More information can be found here.

Please apply by May 9^th, 2021 by sending your application to Anne Laible (anne.laible@ciss.eu).

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, CISS also needed to find new levels of creativity and flexibility, and in some instances had to put things to a halt. Some of our projects as well as our annual meeting had to be canceled or shifted online. Still, we look at 2021 with optimism and hope that we can continue our projects. At this point, we also want to mention that all of our activities and success stories would not have been possible without the support of many different institutions and individuals. Therefore, we want to seize this opportunity to thank everyone who has supported us on our journey so far.

Our highlights in 2020:

More information about our highlights, projects and new members can be found in our Annual Report 2020: A Year in Between Challenges and New Perspectives.

LACalytics is an CISS Impact Group which aims at facilitating interregional cooperation between students and young professionals from Europe (EU) and the Latin America-Caribbean region (LAC). The term LACalytics originates from merging LAC – the abbreviation for Latin America and the Caribbean – with analytics in order to highlight one of the programme’s features: Analysing the LAC-region. However, this does not suffice for thoroughly defining the initiative. Instead, the particularity of LACalytics has to be attributed to its other two important features: its interregionalism and its young perspective. What makes LACalytics unique is its bi-regional perspective. There are many analyses on the LAC-region or the relationship between LAC and EU, but many are written from an outside perspective. Unfortunately, many as well cover a very Eurocentric perspective with an emphasis on what LAC can supposedly learn from Europe. LACalytics clearly distances from this view as the articles are written from a bi-regional perspective. This is underlined by the fact that the articles are written by a team of two authors – one from EU and one from the LAC-region. In that way, the articles present valuable insights from people living in the regions. We want to underline that both regions have strengths, weaknesses, and common issues worth discussing today to generate impactful policy in the future. The LACalytics participants were matched in order to exchange ideas and discuss issues that are important in both regions. The essence is to focus on similarities between the regions and draw out shared lessons. Thus, LACalytics acts as a bridge between LAC and EU.

The outcome of LACalytics consists of the publication of articles on general themes written by a bi-regional team of young thinkers from EU and LAC. The contributions were published on the CISS think tank and other partner platforms. Additionally, the best articles were featured in a printed policy publication and presented by their respective authors to principal stakeholders of the EU-LAC partnership during a final conference.

The participants of LACalytics 2018 discussing EU-LAC relations during a workshop.

The unique approach of LACalytics gives the participants the opportunity to work on a relevant issue for EU and LAC, to learn about a challenge and to develop policy solutions to it. Additionally – by co-writing the analyses – the programme provides the opportunity to get to know one another, to get into an exchange about different mentalities and realities in the EU and LAC, to learn from one another, and to exchange different points of views. So, not only the final product (the articles) of the programme, but also the process of delivering the product (the co-authoring) fosters international understanding. Thereby, LACalytics forms an open platform for connecting young people. Furthermore, by giving the participants the opportunity to choose and express their voice on a matter of relevance, the programme represents a young and unique perspective.

The multilingual publication of the articles on various online and printed platforms disseminates information and analyses on current issues of relevance for EU and LAC, strengthening the historic bi-regional relationship between the regions; fostering the understanding that policy-makers have of the matters of relevance for the young generation; and raising the interest of civil society for the respective other region.

Panel discussion with participants of LACalytics and representatives of the German Federal Foreign Office and the EU-LAC Foundation during the final conference.

The final conference gives participants the opportunity to meet in person and to present their articles. It offers a platform to deep

en and widen thoughts, analyses, and interpretations of the challenges presented, to stimulate collaboration on possible solutions and to inspire dialogue with relevant stakeholders from EU-LAC relations. These personal, intercultural, and direct personal exchanges can be the seeds for fruitful and long-lasting professional relationships and friendships. Additionally, the conference enables participants to directly engage with high-level political stakeholders, thus not only fostering policy-makers’ understanding of the presented issues, but also to directly informing their future decisions, and therewith raising the impact that young experts have on policymaking in general, and especially on the governance of bi-regional partnership, in the mostly inaccessible high-level political sphere.

THE 1. EDITION: 2015-2016

The first edition of LACalytics took place from 2015 to 2016. The programme attracted the interest of more than 200 applicants from 33 countries and brought together bright talents from the EU and LAC. It produced 23 digital analyses on four general themes (economics, politics, environment, civil society). The best twelve contributions were featured in a multilingual digital and printed publication of a series of policy papers under the title: “EU-LAC Cooperation in the 21st century: Combining efforts in a globalized world” (English and Spanish/Portuguese). The articles of the printed publication were presented during a final conference held in Hamburg, Germany, from 22nd to 25th of October 2016.

THE 2. EDITION: 2017-2018

The printed policy publication with the LACalytics 2018 articles.

The success of LACalytics I as well as the overwhelming interest from participants, contributors, and supporters before, during, and after the first edition, substantiated our motivation and enthusiasm to not only organise a second edition of the programme but also to develop it further. LACalytics’s second edition, called LACalytics 2018, was again organised in cooperation with the German Federal Foreign Office and the EU-LAC Foundation. The organising team began its work in July 2017. The Call for Applications had a great outreach; the 42 participants of the programme have been selected from more than 260 applications received from 41 countries. During the programme, 21 bi-regional teams of young thinkers from Europe and the LAC region wrote their articles in the chapters Politics, Economics, Environment, Civil Society & Culture as well as Science, Technology & Innovation. The best twelve contributions were additionally published in a printed policy-paper publication which carries the title “Strengthening EU-LAC Cooperation: Sharing experiences for present and future developments” (English and Spanish). The articles and policy recommendations resulting from the participant’s work were presented to principal stakeholders of the EU-LAC partnership such as the German Institute of Global and Area Studies (GIGA) during an international conference from 20th to 24th of October 2018 in Hamburg, Germany.
For CISS and the organising team of LACalytics, it was an honour to see how authors that have been matched according to theoretical criteria got to know each other and started to exchange ideas – and eventually became a team and experts in the issue their article covers. This personal contact and the intercultural experience of writing with a co-author from another continent add high value to the LACalytics programme and give it its interactive character. To give you more insight into the LACalytics programme, its participants, and the outcome, we will use the next two weeks to present the articles written during LACalytics 2018.

CISS stands for Young Initiative on Foreign Affairs and International Relations, which illustrates the core of our organization: We unite young people with interest in actively shaping foreign affairs. Our motto is “Think. Learn. Act.” We learn from theory and transform these learnings into practical results – and vice versa. Under this motto, our work consists of two main pillars: Our Think Tank and our Impact Groups. In our Think Tank, young authors leave their footprints in current political debates by publishing high-level comments or analyses. CISS’s Impact Groups give our generation a platform to bring tangible projects to reality. The term thereby illustrates the aim of our projects: Create meaningful impact. As a project platform, CISS provides the network and tools necessary to address current challenges and to connect young people from different geographical regions.

To celebrate 10 years of young people becoming active in international relations, we want to travel through time and look at many large projects, interesting conferences, high-level publications and fruitful cooperations that shaped CISS. To begin, we look at the year 2019, which was a year of reflection and new orientation. We are thrilled that in 2019, CISS’s member base has been growing worldwide and, for the second year in a row, we have had more new members who were not from Germany. Additionally, CISS’s core team has largely grown and currently consists of all Regional Directors, our Chief Editor, our press and public relations coordinator, our IT responsible and the members of the Executive Board. Generally, each Regional Director is committed to one of the world’s geographical regions and thus the first point of contact for you if you would like to get to know CISS or submit an article to our Think Tank.

During 2019, our core team met twice in Berlin to discuss the developments and future plans of the association. During CISS’s General Meeting in September 2019, a new Executive Board was elected for the next three years. The five new board members each take care of one cross-sectional task: Anne Laible, responsible for team management and human resources; Katharina Lange, responsible for finances; Jessica Kininger, responsible for the website and social media; Florian Schöler, responsible for member management; and Dr. Steffen Murau, responsible for the coordination of the Impact Groups.

Additionally, the Impact Group Foreign Policy Talk was particularly active in 2019 and has organized three talks in Berlin with the embassies of Russia, Canada and the USA respectively.  Under the framework of this Impact Group, CISS brings together young people with decision makers and experts of today to discuss current foreign policy issues. Among others, we were able to talk to Geoff Gartshore, Political Affairs Advisor, and Jean Ducharme, Cultural Diplomacy Advisor at the Canadian Embassy about current challenges in Canadian politics, the current state of the US-Canada relationship and the key points of bilateral relations between Canada and Germany. We had the opportunity to discuss US-Germany relations during a foreign policy breakfast at the US embassy. Furthermore, the Russian Embassy invited CISS members to a walking-tour through the impressive embassy building followed by an informal get-together with three young Russian diplomats who just graduated and started their first station, which enabled us to get a glimpse on ways to enter the diplomatic world in Russia.

More information can be found here (only available in German as advanced knowledge of German is required due to the organisation’s structure and the main cooperation partners).

Please apply until 7^th August, 2020 by sending your application to Anne Laible (anne.laible@ciss.eu).

COVID-19 is an example of a zoonotic disease keeping the world in suspense. The outbreak was first noted in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. A first case was confirmed by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on the 27th February, 2020 in Lagos state on an Italian business traveller. The NCDC immediately activated the National Emergency Operation Centre (NEOC) to work closely with the state health authorities to respond to the case by identifying the social contacts of the patient since he entered the country. A presidential task force was established to respond to threats posed by the outbreak and additionally to cooperate with the State Government to curtail the deadly virus.

Lagos, commercial capital of Nigeria is the epicentre of the virus in Nigeria. NCDC reports on April 9: 288 confirmed cases, 51 recovered and discharged, 7 deaths. Lagos alone lists 158 record persons.

The government introduced further measures to slow down the spread of the virus. Ports of entry are put on close monitoring. It provided toll-free number to contact NCDC and other platforms. The government also identified contacts with suspected COVID-19 individuals and ensured isolation and follow up. In addition, there was provision of prompt and reliable updates and daily messages from the NCDC to individual’s contact.

About the author: Name – Sanusi Hiqmah Ifedolapo Itorobong / School – Lagos State University / Course of study – Zoology and environmental biology

Germany: The Storm before the Storm

Summer-like temperatures and the corona crisis hit Germany almost simultaneously, seemingly making contact-restrictions more durable. But march temperatures of 1.07°C warmer compared to last century’s average are just another indicator that the real crisis is yet to come: climate change and its consequences. When escaping into German forests these days, local traces of climate change are ever more visible; consecutive droughts have led to forests’ condition being worse than 1984, when the fear of forest deaths traumatized a whole generation.

Germany’s environmental minister has finally highlighted the correlation between environmental destruction and the spread of SARS-CoV-2 and promised preventative environmental protection. Similarly, the current economic downturn shifted Germany’s rather poor performance in reaching its 2020 climate goals: in opposition to pre-corona forecasts, Germany is now projected to outdo its aim of a 40% CO2 reduction compared to 1990 levels by 5%.

Alas, dominant narratives continuously shape the crumbling of the economic-growth paradigm as a momentary loss rather than an opportunity to mitigate the next crisis. The idea of business-as-usual politics post-corona is crushing nascent hope that lessons learnt will abandon short-term profits for long-sighted sustainable environmental, economic, and social policy. Although civil society might currently be in slumber, the time to demand our government to take urgent action is now. A walk in the forest will prove its urgency.

About the author: Tatjana Söding holds a Bachelor’s Degree in International Politics with a special focus on sustainability and sociology from University College Maastricht. The question that concerns her most is, how, in light of the climate crisis, current political, economic, and social structures can be transformed to guarantee societal and environmental justice. She will further explore this in an upcoming Master’s in political ecology.

Panama: Panama and its handling of the COVID19 Pandemic

Panama has undertaken rather strict measures to cope with the spread of COVID-19, by gradually increasing the intensity of the confinement rules. As for now, there are no signs of their easing. Panama’s way of tackling the issue is very polemic as the people face one of the strongest restrictions compared to other Latin American countries (followed by Peru). Those restrictions consist of separating between men and women: Women are allowed to leave their homes on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays; and men on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. On Sundays, the whole country is on lockdown and everybody has to stay at home. During the respective days, people are only allowed to be outside for a maximum of two hours and only to run the most important errands such as grocery shopping. A hard schedule must be followed (determined by the last digit of each person’s ID).

Besides, an alcohol ban has been imposed almost from the beginning. Very few businesses can open their doors at this point, which has dramatically impacted the economy. Panama has a small population with a service-centered economy. Although its GDP is one of the highest in the region, the country does not have much room to endure a total shutdown of the economy, nor the financial cushion to implement massive bailouts or social relieves like those adopted by some European countries or the United States.

While the measures seem to pay off as the curve is flattening, the cost appears to be high. The restrictions threaten many people´s mental health, for example, suicide rates are increasing. As Panamanians are warm people who cherish social interaction, social distancing measures are more difficult to fully implement, meaning that such heavy controls seem to be the only way out of the COVID-19 crisis.

About the author: Humberto Vivas is a Venezuelan lawyer. He lives in Panama and is working as a Research Analyst in a multi-national compliance firm.

Mongolia:

Concerns about the Coronavirus were not on the minds of the numerous people enjoying the warm days of spring in Mongolia over the last days. However, almost everyone was wearing a mask on the street.

Mongolia is a land that has a border with China and is at high risk of a quick spread of the pandemic virus. However, to date (April 10^th), Mongolia has reported only 17 infected cases, with no reported death and no domestic transmission. The Mongolian government was quick in launching and implementing measures to combat the coronavirus. A few days after China announced the first cases, the Mongolian government closed the border to China and all schools and cancelled public events. But shops and restaurants could remain open, and some people were able to work from home.

It was surprising that the public reaction to the coronavirus outbreak was relatively calm and citizens followed the measures and advices announced by officials seriously. This might be due to the public information campaign conducted by the Health Ministry and the National Emergency Commission. Their press conference was broadcasted across local media outlets to inform the public. It showed that access to information and transparency strengthen social trust and voluntary cooperation – especially in a public health crisis.

Mongolians also showed generous willingness to help and donate, even though, no one asked them to. Some companies closed the doors temporarily and some of them offered their services online, which reduced physical contacts. However, we have already started to face some impacts of COVID-19, such as the beginning of an economic crisis, unemployment, and social stress. Unfortunately, there has not been any good solution observed to deal with these negative effects.

About the author: Mungunchimeg Batkhuyag is currently living in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia and holds a Master’s Degree in Peace and Conflict Studies of the University of Magdeburg, Germany. Mungunchimeg is interested in environmental communication and public policy.

With the global spread of COVID-19, some countries are dealing not only with the downfall of health systems and economies but also with challenges to democracy. The foundation of the Serbian democratic society is on the verge of breaking and sliding into authoritarianism.

One of the clearest traits of authoritarian governing can be seen in the unlawful move of president Aleksandar Vučić, who suspended the National Assembly and declared the state of emergency, thereby violating the Constitution art. 200(1). This article gives power primarily to the Assembly to declare the state of emergency. Even though the opposition party Dosta je bilo has invited the deputies to raise their voices against the unconstitutional governing of the state, there have been no repercussions. This could be due to 154/250 deputies in the Assembly being affiliated with the leading political party, upcoming parliamentary elections and party employment trend. Such a trend implies that people who are affiliated with the party are more likely to get state jobs, thus, many find themselves in the situation of giving the support to maintain their positions. Arguably, this can be one of the reasons why only eight deputies responded to the complaints made by the opposition. While Vučić is spreading fear and panic, continuously mentioning thousands of deaths as a consequence of the COVID-19 spread, the crisis is being politicized and also used for vote gathering. This especially happened during a 60h long curfew (Friday-Monday), where the party volunteers go door-to-door with a food package encouraging people to vote for the party in the upcoming elections.

Whenever a deep crisis occurs in one society, there is also a chance to rebuild something new, something better. With the growing political awakening amongst the citizens seen in year-long anti-government protests as well as the discontent with the current measurements, this can very much be a turning point for a return to democracy.

About the Author: Ana Mandinic is a master student of International Politics at KU Leuven. She is focusing on societies in transitions to democracies, human ecology and the development field.

In times of Corona – Panama

My wife and I have seen first-hand how the coronavirus pandemic radically changed lives in a short time-frame, not only in Panama, but also across Latin America. Ironically, many of us saw it coming as we watched the news of how the virus was spreading quickly from other regions around the world since January 2020 – but few people in this small country expected that the pandemic would cross its borders by early March.

Unfortunately, many Latin American governments started taking effective action when it was already too late to prevent or to slow down the accelerated contagion rates. However, I think that the response from the Panamanian government was adequate and according to international standards since the first cases were reported. The borders of the country remain closed, and compulsory quarantine measures were put in place since mid-March; obviously, many of us have had to continue working from home, and interacting with friends and relatives from long distance. Although the lockdown measures sometimes feel a bit painful, I agree they are for the best interest of society.

I also think that these times have provided opportunities to show solidarity, as this can be noted in efforts taken in both public and private sectors to provide financial support, medical aid, and food supplies to people in need. Some examples of these efforts include the implementation of a logistics platform that the Panamanian government provided to the International Red Cross, for the storage and transportation of medicine, hygiene and safety products to neighboring countries (“Hub Humanitario Panama”); as well as the implementation of government policies to provide economic subsidies, healthcare and food packages to low-income households; in addition to the charitable donations of money, food, and medical supplies by private citizens and corporations to healthcare institutions and non-government organizations. It is hard to imagine how will the near future look like, but I am sure that our world will not be the same, when we go back to our daily activities outdoors.

About the author: Raul Lujan Anaya , 34 years old,  is an International Lawyer who currently provides compliance advisory in the management consulting industry. Mexican, he holds a Master’s degree in Public Policy by the City University of Hong Kong, where he lived for more than four years.
He currently works for The Red Flag Group’s office in Panama City.

Spain

As I needed an urgent medicine last night and only wanted to be accompanied by my boyfriend to the pharmacy in the dark, we got stopped and asked by police officers what we would be up to. Instead of listening why we were walking together, we were warned and told to go back home and not leave the house together. As I lacked this remedy and didn’t feel comfortable walking by myself later without him, I told my boyfriend to take the other route back home which would pass another pharmacy. However, two of the police officers and another four (!) stopped us again and told us they would fine us because we didn’t obey their order to go home or continue solely. Even though, I explained my urgency that I needed talk to the pharmacist, the police didn’t have sympathy for it. And they would have fined us if not the only female officer said she would let us go if we would go straight to the pharmacy and return without any complications.  On our way back home, we got held up again by other police officers – one of them saw his colleagues warning us the first time. He declared he will mulct us now because we disobeyed what they instructed in the first place. After all, we both got fined without any chance of further discussion.

Yes, there have to be certain measures in order to keep order and prevent further spread of the virus. Yet, in urgent situations when it is no harm given to others and it is the only logical way to act, I don’t have sympathy with such strictness punishing people unjustly that are certainly not part of this problem.

About the author: Franziska Riedmaier studied North American Studies at the University of Munich and is currently living in Barcelona, Spain in order to study Spanish as well as take additional courses in Arabic language and its culture.  She is very interested in researches on peace and conflict as well as global sustainability.

UK

‘A fight we never picked, against an enemy we still don’t entirely understand,’

These were the words the prime minister used to describe the threat facing the UK and the world, mere hours after he was discharged from hospital after coming close to death fighting that very same threat.

Coronavirus has affected everywhere in the world in different ways, and each government has deployed different policies to tackle the problem. Beyond ‘flattening the curve’, acquiring personal protective equipment, finding a cure or preventing economic collapse, part of the official response to the crisis has been to foster a sense of national morale.

Every Thursday at 8 in the evening, Britons across the country step outside and clap for the workers of the National Health Service. This communal ritual seeks to bind everyone together and thank the workers of an institution regarded as sacred in British politics.

In taking part in this ritual and paying tribute to ‘Jenny from New Zealand, Luis from Portugal’, Johnson is fostering a collective, national resilience not needed since the darkest days of the Second World War. Invoking that spirt and imagery could backfire; he and others used it for less noble purposes during the Brexit referendum.

But after many years of the UK picking fights with itself, Boris Johnson sees this new battle as one that can end the divides in this country; a sickness that can heal. Whether wartime spirit can defeat both coronavirus and Brexit divisions remains to be seen’

About the author: Teddy Ashworth is an undergraduate studying Anthropology and International Relations at the University of Aberdeen.

Estonia acted swiftly to manage the outbreak. In light of the emergency situation declared in March , I continue to spend my days inside, as are many others. Whilst tedious, the restriction of movement provides me with a sense of safety. However, turning to the human rights situation across the world as this pandemic unfolds, it is clear that this is not the case for everyone.

Amongst several rights issues, Amnesty International points to housing, water and sanitation. Not having a roof over your head, or solely access to informal settlements complicates the guidelines individuals are to follow. Governments have to provide necessary means in order to ensure the protection of human rights, not least for marginalised members of society.

Moreover, UN Secretary General António Gutteres addresses the immense increase in domestic violence and calls for government action as part of states’ responses to the pandemic.

In the midst of COVID-19, severe human rights violations take place. If anything, we must care for, and stand up for each other.

About the author: Patrik Persson currently studies the master’s programme in International Relations and Regional Studies at the University of Tartu, Estonia. His specialisation is the European Union.

Morocco’s Response to Covid-19

Morocco’s response to Covid-19 began in early February, soon after it repatriated students from China. In fact, when the epidemic started to take its toll in Asia and Europe, officials displayed a calm and comforting attitude in their public appearances, assuring that the north African nation will not experience a similar tragedy. The officials repeatedly turned to the reassurance rhetoric to quieten the citizens, albeit the report of the first case on March 2.

Yet, the public panic sparked regardless, and many citizens showed concern and scepticism towards the government’s capability to cope with the crisis due to its deficient public health system and regional disparities. The non-urban areas are disadvantaged when it comes to access to public facilities. Given this situation, Morocco had plausible reasons to take draconian and swift measures despite the serious economic consequence that they represent.

As the number of cases began to increase, Morocco cancelled all sorts of gatherings, closed maritime and air borders, mosques, schools, and restaurants, except supermarkets and grocery shops. On March 20 the authorities implemented a health state of emergency and a one-month curfew. This decision evoked the enforcement of restrictive measures and prosecution against the violators. At the time, the country created a $1 billion fund to upgrade the health infrastructure and support the potentially affected sectors.

Morocco has not historically prioritised the public health sector. Yet, it is seemingly now aware of how indispensable it is. The public opinion calls for reform after the crisis.

About the author: Youssef Igrouane is a researcher at Coop4Med, a think tank based in Madrid. He holds of a master’s degree in European Interdisciplinary Studies from the College of Europe in Poland-Belgium.

Corona Virus in India: Dividing A Nation Already Divided

With over 5000 confirmed cases, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on a notice of 4 hours, called for a 21 day lockdown starting on the 25th of March. While the country’s privileged upper class spends lockdown pursuing hobbies and bingeing TV, the plight of the lower class majority stands in stark contrast.

The informal sector that represents 90% of India’s total workforce has no means of income, forcing workers to return back to their native villages hundreds of kilometres away. During this journey, these migrants had to randomly undergo disinfection, while Indians returning from abroad were only asked to self-quarantine, thus highlighting the inequality in treatment of classes.

Social distancing is a luxury in densely populated India, especially in Dharavi, Asia’s largest slum, which already reported 13 cases. This raises fears as slum dwellers lack the option of space and being in lockdown seems like a death trap.

Another aspect is the religious politicization of the virus, as it has worsened the perpetual Hindu-Muslim divide. After a two day convention in Delhi of Tableeghi Jamaat, which led to clusters of the virus spreading throughout India, sentiments against Muslims on social media increased.

The solution by Modi’s government has included lighting candles, banging vessels for appreciation, and appealing to businesses to continue paying their employees. However, his speeches are seen as a distraction tactic rather than a tangible solution to an ever-dividing and suffering India.

About the author: Rafia Alam is a masters student at University of Tartu (Tartu, Estonia). She is studying International Relations and Regional Studies, and is from Kolkata, India.

A few days before Cuba confirmed its first three cases of the new coronavirus, the government’s actions to prepare for this epidemic were already facing some criticism by civil society and private businesses. The delay in closing international points of entry and recommending social distancing measures, added to the public’s concerns about the ability of Cuba to handle a potential health crisis.

An aging population with a broad presence of preexisting conditions, the shortages of medicine in recent months and a lack of trust in the government’s official messages have conditioned the doubtful reaction within the island.

However, medical diplomacy became the official Cuban response at the international level. Cuba has extended medical assistance to 14 countries, including Italy, as a direct response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Interferon Alpha 2B, a medication used to boost the immune system, developed and manufactured locally, has been praised by the WHO and it’s been effectively used in China and other affected nations. Cuban authorities cooperated with the British government to secure the safe evacuation of a cruise ship with some confirmed cases of Covid-19, after it was denied entry to many ports in the region.

The new coronavirus has produced a mixed effect in Cuba: an initially slow domestic response versus a strong international presence. A battle between concerns to the possible damages of an already crumbling economy and the relevance of health care as an important foreign policy tool and an essential part of nation branding for Cuba.

About the author: Bryan Chester Campbell Romero holds a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy from the University of Havana, Cuba. He’s particularly interested in the study and politics of existential risks and the increasingly important role of cities in the global governance landscape. 

Germany: A Corona Diary

Day 1 at home: I decide to go shopping, because people are speculating that the shops could close at any time. While I stand in line and realise how long 2 meters are, an old lady places herself right in front of me. “I survived a war”, she says and buys medical tea against coughing. I am afraid.

Day 2: Shopping is not an option anymore. All stores, except of supermarkets and drug stores have to close.

Day 5: Oh, there she is: Angela Merkel on national TV. “Hard times”, she says and I agree. She does not declare a curfew. Could I be chancellor?

Day 6: Bavaria and some other German federal states impose curfews or contact limitations. In times of a pandemic federalism is confusing.

Day 11: Many German politicians come together. After the meeting, social contacts with more than two people are strictly forbidden due to contact limitations. Finally, we have one strict rule for the whole of Germany. Oh wait, some federal states have other, even stronger, regulations.

Day 13: One of my friends is coughing. She wants to get tested considering she is working in a hospital. “Have you been in a region at risk? Have you been in contact with an infected person?”, the doctor asks. She has not and therefore will not be tested. I feel like the pandemic could be much more under control if more people would be tested. The dark figure must be huge. Many experts share my concerns. Could I be chancellor?

Day 14: After doing nothing all day I start my well-deserved evening in front of the TV and I am shocked: First politicians worldwide are calling for the revival of the economy. The discussion is about whether we should safe the people or the economy. We need both. What a tough decision. I couldn’t be chancellor.

About the author: After experiencing the world climate conference 2017 in Bonn as a member of a youth project, Laureen decided the international stage is calling for her. Since October 2019 she studies International Relations and Communication Science in Erfurt.

Philippines:

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, the democratic space in the Philippines has already withered. The election of Duterte has impugned the core values and pillars that the Philippine society was erected on, and this has become more palpable as the country faces new challenges brought by this novel pathogen.

COVID-19 has become an apparatus for the government to suppress human rights under the guise of ‘emergency power’. Duterte, for instance, instructed security forces to shoot dead people who are not following quarantine orders. This has empowered the police force to abuse their power in various ways, including confining people to dog cages and coffins. Criticisms raised by Filipinos online about the negligence of the administration amidst the pandemic have been met with harassment. If they are not red-tagged as leftists, they are brushed off as fake news propagators. One example was the case of a campus journalist who was pressured to publicly apologise after officials in his hometown threatened to file a libel case against him over a Facebook post condemning the government’s response to the crisis.

The situation in the Philippines confirms that the hazards brought by this contagious disease are not only measured by how many individuals can one person infect (R-naught) or how good a person’s immune system is. It all boils down to good governance and rule of law. Filipinos should stand up against structural forces in the society that cheapen human rights, favour the elites and stifle political freedom. Let us not feed the monsters who are hungry for power

Abouth the author: Jean Dinco is a PhD candidate at the University of Melbourne. Her current research is focused on natural language analysis of the Rohingya conflict in Myanmar. Jean tweets at imajeaned.

Italy:

Italy, the first western country hit by the Coronavirus. It felt like the start of a war against an invisible enemy: hospitals collapsing, an ever-increasing number of deaths, lock-downs and the uncertainty about the future.

On the one hand, there is fear, sadness and frustration. Those are the feelings that many of us developed. Fear to lose someone we love or to not be able to bring home the bacon for our children. Sadness and frustration because we suddenly experienced the bitter taste of discrimination. Everyone of us could be a threat to other people. We Italians were the first ones in Europe that seemed to not be able to control the situation – the classical Italians never able to respect the rules. We were frustrated by seeing our country collapse and by the low solidarity from the EU.

On the other hand, I see a country united as never before, with a strong cohesion within the institutions. But the main strength is seen among the people: A country singing ‘Fratelli d’Italia’ from the windows every day at 6PM. People helping each other. North and South united, working together to restart. We became those Fratelli d’Italia that we are singing about every day. We received international aid from the rest of the world. We experienced humanity and solidarity, something we will not forget.

If we learn something from this experience it is that nobody can run alone. We do not know when we will be able to run again, but when the time comes it will be different and stronger. We will run faster, together.

Abouth the author: Sofia Zecchini / Nationality: Italian / Country of residence: Italy (currently in Poland as Erasmus student) / Age 23

The current Thai government is basically a reincarnation of the previous military junta who seized the power in 2014. They have written the rules for the 2019 election themselves, and with that devious election, they have come to office.
On 21 February, the military-sourced constitutional court decided to dissolve Future Forward Party (FFP), the party which received 88 out of 500 members of parliament (MPs) during that last election. Majority of FFP voters were the younger generations seeking for a new leader who promised them a bright future.
The court decision came out a few days prior to the no-confidence debate scheduled on 24-27 February, disqualifying FFP’s executive members from running for MPs in the next 10 years, and defying them from presenting the information they have worked on to expose the government’s misconducts. That was the last straw. Amidst the upcoming COVID-19, by 3 March there were organized already many peaceful students’ gatherings at various universities around the country. There was also a larger assembling event that welcomed the general public. With such genuine dissatisfaction, it seemed as if these gatherings will develop into something more significant, like the student’s movement in October of 1976. However, as COVID-19 becomes a serious health concern, gatherings were finally prohibited by the announcement to temporarily close down universities and public places on 16 March.

About the author: Pimwipa Vatanutanon is a freelance software developer from Thailand. 

Germany

It is said that during states of exceptions, the best and worst of mankind is exposed. COVID-19 in Germany has put the country upside-down within a few weeks. Looking back to mid of March, Coronavirus in the federal state Saxony-Anhalt was nothing of importance. Then, events with over 1000 people were cancelled. Who could have imagined that one would wonder if daily routines might have been illegal? Whereas in other regions, disinfection and masks were sold out for weeks, people were making jokes about that Saxony-Anhalt was yearning awaiting their first case. One week later- all the events were called off. The next step- the restraining order. In contrast to countries with strict lock-downs, in Germany, it is still allowed to walk outside alone, with one person in distance or with people one lives with. The permission to leave the house for enjoying the spring sun seems to be a huge but stressful privilege. Am I still allowed to sit on a bench alone? Will my neighbours call the police because they saw my kids playing on a playground? The lines are blurry. Every day, new laws are passed, interpreted and applied. Abuse of power of the police is labelled with #Coronapolizei. In Berlin and Saxony, sitting alone in a park is indeed forbidden. Is it just a matter of time until this will be forbidden in Saxony-Anhalt as well? Where is international solidarity if chalk messages to evacuate camp Moria are erased by the city the morrow after? Hence, people keeping demonstrating, sewing masks and putting food on fences give a glimmer of hope that might chase the gnawing feeling of unease away. That it is maybe the best of mankind that will remain after.

About the author: Linda Koch is currently doing her masters in Peace and Conflict Studies in Magdeburg while working part-time as a coordinator for volunteer services within the frame of the European Solidarity Corps. She is very interested in research on protest and movements and in the intersection of sustainability and global justice.

EU: Strengthen the EU, or Leave it

A retired ECB President, Mario Draghi, two former heads of the EU Commission, Jacques Delors and Romano Prodi, and countless progressive, liberal and conservative politicians have all been outspoken: solidarity instead of austerity, public spending and debt instead of fiscal discipline. Policies must secure a steady economic recovery from the damages of a prolonged lockdown and, with that, the survival of the EU. Will member states live up to it?
Many haven’t realised yet that, if Europe does not adopt adequate fiscal policies to face this crisis, forcing again its member states to austerity and balanced budgets, an anti-EU landslide in those countries may sweep away the whole Union. This is the time to set the bar high on Eurobond as the first step towards the political union: reform of Dublin, common foreign policy, new legislative procedures, will also follow in due time. France, Italy, Spain and Portugal account for over half of the Eurozone’s population: together they are strong enough to balance the Netherlands, Finland, Austria, and even Germany in the ongoing negotiations. But if short-term domestic calculations prevail over a long-term European vision, then Macron, Conte and Sanchez should put on the table their countries’ departure from the EU (before there will be Le Pen, Salvini and Abescal to do so) making it clear for them this will be a better option than the status quo. A gamble towards a lose-lose solution for all might be the only way

About the author: Andrea Enrici is an International Affairs graduate at the Hertie School. Italian, he is currently working on EU campaigns at a communication agency in Berlin. He also holds a Master in International Law and has worked as a legal consultant at UNRoD, a subsidiary organ of the UN General Assembly, and as an international officer at the University of Pavia, Italy.

Vietnam

I was in Vietnam when COVID-19 became a pandemic, returning to the UK on March 24^th. I’ve seen the parallels between abroad and at home.
The UK has a stubborn culture: If the government says not to do something, people will do it to prove a point. I was transiting in Hong Kong airport when Prime Minister Johnson announced lockdown, listing a few reasons people could leave the home. One was a daily exercise session- memes immediately emerged about ‘hiding from the police because I’m on my second run’. There seems to be a sudden spike in people wanting to exercise outdoors. A local hill near to me had 50 cars in its car park a few days ago.
Vietnam was very strict. While there, they implemented a law which meant we had to wear face masks in public transit. Temperature checks were everywhere. Closures were common despite no lockdown. Meanwhile, like many Western countries, the UK has achieved fame for panic buying toilet rolls.
There has been a U-turn in UK policy. Initially, it was a ‘business as usual’ approach, with Johnson controversially promoting herd immunity over lockdown. This quickly turned around- at the end of March, he was in isolation himself after showing symptoms.
However, the community response has been heart-warming. Over 700’000 have signed up to volunteer to help out their more vulnerable neighbours, with many more doing the same unofficially. I’ve spoken to many friends who I haven’t in years. Solidarity is a positive that has emerged from this crisis.

About the author: Leona Jasmin Dawling is studying towards a BA (Hons) in International Studies and Politics alongside working as an Ambassador for study-travel organisation Global Grad.