Our 50.50 section underscores the gender perspective: Aleksandra Nedzi writes that victims of wartime rape in Bosnia and Herzegovina still face social ostracism and a lack of a coherent strategy to address their needs, while Christel Querton of Asylum Aid reveals the disappointing fact that UK officials are asking female asylum seekers to disclose information about sex work and abuse within earshot of strangers and their children.

 Reflecting on the last tumultuous year, Aaron Peters charts thetransformative ways of mobilising that connect the 99% in the US to the Indignados in southern Europe; Kerry-anne Mendoza examines how the Occupy movement has revolutionised our sense of self; and John Wilson argues that it has demonstrated theobsolescence of the mainstream media.

 As the countdown commences to Davos 2012, the preditctions ofthe Financial Times’ Martin Wolf for the coming economic year have generated a lively debate on openDemocracy.  John Mathews highlights one blind-spot in Wolf’s analysis – capitalism’s destruction of the planet; while Simon Zadek points out another –the fact that radical change rarely comes from the mainstream.

 Elsewhere, Christopher Sisserian explores how the French genocide law has generated a ‘conflicted moment’ for Armenian consciousness; Paul Rogers returns to the prognosis of a ‘thirty year war’ in Iraq; and both the EU’s role in arms exports andRussia’s role in the surveillance industry come under scrutiny.

 The week ends as Scotland’s first minister sets out the pragmatic question he intends to ask voters in the independence referendum.  While Anthony Barnett glimpses an end to the fusion of Englishness and Britishness, Roifield Brown hails a new era for ‘black English’ identity. Not surprisingly, Gerry Hassan hugely enjoys Burns Night 2012 and Tom Nairn assesses what Scotland might do for hyper-democracy. Meanwhile a tailor in Abkhazia undertakes to make a flag for every nation prepared to recognise Abkhazia - even though sewing Tuvalu’s flag is tricky work.

Three links you will not want to miss:

• Why do turtles cross the Atlantic to mate, and why understanding this might be a good complement to evolution. Dan Dennett
• Terry Eagleton doesn't like Alain de Botton's religion for atheists
• Don't get stuck in arguments over "choice"