cultural relations
We aim to promote cultural diplomacy by fostering discourse on the intersection of global affairs and society. Our hope is to further awareness and mutual understanding in an increasingly polarized world.
Maya Jain
Head of Cultural Relations
International Youth Politics Forum
Head of Cultural Relations
International Youth Politics Forum
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Protesting Help or Harm? The Plight of Indian Farmers
Sharanya Swaminathan, 1/13/2021 |
The agricultural sector in India has been neglected in favor of its urban counterparts since the 1990’s. Now, the Modi administration advocated for three new bills to stimulate growth in rural areas. However, farmers do not want the aid. This issue reaches far beyond India’s borders. India is the largest producer of spices such as turmeric and basic necessities such as cotton. A failure to sate Indian farmers could lead to hefty global consequences. READ MORE
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Terrorism in Vienna: Islamophobia, Migration, and the International Response
Assiya Kruss and Dhanviee Misra, 1/4/2021 |
The terrorist attack on Vienna has sparked varied and not entirely positive reactions on the international stage. From Islamophobia to condemnation in equal proportion of migration and terrorism, European leaders have attempted to appease their respective countries by adopting nationalist and populist ideals that threaten equal protection of religious and ethnic minorities. With the “Long Peace” over, how will Europe contend with the rise in terrorist threats? What have they done? What should they do? READ MORE
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Under Ethiopian Prime Minister Ahmed, the semi-autonomous state of Tigray and its leaders have expressed concerns of being unfairly targeted in investigations to expose corruption and removed from top positions. As such, they withdrew from the ruling coalition and proceeded with their regional elections, despite Ahmed’s orders to the contrary, marking the start of the most recent conflict. Since then, political and military tensions have only escalated, prompting concern from the international community that the conflict could develop into a long and violent guerilla war as both parties refuse to back down. READ MORE
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Across the US, there are countless monuments dedicated to war heroes and figures who fought for America’s freedom. But what happens when a monument represents a figure with values contradictory to those widely held today? While many oppose the countless monuments littering the southern US, most of them by products of the civil war, citing the glorification of racist figures and the perpetuation of racist ideology, there are still an overwhelming number of people who are willing to advocate for the monuments staying where they are. READ MORE
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In the Aftermath: Explosive Tensions Rock Lebanon
Dhanviee Misra and Sharanya Swaminathan |
On August 4, 2020, a catastrophic explosion occurred in Beirut, Lebanon’s capital and its largest city. It was deemed by the United States Geological Survey to be one of the most powerful non-nuclear explosions in recorded history. Read more from Cultural Relations to learn about the causes and aftermath of this explosion, the domestic and international response, as well as the underlying political tensions amidst this disaster. READ MORE
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A Stateless People: the Kurds
Dhanviee Misra and Zyna Shoukat |
The Kurdish people are an ethnic group originating in the Middle East with a population of around 30 million dispersed throughout the region. Although the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire paved the way for the establishment of an independent Kurdistan, this was soon quashed by the Treaty of Lausanne. Since then, any attempt made by the Kurdish people to forge an autonomous country of their own has been met with fierce resistance and ultimately defeat. READ MORE from Cultural Relations about the world’s largest stateless ethnic and linguistic group, and how they struggle to establish autonomy as well as why they were on the front lines in the fight against the Islamic State.
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Geopolitics of the TikTok Ban
Carolina Beirne and Sharanya Swaminathan |
In November of last year, following a U.S. national security investigation, allegations were flying across the geopolitical spectrum that Tiktok was “compromised by the Chinese Communist Party.” As a result, the otherwise harmless social media app, where users can share their videos, has been dragged into politics and the geopolitical legality of user privacy. On August 6th, 2020, President Trump signed a set of executive orders that would prohibit American business with the Tiktok’s Beijing-based parent company, ByteDance. READ MORE
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What was once known primarily as a symbol of good fortune and prosperity around the globe, especially for Hindus, has been forever corrupted by one of the most tyrannical regimes the world has ever seen: Nazi Germany. READ MORE from Cultural Relations on the history of the Swastika and how the once purely ancient religious symbol morphed into one of the most prominent hate symbols in Western society today.
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Case Studies on Prison Reform: The Global Perspective
Carolina Beirne, Zyna Shoukat and Sharanya Swaminathan |
Safety and security are amongst the central tenets for any society, but approaches on how to achieve this differ across the globe. Where the United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world, the United Kingdom has seen a significant decrease in the number of cases prosecuted due to progressive statutes. Meanwhile, Scandanavian countries place increasing value on alternative methods of recovery as opposed to imprisonment, punishment and repercussions. READ MORE
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Concessions for the Greater Good: Kushner's UAE Plan
Carolina Beirne |
On August 13th 2020, President Donald Trump took to Twitter to announce the following, “HUGE breakthrough today! Historic Peace Agreement between our two GREAT friends, Israel and the United Arab Emirates!” This announcement took the Arab world by storm, as it is seemingly unheard of considering that since Israel’s creation in 1948, it has remained isolated from the majority of the Muslim countries in the Middle East. READ MORE about why the UAE might want formal relations with Israel.
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Language in the Postcolonial Era: The Impact of Imperialism
Gaya Chandrasekaran and Sharanya Swaminathan |
Despite the withdrawal of imperialist powers from colonies over the past century, the colonial legacy continues to pervade into the social fabric of former colonies. Language, as an element of culture, is one factor that remains greatly affected by this legacy. READ MORE about the loss of language and culture in Vietnam and Sri Lanka, as well as the Cameroon Anglophone Crisis and the Francophone/Arabic divide.
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West Bank Annexation: Tensions Peak amidst Isolationism
Zyna Shoukat, Kayla Krueger and Carolina Beirne |
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is one of the longest-running and most controversial international issues, and the Israeli government’s recent proposed action to annex a section of the West Bank was met with significant backlash from much of the global community. Learn why Israel wants to annex part of the West Bank, the role the US plays in this conflict, and why much of the European and Arab world have condemned this potential action. READ MORE
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Labor Trafficking over four Continents: A Striking Reality
Zyna Shoukat, Kayla Krueger, Dhanviee Misra and Gaya Chandrasekaran |
Despite the fact that slavery officially remains illegal in most countries across the globe, modern-day slavery prevails and remains shockingly prominent today. Labor trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery in which individuals perform labor or services through the use of force, fraud, or coercion and often includes situations of debt bondage, forced labor, and involuntary child labor. READ MORE
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Earlier this month, tensions at the India-China border reached new heights as casualties were reported by the Indian government. The LAC, or Line of Actual Control, has long been a point of contention, especially after the Sino-Indian war of 1962. As the violence occurred during an attempted de-escalation period, both sides are unwilling to hold negotiations and promise further action if provoked. READ MORE
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Social Media Accountability: Hate, Misinformation and Falsities
Kayla Krueger and Gaya Chandrasekaran |
Social media has long been hailed as a platform to freely share and express ideas. However, when those in power use social media platforms to spread suggestively hateful content, a divisive response is elicited from social media companies such as Twitter and Facebook. This begs the question – to what extent are social media companies responsible for the content that is posted by people in power on their platform? Additionally, to what extent is social media responsible for balancing freedom of speech rights and misinformation and hate speech? READ MORE
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The Privatization of Space
Carolina Beirne and Sharanya Swaminathan |
Following the historic launch of SpaceX’ Falcon 9 earlier this month, the conversation about the validity of privatizing space exploration has become a widespread topic of discussion once again. Space exploration is a feat that, until the last decade, has largely been conducted through government-funded initiatives. With the rise of companies such as SpaceX, the question also comes as to whether or not allowing private enterprises to be involved in the industry will hinder or help the industry as well as diplomatic relations between the countries involved. READ MORE
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The Rise of Consumer Culture
Zyna Shoukat and Gaya Chandrasekaran |
The global economy does not only revolve around trade, but also the culture of consumerism that has penetrated capitalist society for centuries. Consumer culture is also strongly intertwined with the environment as the world’s demand for material products increases. The balance between the environment, cultural and religious tradition and consumerism has been delicate, and the relationship tepid at best. READ MORE
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Monarchies: Traditional Government in the Modern Era
Carolina Beirne and Kayla Krueger |
The British monarchy is well known and discussed throughout the world for its former importance as well as its longevity. A less known monarchy, however, is that of Saudi Arabia. The House of Saud, after which the country receives its name, is an elusive house whose relations with the American government inspire nearly global criticism. However, the House of Saud has remained a stable regional power and lacks the turmoil of other local regimes such as Iran. READ MORE about the House of Saud and the House of Windsor, and what has allowed them to prosper for hundreds of years.
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Consequences of Fast Fashion
Zyna Shoukat, Carolina Beirne and Kayla Krueger |
Much attention has been directed towards the fashion industry due to both environmental and human rights concerns over increased apparel consumption. There are two sides in a simplified economic relationship - the consumer and the producer. This increased consumption of fashion-related products has harmed both consumers and producers, albeit the latter more directly than the former. READ MORE
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Decriminalization of Drug Use
Juhi Tanniru and Carolina Beirne |
The idea that certain drugs are dangerous remains unchallenged. However, the manner of dealing with addiction as well as distribution continues to elude policymakers around the globe. Whether the answer is legalization and decriminalization or instead crack-downs and harsher punishment for deterrence is still up for debate. A recent article analyzed a case study of drug crack-downs in the Philippines. Here, the global trend of decriminalization or harsher treatment is applied to several case studies to gauge the effectiveness of the various methods of dealing with the drug pandemic. READ MORE
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Stereotypes Regarding Menstruation
Zyna Shoukat and Carolina Beirne |
Menstruation is a topic loaded with cultural significance around the globe. Nations in both the Eastern and Western Hemispheres have varying stigmas, stereotypes and beliefs surrounding the biological process. However, these stereotypes and stigmas differ in their origin; some stem from cultural and religious practices and others from a lack of awareness. READ MORE about how these ideals concerning menstruation have been affected by various movements and public policy.
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#MeToo and Women's Rights
Juhi Tanniru and Zyna Shoukat |
The #MeToo movement has made groundbreaking strides in terms of bringing justice to many victims of sexual assault and changing the way that society views sexual misconduct. However, the economic aspect of the movement to end sexual harassment and sexual assault is often forgotten. Both India and the United States are making intentional changes in their economic legislation to help support women’s rights and to end the patriarchal culture that surrounds sexual misconduct.READ MORE
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