The torture machines: poetic space and the urgency of non-work

In 1977 the autonomist collective A/Traverso were violently arrested by the Italian state. While the majority of their literature was lost or destroyed, fragments remain that provide vital context to democratic struggles in Europe today.

The contested spaces of the politics of universalism

A recent Dutch asylum case offers an opportunity to explore how universalism is being renegotiated within the frames of location, culture and citizenship. (Video, 15 mins)

Between colonizer and colonized: the political subjectivity of the settler

'Settler colonialism' has greatly influenced the way we think about colonialism and orientalism. But analysis of the writings of British settlers in the United States reveals that the political subjectivity of the settler is distinct from that of the colonizer (Video, 20 mins)

The imagined community of Myanmar

Trying to create a Myanmar divided along ethnic or religious lines will only lead to conflict. For the country to survive, the authorities need to create an 'imagined political community'. But as internal tension grows, this won't be an easy task.

The well of the past: the power of religion in Bangladesh

While secularism can be seen as a point of departure for Bangladeshi nationalism from the 1950s onward, the post-1971 reality is that it is now being imposed without taking into account the increasingly religious mindset of the overwhelming majority of Bangladeshis.

Byron, Brewdog, and the recuperation of radical aesthetics

'Dirty Burger' rebellion versus the experience and traditions of genuine anti-capitalist space. This week's Friday Essay.

England needs an influx of young, diverse councillors

Retired, white, British-born, independently wealthy. Recognise this type? Local government in England needs a shake-up. A young councillor sets out why the lack of diversity is damaging, and offers ideas for change.

Economic justice requires more independence, not less

A republican economy should aim at maximising the genuine independence of economic actors. Only then can corruption be tackled at the root.

UKIP on the march in Britain

The success of the UK Independence Party in local elections indicates a lack of trust in mainstream politicians on migration. This leaves the pro-migration lobby with a bigger role than ever, and some challenging questions about how to impact on public opinion

Reason and responsibility: the Rana Plaza collapse

The Rana Plaza tragedy was an outcome of a corrupt system that is rotten to the core. Who should - and can - be held accountable?

Malaysia after the Election: a paradigm shift?

With a victory of the ruling Barisan Nasional, it was tempting to write off the results of this Sunday's election as another missed opportunity to reform Malaysia's chronic status quo. Yet, the patterns of change are already there: one only needs to recognize them.

Land, apples, and political engagement in Scotland

The community growing movement in Scotland reveals a desire, and an opportunity, for a more profoundly democratic politics.

Footnotes on citizenship from rural India

Contrary to the dominant narrative of a vibrant democracy with a strong record of integration, many in India are in effect non-citizens. Citizenship cannot reach its potential unless there is a commitment to achieve equality and justice in practice. (Video, 33 mins)

Corruption and change in India

In this interview Bela Bhatia discusses the anti-corruption movement in India, the endemic failures of the Indian system and the challenge of producing a people's knowledge for change. (Video, 7 minutes)

The naked ideology of re-privatising the East Coast rail line in the UK

A new report suggests the nationalised East Coast line is providing far better value for money than Britain's disastrous private network and its eye watering prices. Is this why the Coalition is desperately trying to re-privatise it?

Nigeria, the Boko Haram risk

Abuja's response to Boko Haram's insurgency is flawed and self-defeating. Without a change of policy, Nigeria will move ever closer to becoming a centre of transational jihadist struggle. 

UK Border Agency asserts that Sri Lankans pay to get maimed so they can claim asylum

Burnt with metal rods and cigarette butts? Maybe so, says the Border Agency, but you paid someone to do this to you. A surgeon with expertise in torture scars argues that 'self-torture by proxy' is a dangerous fiction.

From shadows to darkness

After being sidelined since December 2011, the Kremlin's once-mighty propagandist Vladislav Surkov was today ousted from government. Mikhail Loginov looks back at the career of the former 'grey cardinal', and defines the man who has replaced him, Vyacheslav Volodin.

A social Europe must be a political Europe

My dear Etienne Balibar, in a recent article you explain how a new Europe can only come from the bottom up. But how would this shift from top-down to bottom-up work, and what does it even mean?

The politics of piety and secularism

In this video interview from the Oecumene project's second symposium, Saba Mahmood discusses Malala Yousufzai, women's reform movements in the Middle East and the politics of piety.

This week's editor

Heather McRobie


Niki Seth-Smith is a freelance journalist and co-editor of OurKingdom.