BY SAM BARRAK This past November, Massachusetts made history as the first state to affirm transgender non-discrimination protections in a public referendum. To those voters who said yes on Question 3, thank you for making the state that I love a safer place for me to live as a transgender person. While we rightly celebrate […]

In a lecture at the Harvard Kennedy School, Sultan al-Qassemi discusses the role of art in the contemporary politics of the Middle East.

BY BRETT J. BANKER Imagine there were a bipartisan agreement in Congress for a package of critical reforms to a politically important government agency. Say that the chief sponsors of the legislation enacting those reforms included both the chairman of the conservative House Freedom Caucus[1] and a prominent member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.[2] Let’s […]

Men can be part of the solution I have a son and four daughters. As any father would, I’m looking to help them succeed in life. But as we know, we live in a male-dominated society, so giving my girls a voice has been a priority for me. At Harvard, I’ve been attending the Women […]

BY NICK BUFFIE As you may have heard, in the United States the rich pay more federal income taxes than the poor – both in dollar terms and as a share of income. This point is acknowledged by commentators on both the Right and Left, serving as a rare example of nonpartisan objectivity in an […]

Since the first genetically modified (“GM”), or biotech crop was released onto the market for human consumption in 1994, African countries have been largely adverse to the crops. Only four African countries have, at some point in time, permitted GM crops to enter their markets.[1] However, with the help of the Economic Community of West […]

A humane society cares for all of its members, whether they are citizens or not. But in today’s world, rights are often tied to citizenship. Poh Yong Han explores the options for migrant worker advocacy in Singapore, focusing on the potential power of the arts in bringing about positive change.

JMEPP Levant Editor Kelsey Wise sat down with Former U.S. Ambassador Edward S. Walker Jr., who served in the State Department as Ambassador to Israel, Egypt, and the UAE, as well as Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs. The discussion covered U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East, especially the changes it has […]

BY HENRI BREBANT January 19th was the 10th consecutive Saturday that the “Yellow Vests” protested in France. The movement started in October 2018 with a viral video, a change.org petition and some Facebook events that pushed 290,000 people[i] into the streets and onto the roundabouts. Unstructured and distancing itself from political parties and unions, the […]

BY AMANDA HALLOCK Philip Alston, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights, spent 2017 investigating an unexpected country: the United States. The United States takes great pride in its governmental, economic, and social progress and even provides aid all around the world. So, when the U.N. report on Extreme Poverty and […]

This piece, written by Okey Uzoechina, discusses the emerging regional approach of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in regard to support to its member states in countering terrorism and violent extremism. It appeared in the 2018 APJ print edition.  Abstract This paper discusses the emerging regional approach of the Economic Community of […]

This week, European Union diplomats and Iranian representatives adopt a new mechanism to maintain trade as Iran works to comply with the nuclear deal in the face of US sanctions. Qatar’s Emir travels to Lebanon for a financial conference, pledging funds for the country’s economy and appearing to step into the Lebanese political arena. And in Tunis, Youssef Chahed leads Tahya Tounes, a party breaking from the ruling Nidaa Tounes over economic policy and political infighting.