Do the Lilliputs matter in European Union Foreign Policy?
Small member states sometimes face difficulties to have a voice in the European Union. Do they “matter” in European Union Foreign Policy or is this […]
See MoreAmnesties for Arab leaders: A stable solution? – Lessons from South America
As regimes in North Africa and the Middle East falter, we are left to wonder what happens with the elites that are washed away by […]
See MoreDying For the Independence of Chechnya – Suicide Terrorism as a Rational Strategy in the Context of Chechen Resistance to Russian Occupation
On June 6th, 2000 Khava Baraeva, cousin of the Chechen field commander Arbi Baraev, committed suicide by blowing up a truck in a Russian police […]
See MoreProsecuting Crimes in Ongoing Intrastate Conflicts – Dilemmas of Peace and Justice
1. Introduction When the Allied Forces brought some of the worst perpetrators of crimes committed by the Nazi Regime and its followers to trial in […]
See MoreNoble Credits: False Hope and True Despairs – On the Political Economy of Microcredit
The disbursing of small credit amounts is hailed as prime pathway out of poverty. But is it really? The case for their high interest rates is poor, the claim of high repayment rates doubtful. I found many former customers entrapped in a vicious cycle of loans. Lastly, micro-credit loans played their part in changing the consumption pattern of rural people, and, in passing, reshaped their life style by integrating them with the international capitalist system.
See MoreIndia, China and the Influence-Seeking Game in Nepal
Nepal has increasingly become a place of great power competition between its neighbors India and China. Both the decision not to allow the Tibetan refugee population to vote for its government-in-exile in March of this year and the recent visit of the Chinese army chief who promised a military aid package worth $19 million indicate strong Chinese presence. As India moves to counter Chinese actions, political progress in Nepal will be undermined.
See MoreImpeding innovation or establishing exploitation? The question of subsidizing microcredit
Abstract Microcredit bears the promise of financial sustainability, implying a quick outreach to billions of potential customers – the poor of developing countries. Proponents of […]
See MoreFreedom works! – Towards Democracy in the Arabic and Islamic World
Tunisia´s revolution succeeded, Egypt´s followed and Libya will be next. In all cases, people did not struggle for another dictatorship, rather rallied for their freedom. […]
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