangled in. (WPR)

Guatemala holds general elections on June 25. Emily Taylor breaks down everything we need to know. (NACLA)

Europe

The EU is taking action when it comes to regulating artificial intelligence. EU lawmakers passed the AI Act which aims to regulate the technology and impose steep fines on those who don’t cooperate. Alexandra Sharp with more. (Foreign Policy)

Former Scottish National party leader Nicola Sturgeon was arrested last week. Why? Yasmeen Serhan explores. (Time)

Following an inquiry into “Partygate,” Boris Johnson resigned from parliament. Is this finally the end for him? Leila Sackur and Alexander Smith take a look. (NBC)

Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi died last week. A media mogul turned politician, he left a significant imprint in Italy — and, as Amanda Taub notes, beyond. (NYT)

Silvio Berlusconi wrote the playbook for how to be an authoritarian-style leader within a democracy that Orban and Trump would later follow. Ruth Ben-Ghiat explains the former Italian PM’s legacy. (CNN)

Meanwhile, current Italian PM Giorgia Meloni is faced with the impossible task of lifting the Italian economy. Paola Subacchi says that her government will need not only to unlock additional EU recovery funds but also put them to the best possible use. (Project Syndicate)

Russia’s war on Ukraine the latest example of how long wars can last. Margaret MacMillan calls on examples from World War I to explain how wars don’t end. (Foreign Affairs)

Russia bombed the Kakhovka dam in Ukraine last week, causing an incredibly catastrophic humanitarian and environmental crisis, explains Miryam Naddaf. (Nature)

Is Poland’s democracy in danger? The short answer is yes. Judy Dempsey interviews various experts for us. (Carnegie Europe)

Middle East

With the Turkish elections over, Turkish President Recep Tayyp Erdoğan is focused on stabilizing the country’s economy. In a first, he appointed Hafize Gaye Erkan as the first female central bank governor. Who is she? Karin Strohecker takes a look. (Reuters)

Millions of Syrians might go hungry. The World Food Program announced it will be forced to end food assistance to 2.5 million people if it does not receive more funding. Margaret Besheer explains the increasing need for food support in Syria. (Voice of America)

Will Israel recognize Morocco’s sovereignty over the Western Sahara? It’s a territory that’s been in dispute since 1975 between Morocco and the Polisario Front, an Algeria-backed Western Sahara pro-independence movement. If it does, it will likely upset Israel’s relationship with the African Union, says Rina Bassist. Why do it? Morocco is likely to reciprocate and establish relations with Israel. (Al-Monitor)

Iran has started taking some minimal steps toward containing and monitoring its nuclear weaponry — all surprisingly outside of the Iran Nuclear Deal or JCPOA. It’s too early to tell what Iran’s true intentions are, but Kelsey Davenport has some thoughts. (Just Security)

Pension protests are not reserved for France, apparently. In Iran, pensioners are lining the streets to protest the lack of pension increases, even though food prices increased by 80% in the last year. Shabnam von Hein weighs in. (DW)

Science and Climate Change

How is sexual harassment being handled in the sciences? Jenny Morber and Starre Vartan report on how academic institutions are failing scientists who have experienced sexual harassment — and how institutions can prevent it with more help. (Scientific American)

Architects in the Gulf envision a future beyond air conditioning, exploring sustainable alternatives to combat the region's heavy reliance on cooling systems. Marwa Koheji writes about reimagining life in the Gulf without the ubiquitous presence of AC. (New Lines Magazine)

As the world adjusts to climate change, there are bound to be some bumps along the way. In Hong Kong, the government is trying to implement an extreme heat warning system — but they’re sending a lot of mixed messages, literally. Emily Ying Yang Chan, Holly Lam, and Janice Ho are here to explain. (South China Morning Post)

Technology

Digital privacy is under threat all around the world. Julia Angwin on how governments are demanding that tech companies surveil encrypted messages, which is one of our last bastions of privacy. (NYT)

What could a human rights-based approach to Generative AI look like? Eliza Campbell and Michael Kleinman clue us in. (Al Jazeera)

A four-day internet shutdown in Pakistan arrived on the heels of political instability, growing unemployment, high inflation, and a depletion of foreign exchange reserves. Zuha Siddiqui finds that the shutdown was the final straw for tech workers, many of whom are seeking to leave the country. (Rest of World)

Links We Loved....

Congrats to Madeleine Schwartz and Linda Kinstler for launching The Dial, devoted to international reporting from a wider range of voices into English
Check out this reading list in honor of Juneteenth
Here’s a rundown of the history of Juneteenth here. Read up!
Check out this curated Juneteenth menu celebrating Black culture
Struggling to find something for dad? Here’s a Dad Joke Generator
Going on a road trip this summer? Here are some podcasts to help pass the time
Elmira loved Deborah Levy’s Real Estate, an autobiography about being a women at midlife

Job Opportunities

We’ll be back next week!

Editorial Team

Elmira Bayrasli - Editor-in-Chief

Editors:

Samantha Felman
Anouk Jouffret
Pin-Shan Lai
Catherine Lovizio
Noa Schmid
Emily Smith