Archives for July 2021

Senator Chris Murphy and the New National Security Powers Act

United States Senator Chris Murphy wants to radically reign in the President’s ability to use military force abroad. Chris Murphy is a Democrat from Connecticut and along with Independent Senator Bernie Sanders from Vermont and Republican Senator Mike Lee from Utah is a co-sponsor of the new National Security Powers Act. 

This legislation would give Congress far more say in matters of war and peace than it currently enjoys. This includes placing strict limits on the ability of the executive branch to conduct military operations abroad without congressional approval; increased Congressional oversight on international arms sales; and reforming how the President is able to declare a national emergency.

Senator Chris Murphy is on the podcast today to describe the problem he sees this legislation as helping to solve; and why he thinks increased congressional oversight over war powers is important for renewing and sustaining American democracy.

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Kashmir is on the Brink | Red Flags or Resilience? Series

Public image via Wikimedia Commons

In March 2020, when countries around the world started imposing COVID-19 lockdowns Kashmir was just emerging from a lockdown of its own. Several months prior, in August 2019 the government of India revoked the special status that Kashmir had enjoyed since the partition of India in 1947. This sparked mass protests, violence and a heavy handed government response — including curfews and an internet shutdown. 

But just as restrictions were slowly being lifted in the early part of 2020, COVID emerged and the Indian government opted to invoke COVID to impose new restrictions on the people of Kashmir. This includes new citizenship laws and restrictions on press freedom. 

My guest today, Adnan Bhat is a journalist in Kashmir who has documented how COVID-19 has served as a pretext to advance policies that abrogate the rights of people in Kashmir.  His article on this was published as part of the Stanley Center’s “Red Flags or Resilience Series?” that uses journalism to explore the connections between the coronavirus pandemic and the factors for risk and resilience to mass violence and atrocities around the world.

This episode is produced in partnership with the Stanley Center. To view Adnan Bhat’s article and other stories in this series please visit https://resilience.stanleycenter.org/

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Femicide in Mexico is on the Rise | Red Flags or Resilience? Series

Driven by increased vulnerability to domestic violence during COVID-19 lockdowns, Carolina Aguilar Navarrete joined other women in a new form of resistance.
CREDIT: Gabriela Esquivel for Stanley Center

Unique among countries in the world, Mexico considers Femicide as a crime distinct from homicide. Simply put, Femicide — which is sometimes referred to as “feminicide” — is the crime of murdering a woman or girl on account of her gender. 

Since the outbreak of COVID-19 in March 2020, the documented numbers of Femicide in parts of Mexico have skyrocketed. This includes a part of the State of Mexico, near Mexico City, known as The Periphery. 

It is here that my guest today, Caroline Tracey, has reported on the increased frequency of Femicide and actions that local groups are taking to fight back against this trend.

Caroline Tracey is a writer and doctoral candidate in geography at the University of California-Berkeley.  Her article was published as part of the Stanley Center’s “Red Flags or Resilience Series?” that uses journalism to explore the connections between the coronavirus pandemic and the factors for risk and resilience to mass violence and atrocities around the world. This episode is produced in partnership with the Stanley Center. To view Caroline Tracey’s article and other stories in this series please visit https://resilience.stanleycenter.org/

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Crisis in South Africa

Protest, looting, and riots have plunged South Africa into a deep crisis. Scores of people have been killed in this unrest which was sparked by the jailing of former President Jacob Zuma on July 7th.  At time of recording, the government was dispatching 25,000 troops to bring order–and unprecedented military mobilization in the post-apartheid era. 

On the line with me from Johannesburg is journalist Geoffrey York, the Africa Bureau Chief for The Globe and Mail.

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Crisis in Eswatini (formerly Swaziland)

Eswatini (formerly known as Swaziland) is a small country in Southern Africa nestled on the border between South Africa and Mozambique. It is notably Africa’s only absolute monarchy —  the king rules by decree, with no meaningful checks or balances. 

Today, the country in in the midst of its most intense and significant protests against that monarch in recent history. The protests began in May and accelerated in June. The monarchy’s response was violent, with many protesters killed and disappeared. 

Journalist Mako Muzenda explains these unprecedented protests and the broader significance of the ongoing crisis in Eswatini.

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What is Driving Mass Protests in Colombia

Colombia has been rocked by the most significant protests in recent memory. In late April and May Colombians took to the streets across the country initially to protest a proposed new tax law. But what began as a a protest against this new tax bill swiftly morphed into a broad based protest movement against systemic inequality. 

Colombia is one of the most unequal countries in the world and these protests are seeking to upend the political system that has entrenched this inequality in Colombian society.  From Bogota, Elizabeth Dickinson of the International Crisis Group explains where this protest movement is headed.

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The Assassination of Haiti President Jovenal Moise

In the early morning hours of July 7th, unknown assailants assassinated the President of Haiti Jovenal Moise. 

Haiti was already facing an uncertain political future. And now, the line of succession is not at all clear. 

Journalist Jonathan Myerson Katz explains the tumultuous political context in which this audacious assassination occurred and what the assassination of the president means for the future of Haiti. 

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The Syria Crisis is About to Get Worse

The crisis in Syria is at a crossroads. Millions of displaced people trapped in northern Syria may soon face a near complete cutoff of the humanitarian aid upon which they rely. This is because Security Council must vote to keep this aid flowing, but Russia is threatening a veto. On the line to explain how we got to this point and the implications of restricting aid access is Vanessa Jackson, UN Representative and Head of Office for CARE International at the United Nations. 

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