NIgeria elections Courtesy: Flickr/Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung
25 March 2015

Nigeria: a precarious election

The upcoming Nigerian elections is set to be a defining one for the country. Rampant corruption and the terrorist threat from Boko Haram have dampened the economic and social climate. The world is watching keenly as for the first time in a decade it is unclear which party will emerge victorious

AAP victory_2 Courtesy: rediff.com
13 February 2015

AAP, Occupy and the Arab Spring

There is an emerging consensus among scholars and political analysts across the world that the 20th century advances in building democratic systems have run their course. It is in this context that AAP’s rapid rise to power might serve as a light-house of global significance—a beacon that guides others seeking to take democracy to a higher level and warns of treacherous rocks

Online debate: From Tahrir Square to Hong Kong
14 October 2014

Online debate: From Tahrir Square to Hong Kong

The Hong Kong student protests have brought back memories of the youth uprisings in West Asia. Gateway House debates the differences and similarities of these movements that have so dramatically changed our world – and more is yet to come. From Tahrir Square in Egypt to Hong Kong, social media has been the driver for change

egypt2 Courtesy:
3 July 2014

Where journalism is a crime

The recent sentences handed out to three Al Jazeera journalists show how far Egypt has moved away from the democratic ideals of the Tahrir Square protests. Egypt now shares space with North Korea, Cuba, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea and Iran in Freedom House’s 2014 report

egypt Courtesy: oxfamnovib/Flickr
18 July 2013

Protests in democracies – patterns and problems

Elections are meant to be a suitable recourse in democracies if citizens feel that the government does not represent them. However, the recent protests in Brazil, Turkey and India show that people feel political classes are too far removed from their every day realities to address their grievances

Morsi Courtesy: European External Action Service/ Flickr
3 July 2013

Why Morsi is wrong for his people

The downfall of Egyptian president Mohammad Morsi was partly contributed by those thousands of protesters who disagreed with his view of “Us” and “Them”. Leaders such as Morsi have focused on persecuting those who refuse to share their vision; continuing down this path would have had a negative impact on history

Www.Oic-Oci.Org Courtesy:
23 January 2013

India and the OIC: To join or not to join?

India’s relations with Islamic nations, many of which are members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), have become even more prolific over the last decade. While India does not visualise becoming a member of a religious international body, many reasons militate against our formally joining the OIC.

morsi Courtesy: Cyfraw/WikimediaCommons
2 January 2013

The chess game in Egypt

Despite heavy opposition from several factions, Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi’s propositions for altering the constitution have been approved. Although the alterations have democratic elements, the liberals and secularists bear responsibility in taking forward Egypt’s journey to complete democracy.

Courtesy: Nilanjana Roy/WikimediaCommons
1 January 2013

India’s Tunisia moment

India’s governance and newest social revolution, led by the country’s youth and middle class, is being watched by the world. But will the incumbent government be able to respond with emotion and convert the movement into tangible policies and institutionalise them? Manjeet Kripalani blogs