People’s SAARC: a valid agenda
24 November 2014

People’s SAARC: a valid agenda

Rajni Bakshi, Senior Gandhi Fellow, Gateway House reports from People’s SAARC, a motley gathering of NGO workers and members of the village communities they work with. PSAARC will compile a memorandum – a wish-list of demands and aspirations – on November 24 and present it to the heads of SAARC nations

NATO2 Courtesy:
10 October 2014

NATO Diaries

A rare opportunity to visit the North Atlantic Treaty Organization headquarters in Brussels provides a good opportunity to assess the organisation’s functioning. Interactions with its officials brought out the challenges the alliance faces, and its constant efforts to remain relevant in Europe’s security landscape

Sustainable gardening Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons
10 October 2014

The UN and sustainability

The UN and the global finance industry are making gradual but concerted efforts to align business interests and ecological sustainability. A growing number of companies are combining profit-making with social responsibility. There is still a long way to go, but the UN system has created useful mechanisms of change

Refugees in Sicily Courtesy: Vito Manzari/Wikimedia Commons
13 August 2014

Change EU’s refugee policy

A refugee policy that absolves more capable and resource rich nations of any responsibility towards transnational asylum seekers is archaic and has lived beyond its time. Keeping in mind the EU's receipt of the Nobel Peace Prize for advancing causes of peace, reconciliation, democracy and human rights, it is incumbent upon it to set new standards and reform its refugee policy

Sushma on Gaza Courtesy: Rajya Sabha TV
30 July 2014

A confusing stand on Gaza

Historically, India has supported the Palestinian cause but today, shares strong diplomatic relations with both West Bank and Tel Aviv. India's vote at the UNHRC has provoked much debate within the country as it marks a distinct shift in the government's stand from a few weeks ago when it was reluctant to even discuss the Gaza crisis in Parliament

evening campfire_ukraine 4_210X140 Courtesy: Flickr
22 July 2014

The dangers of tightrope walking

Eastern Europe has seen tensions rise, increasing violence and a hardening of stands. Only the softening of the stark “either/or” choice currently being demanded by western powers as well as Russia will put an end to the precarious tightrope walking of east European governments and prevent their citizens from becoming victims of increased regional instability

bhutan1 Courtesy: MEA
18 June 2014

Gross regional happiness

Economic security needs to be defined holistically through an open and democratic discourse. A plurality of perspectives on what constitutes development is essential to democracy across the world. Grass roots protests are driven by a longing for a truly inclusive and fair model of growth.

SAARC Courtesy: Kotakkalnet/Flickr
27 May 2014

Hopes for a South Asia union

The South Asian region is one of the least integrated in terms of trade and human interaction. The presence of SAARC leaders at the swearing-in ceremony of the new government heralds a step towards removing barriers and integrating the economies of this region