Enjoy contested debates and in-depth analysis by leading actors and thinkers – plus word from ‘ordinary’ people experiencing the effects of globalisation. The aim is clear thinking – and workable solutions for globalisation

The casualties of war: Libya and beyond

Paul Rogers 7 July 2011
The architects of a decade's wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and now Libya devote great efforts to assessing the military aspects of their operations - yet are silent on the human damage. A new report highlights the international pressure for a shift of focus.

The London bombs, five years on: a digest

David Hayes 7 July 2011

The coordinated bomb-attacks on London’s transport network on 7 July 2005 (“7/7”) left dozens dead and hundreds wounded, and marked the lives of millions in the city and beyond. The political, intellectual and security issues raised by the event were extensively discussed on openDemocracy in the ensuing months. A retrospect of unforgettable days, by David Hayes.

(This article was first published on 7 July 2010)

Palestinian statehood: a turning-point

Victor Kattan 6 July 2011
The Palestinian ambition of becoming a full member-state of the United Nations is approaching a crucial moment. A combination of numbers and strategy will bring its fulfilment closer, says Victor Kattan.

Thailand's political transformation

Tyrell Haberkorn 4 July 2011
The electoral victory of Pheu Thai, the party led by Thaksin Shinawatra's sister, opens a dramatic new phase in Thailand's politics. Tyrell Haberkorn maps the background, in an article first published on 14 April 2010 (archive)

The SWISH Report (19)

Paul Rogers 30 June 2011

Where is al-Qaida going after the Arab uprisings and the death of Osama bin Laden? The movement again commissions its chosen SWISH consultancy to offer it advice, and openDemocracy once more has exclusive access to the report.

After the “west”

Arshin Adib-Moghaddam 23 June 2011
The emergent reality of an interconnected world requires a new understanding of security which moves beyond the ideas of the “west vs the rest” and the "clash of civilisations", says Arshin Adib-Moghaddam.

Drone warfare: cost and challenge

Paul Rogers 23 June 2011

The repositioning of the United States’s military strategy includes a great expansion in the use of armed-drones to attack targets in Pakistan and Yemen. But this development raises profound legal and ethical questions that are now entering the public arena.

Cuba, politics in perspective

Antoni Kapcia 22 June 2011
Where is Cuba heading more than a half-century after the revolution, and how is Raúl Castro's political strategy balancing the forces around and imperatives of reform? The long-postponed sixth congress of the governing party makes the answers clearer, says Antoni Kapcia.

Naming the movement

Keith Kahn-Harris 22 June 2011
The early 21st century is marked by a profusion of initiatives that bring people together to discuss and explore big questions. It amounts to a great river of change - but to realise its potential the movement needs a formal designation, says Keith Kahn-Harris.

Afghanistan: mapping the endgame

Paul Rogers 16 June 2011
The United States's narrative of progress against the Taliban faces uncomfortable realities on the ground - and unexpected resistance in Washington.

America and Iraq-Iran: a new balance

Paul Rogers 10 June 2011
The United States’s post-9/11 strategy sought to establish a new order in the middle east. A proposed regional-security constellation involving Baghdad and Tehran is a measure of its failure.

Al-Qaida, and a world in balance

Paul Rogers 6 June 2011
Where is al-Qaida going after the Arab spring and the death of the movement's figurehead? The dynamics of global security in the 21st century offer an answer. The question is also one that the Pakistani journalist Syed Saleem Shahzad was investigating at the time of his shocking murder.

Ratko Mladic’s arrest and international justice

Benjamin Ward 31 May 2011

The forthcoming trial in The Hague of the arrested Serb warlord is an occasion to assess the achievements of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, says Benjamin Ward.

International justice, wild west vs ICC: a coming crisis

Martin Shaw 31 May 2011

The killing of Osama bin Laden and arrest of Ratko Mladic highlight the precariousness of international order and international law as much as their advance, says Martin Shaw.

Sri Lanka: war crimes and accountability

Asanga Welikala 30 May 2011
The report of an expert panel finds evidence of serious human-rights violations during Sri Lanka’s long civil war - but also that the political and legal environment conducive to investigating these is lacking. This situation presents all those who seek to develop a principled approach to post-war Sri Lanka with serious moral and political dilemmas, says Asanga Welikala.

This week's editor

Heather McRobie


Heather McRobie is a regular contributor to 50.50

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European Union stars in Paris. Flickr/notarim. Some rights reserved.

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