In the 23 years since the declaration of the United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325 on Women, Peace and Security (the WPS Agenda), national and international implementations have had both successes and failures in upholding the agenda. By evaluating the progress that has been made, we can better understand how to move forward with better solutions for the future.

Over the past years, Jair Bolsonaro has made significant and controversial changes to Brazilian politics. However, in the 2022 election, Brazil pivoted towards a more established leader as Luis Inacio “Lula” da Silva, who had previously served as President, was elected. Given Lula's contrasting leadership style compared to Bolsonaro and his experience serving as President in two different decades, it is crucial to examine Brazil's foreign policy and consider how Lula's foreign policy will differ or align with previous trajectories.

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Read about the Myanmar’s 2021 coup, the military crackdown, and the protestors attempting to draw international attention to their plight.

On June 5, 2021 history was made in El Salvador as president Nayib Bukele’s government passed the unprecedented Bitcoin Law that permanently adjusted the future of cryptocurrencies on an international scale. Beginning September 7, 2021 the new official currency of El Salvador was permitted for the sale and purchase of anything and everything including meals at restaurants, taxes, and even buying and selling property. Under this new law, all establishments in El Salvador are required to take Bitcoin as a form of payment for any and all transactions tendered within the country. This new law presents a fascinating opportunity to ponder the new standard for cryptocurrencies around the world and their status in the daily lives of many living around the world.

The Covid-19 pandemic has undeniably impacted virtually every society across the globe physically, psychologically, socially, and the far reaching, powerful effects of the pandemic render its study as perhaps the most relevant and comprehensive political issue of this generation. By comparing the American and Taiwanese governments and their respective public responses with Covid-19 data, we can analyze the effect of government influence on people during a pandemic.

The United States (U.S.) faces many challenges in the Indo-Pacific, headlined by an evolving geopolitical rivalry with China stemming from notable economic, security, and human rights concerns. Yet despite perhaps the most significant strategic rebalancing since the Cold War, the U.S. remains unprepared to adequately confront this challenge as regional allies lack adequate strategic unity. Most concerning is the breakdown in trust and cooperation between Japan and South Korea, the third- and tenth-largest economies respectively, who together house tens of thousands of U.S. service personnel. Despite robust bilateral ties with the United States and mutual concern on key issues including China’s rise and North Korea’s nuclearization, a failure to sufficiently reconcile imperial Japan’s past atrocities has continued to mar relations. Thus, the Biden Administration should prioritize a just and comprehensive resolution that brings closure for the victims’ families and promotes deeper trilateral strategic cohesion between the United States, Japan, and South Korea. This opinion essay will first explore Japan and South Korea’s ongoing dispute before proposing a path towards reconciliation. This piece is meant to serve not as a detailed strategy paper but as a call to American policymakers to take action.

Thirty years after declaring its independence from Somalia, the Republic of Somaliland seems to be strategically positioning itself to make a strong push for international recognition. Though it checks nearly every box for statehood, its pursuit of independence has been largely ignored, leaving the region stable, but isolated and without a voice in international forums and debates. Now, it is combining its track record of self-governance and democratic consolidation with a more shrewd and strategic foreign policy that capitalizes on the geopolitical rivalries that are roiling the Horn of Africa and Red Sea region. Whether it will ultimately be successful yet to be seen, but with a strong case, powerful new friends, and a neighborhood in turmoil, its chances appear to be improving significantly.

The rise of an ICC chief prosecutor who has levied serious criticisms against the court's past policies calls into question the future of the ICC and International Criminal Law. Karim Khan's demonstrated recognition of the court's fixation on Africa, coupled with his commitments to peacebuilding in the Middle East, indicates that the geographic focus of the court may drastically change and with it the concept of international criminal law as we know it. This piece examines the factors that may lead to such a revolutionary shift.

This article aims to provide a new framework for analyzing the feminist movement in relation to religious symbols in Iran. After interpreting the literature in the field, it is clear that feminism and Islamic feminists have joined forces in the past in order to accomplish social change. Secular and Islamic feminists did not have a collective identity, but for a period of time they were united by collective goals. Thus, collective goals are a means of accomplishing social change.

Direct to consumer (DTC) genetic testing is a new and quickly growing business within the broader data industry. Companies such as 23andMe and AncestryDNA are leading the charge of publicly available testing kits that provide consumers with detailed analysis of their genetic makeup without involving a physician. How is collection and storage of this data regulated in the United States and EU?

As Europe looks to take more responsibility for its defense and security, talk of “strategic autonomy” has resurfaced and given rise to a great deal of controversy. How realistic is this foreign policy ambition? This article addresses its surrounding misconceptions, necessity, and feasibility in light of challenges and existing capabilities.

The COVID-19 pandemic has claimed more than four million lives to this day, making the global supply and distribution of vaccines critical to the health and safety of all civilians. The project discusses past and current trends in vaccine allocation as well as multilateral initiatives that address issues surrounding the equitable distribution of doses. Furthermore, the project also emphasizes the importance and benefits of vaccine multilateralism over vaccine nationalism in order to meet global vaccination needs.

As India continues to compete as an international superpower, development across different regions of the nation have reflected the immense growth of the nation. Cities like Mumbai, Bangalore, and Delhi have witnessed the creation of hundreds of new startups and millions of venture capital dollars flowing into their regions. However, a black sheep contender for “golden child” of the Indian Subcontinent, must go to the city of Hyderabad. Hyderabad (and the greater state of Telangana) has taken numerous steps to create a strong foundation for long-term success, and this can be seen in three key areas: Community & Government Buy-In, A Developing Educational System, and the Creation of Vital Onramps for Development.

Why has Iran resolved to ensure crippling sanctions and exist as a pariah state in the international system? Is the Iranian leadership rational for seeking nuclear weapons?

As Joe Biden begins his term as President of the United States, he is left with the question of how to best tackle the dispute between the United States and Iran over the Iranian nuclear program and the JCPOA. To best understand how the Biden administration ought to proceed, it is important to first understand the legal context behind the final actions of the Trump administration and what strategy they wished to pursue.

Sudan has the fourth largest number of girls and women who have undergone a Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) procedure per capita. This article outlines the causes and effects of the newly implemented legislation criminalizing all FGM practices throughout Sudan.

The clash of Communism and Capitalism was the theme of the Cold War era, during which brutal civil wars between the two ideologies arose on all major continents, many of which are often accompanied by mass atrocities. Through analyzing the geopolitical implications of the partitioning of Korea, this article examines how a political border drawn by the United States and the Soviet Union resulted in mass killings by both governments on the Korean Peninsula.

This paper explores three development models and their impact on Ecuador’s development over the past 20 years. COVID-19 presents a huge crisis for the developing country - but also a chance to change. The institutional development model provides middle-ground institutional incrementalism. In a region battered by crisis, will Moreno consider a shift in his neoliberal crusade, or will the country continue to be engulfed in social unrest?

Currently, the United States theoretically maintains the ability to defend Taiwan using conventional force, thus potentially avoiding the need for an all-out nuclear war with China over the fate of the island. What happens if the status quo shifts and nuclear threats are the only way to protect Taiwan?