Middle income nations often share the same social and political issues, with education being an important yet contentious issue for many developing countries which are trying to move forward and become effective global players. Indonesia, as well as many North African countries, faces a ‘financing gap’ with constraints in mobilizing the funds needed to invest […]
Opinions
Turkey’s Economic and ‘Charm Offensive’ in Africa
It is not a secret that the relationship between Turkey and the European Union is going through a rough period. The solution to this deadlock for Ankara is to diversify away from the declining European economy and search for new markets which will also provide Turkey with a more prominent role on the world stage. […]
Arab Fling?
Arab Spring means we’re not losing our religion at least. But at what cost? Martin Jay argues that political upheaval by citizens rather than institutions is paving the way for terrorist groups to take route across the Arab World. There used to be an old Woody Allen gag which parodied two old women in a […]
Managing Russian Challenge to the Euro-Atlantic Space
Euro-Atlantic Region Facing the Russian Challenge Jakub Janda (European Values Think-Tank) Euro-Atlantic Region Facing the Russian Challenge The Russian position in the Euro-Atlantic geopolitical region was supposed to turn towards careful cooperation following two major doctrinal shifts which have occurred recently. Obama’s policy of restarting the US-Russian relations (including the signing of the START treaty, […]
Intervening in Mali – Securing the Sahel?
Last December, the U.N. Security Council passed a cautious resolution that outlined steps to be taken before an international military intervention into Mali to deal with the deteriorating security situation in the country. But in a surprise move on 11 January, French President Francois Hollande authorized airstrikes in Mali to stop a sudden southward push […]
Education as a Priority for Future EU-Maghreb Cooperation
When President Barack Obama, in a speech in Cairo University in 2009, pointed to education and innovation as being the mechanisms of progress in the 21st century, these ideas must have resonated in capital cities across North Africa. Although different countries in the region have made various efforts to improve education and innovation and create […]
Doha Climate Change Conference – No Big Hope for Africa
Climate change has emerged as one of the greatest challenges to international community. Increasing frequency and intensity of natural calamities caution that changing climate would have severe implications for economy and society and have potential to alter the course of development across the world. In absence of robust infrastructure, resources and technologies to cope with […]
Egypt’s Constitutional Referendum and the Fiscal Troubles Hampering IMF Loan Negotiations
Egypt’s Central Bank proclaimed their foreign reserves reaching the “critical” levels after it had sold about 75 million USD in its first private auction to banks, Bloomberg reports. Egypt’s foreign reserves are well below the levels prior to 2011 uprising against former President Mubarak, when the Central Bank commenced to support the Egyptian pound by […]
Arab Spring and Burma Transitions: Different Societies but Same Hopes and Aspirations
The transitions away from authoritarian rule in North Africa and Burma (also known as Myanmar) have often been compared to one another, highlighting major challenges but also reasons for hope. When Aung San Suu Kyi, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and leader of Burmese opposition, addressed the Clinton Global Initiative Conference in New York in 2011, […]
Sinking Susan Rice’s Nomination: What It Could Mean for the U.S. North Africa Policy
When Susan Rice withdrew her name from the consideration for nomination for Secretary of State, she did so largely to save the White House from a costly political fight. Over the previous weeks, Senators John McCain, Kelly Ayotte, and Lindsay Graham had attacked her vigorously for not calling the attack on the US consulate in […]









