So the rockets have stopped in Gaza. But these events need to remain tied to their historical context, says Eóin Murray; Israel is playing a long game. Martin Shaw sees them playing with fire, while our columnist Paul Rogers argues that, despite the close relationship between Israeli and US defenc
On openDemocracy last week the unfolding tale of Iceland’s innovative constitutional experiment is deconstructed by Thorhildur Thorleifsdottir, Kristinn Már Ársælsson looks at the lessons learned, arguing for randomly selected citizen assemblies, and we have an inside view from a former member of
As Obama congratulates himself, Paul Rogers, Ahmed Kadry, Cas Mudde and Salam Al-Kawakibi set about qualifying any glib triumphalism, a mood deepened by Helen Tilley and Joanna Wheeler on the politics of aid.
There are two weeks left till the US elections, and openDemocracy launches its series, How it looks from here - perspectives on the American choice from across the globe - with voices from Russia, Greece and Cuba. In the US, Ruth Rosen looks at the key role of women in the elections, and Meredith
This week 50.50 and 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence, bring important stories from Kenya, India, Cameroon, Spain, the UK, France, Namibia, Yemen, Morocco, Israel and Palestine, Turkey, S.E.Asia and Sudan, alongside inspiring poetry from Africa’s feminists and a challenge to militarism f
People have a pent-up need for discussion’, remarks Finnish journalist Johanna Korhonen, winding up this week’s launch of a Counterpoint series on oD exploring rising right wing populism in Europe, and asking how to retrieve support for our democracies. We learn about a contrasting case of failed
Is there another way forward for Europe? Mary Kaldor and Sabine Selchow introduce our theme of the week, looking at the continent’s Subterranean Politics. Its frustration and inventiveness are evoked by Geoffrey Pleyers; new ways of decision-making challenge German democracy and attract David Budd
Public service health journalism is high on the agenda as Oliver Huitson's landmark investigation of the BBC's coverage of the Health and Social Care Bill continues to attract much interest, but small response from the BBC, while our Editor-in-Chief reflects on rationality and the considerable fal
A week that saw the death of the first person to set foot on the moon and the start of the global Paralympic games is a reminder of how far human ingenuity and imagination can reach. OpenDemocracy continues to ask whether these qualities can be applied to solving shared, collective problems - from
At openDemocracy this week, critical gazes fell upon a variety of tactics, strategies and individuals. Drones are like suicide bombs – only without the suicides, explains Paul Rogers: the US and its allies might use them with great enthusiasm today, but live to regret it if they inspire jihadists
Analysis, empathy and insight at openDemocracy this week, as our writers make an effort to understand fallout from the Olympic games and the US party conventions, the horrors of Syria's war and struggles for dignity in Sudan, India and Belarus.
Cynthia Weber reflects on the first year anniversary of Occupy Wall Street, Imad Mansour voices a plea for the role of intellectuals in the Arab Spring, Vivenne Matthies-Boon’s offers an analysis of the entrenchment of the ‘clash of civilisation’ discourse, while Sara Azmeh Rasmussen calls for Mus
