Blair still failing on Iraq 10 years on
Tony Blair's continued insistence of the war in Iraq as the 'right choice' displays a crucial incomprehension of the disastrous legacy of the invasion and occupation, as well as the falsified narrative...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Il Grillo Parlante
Will "il Grillo Parlante" the speaking Cricket of Pinocchio change the Phallocentric style of Italian politics? (visual montage)Can the flow of words, the rhetorics as displayed in Italian politics -...
View ArticleClik here to view.
North Korea: an opportunity lost is an opportunity gained
The recurring three-part drama, Unsuccessful Diplomacy-North Korean Belligerence-United Nations Sanctions, is airing on our screens once again. How do we we break the cycle - and finally get North...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The thoughts of a prisoner
Today is International Women’s Day, a holiday in Russia, though possibly with few celebrations in the penal colonies where the Pussy Riot women are being held. Open Democracy Russia is proud to publish...
View ArticlePregnant teenager imprisoned for failing to keep appointments with her...
On International Women’s Day the Howard League appeals to UN over imprisonment of pregnant 16-year-old girl.In her laudable statement to mark International Women’s Day, Home Secretary Theresa May...
View ArticleClik here to view.
350 of you have helped us reach £232,000 – thank you
Some more of your comments on the campaign to #KeepODopen and a huge thank you for choosing to support us. We now need £18,000 by March 31st to surviveOn February 18our Editor in Chief, Magnus Nome,...
View ArticleChavismo without Chávez: a populist conundrum
Those who analyse Chavismo should not forget that large sections of the Venezuelan population not only share the populist ideology, but also have emotional and rational motives for adhering to the...
View ArticleLiberals? Democrats? I resign
In a passionate speech to her fellow Liberal Democrats Jo Shaw, a parliamentary candidate in the 2010 elections, tells them why she has to leave the party now that its leadership has abandoned the core...
View ArticleHoping for an Italian Spring?
More widely, what the M5S’ success represents is a challenge to the approach to economic reform which has too often rewarded the rich responsible for the problems, while making the working classes pay...
View ArticleClik here to view.
This week’s theme: The fight for digital freedom
Padraig Reidy, senior writer, and Brian Pellot, digital adviser, for Index on Censorship are our guest editors for this week. They introduce us to their theme and to a range of writers, experts and...
View ArticleCSW: from the global to the local - an extraordinary opportunity
Walking the bustling corridors of the UN headquarters with my Ugandan colleagues, I realise that I am situated – physically, intellectually, emotionally, politically – in the most direct connection...
View ArticleCSW: will there be an Agreed Conclusion to the CSW this year?
As the CSW enters its final week, the political agendas of different countries are reflected in the deep divisions over how to prevent and eliminate violence against women and girls. Furious arguments...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Rebuilding the walls
The internet promised “shared humanity in all its messy glory”. But national governments are keen to turn back the global tide of communications.Demonstrations outside of Google's London headquarters....
View ArticleClik here to view.
Gathering clouds over digital freedom?
The debate over the direction of the web has just started, and contradictory messages that need careful scrutiny are emerging from governments and corporations alike.Threats to digital freedom are...
View ArticleClik here to view.
What was the real purpose of David Cameron's visit to India?
With little mention from the British media, Cameron is negotiating trade agreements that will open the UK jobs market to considerable inflows of Indian labour.Vince Cable & David Cameron - Image:...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Getting copyright right
‘Digital’ means copying. Attempts to defend copyright the old-fashioned way could have unforeseen consequences for the web. Shutterstock/mtkang. All rights reserved.The digital age has inevitably...
View ArticleThe UKIP policy Nigel Farage doesn’t want to talk about
UKIP would effectively return the UK to its pre-devolution settlement in all but name, yet the media are failing to expose or question this. UKIP are suddenly everywhere in the aftermath of their...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Dakar’s not-yet houses and the shifting terrain of urban belonging
State ambitions to rebuild Dakar as Africa's 'global city' alongside the proliferation of diaspora-financed luxury development, highlights the fraught nature of belonging in a city marked by migration,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Folkhemmet
In this excerpt from ‘Sweden: the reluctant nation’, published as part of Counterpoint’s ‘Europe’s Reluctant Radicals’ project, Göran Rosenberg explores the history of the Swedish political ideal of...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Frontiers: a re-evaluation
In a globalised world, the 'frontier' is often presented as an obstacle to be overcome as 'unity' takes the mantle as a marker of increased freedom. But as the anti-democratic impact of this viewpoint...
View Article