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Popular Mobilization Forces

In Iraq, the PMF’s day of reckoning approaches

07.17.17

Three years ago, Iraqi Shia leader Ayatollah Ali Sistani declared war on ISIS and called for the formation of militias, collectively known as the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), to defeat the group. Today, the military campaign against ISIS is approaching its conclusion. After the battle of Mosul, it is clear that the Islamic State – as a territorial […]

International Relations and Security
Kara Tepe Refugee Camp

Searching for Dignity and Work in Kara Tepe Refugee Camp

07.13.17

BY WEN HOE If you visited Kara Tepe on a Saturday night, you might not guess it is a refugee camp. The main hall bursts with music, men and women dance in white pants and colorful robes, and teens tussle in a three-on-three soccer match outside. A cool breeze carries the day’s heat away from […]

Asylum seekers in Greece

To address the refugee crisis, focus on dignity

06.22.17

Millions of people in the Middle East and elsewhere were forced to flee their homes in recent years. What they need most now is dignity.

Human Rights

Social Media Alone Won’t Improve Women’s Rights in the Middle East

05.9.17

BY NABILA ABU-HANTASH I was sitting behind the wheel in Jedda, Saudi Arabia, with my close friend in the passenger’s seat. The car was parked with the ignition switched off. We were waiting for her husband to come back from souvenir shopping, so that we could begin the twenty-three-hour drive back home to Kuwait. He […]

Moncef Marzouki interview

Interview: Former Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki

04.28.17

Former Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki spoke about human rights, Tunisian democracy, and US support for Middle East dictatorships.

Human Rights
Christ the Redeemer Rio de Janeiro Brazil

Why Latin America could be the next frontier for Syrian refugees

04.24.17

Latin America presents a promising opportunity to resettle some of the millions of Syrian refugees in camps and urban slums in Europe.

Human Rights

‘Saving Iraq’: The chains of liberation

03.20.17

The dangerous assumption that Iraqis are unable to govern themselves must be challenged.

International Relations and Security
Aleppo Karm al Jabal neighborhood

Aleppo and Mosul: What’s next?

02.28.17

JMEPP speaks with Gregory Aftandilian on the devastating battles for Aleppo and Mosul -and what’s next for Syria and Iraq.

Human Rights

An African Bias at the ICC? A Discussion in Two Parts

02.26.17

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has long been under fire for almost exclusively selecting and prosecuting cases on the African continent. Critics of the only permanent criminal tribunal of its kind have pointed to atrocities committed in Iraq, Argentina, or Ukraine as evidence that the ICC is not so much an impartial body, holding governments […]

APJ Discussion: For Africa, the ICC is Not the Only Way Forward

02.26.17

The average person can turn on the nightly news any day and see stories of terrifying acts—and clear crimes—ranging from the bombing of children in Syria to the massacre of Tamils in Sri Lanka. But if one were to refer only to the cases brought by the International Criminal Court (ICC), they would be left […]

Globalization

APJ Discussion: Behind the International Criminal Court’s Alleged ‘African Bias’

02.26.17

The withdrawal of Burundi, Gambia and South Africa from the International Criminal Court (ICC) has reignited an old discussion: whether the Court unfairly targets African states and citizens for prosecutions. The ‘African bias’ critique adopts different forms, ranging from neo-colonialist (“the Court seeks to control African politics through ICC investigations and prosecutions”) to realist (“the […]

Human Rights

Closing the Borders Won’t Help Fight Terrorism

02.24.17

BY ANA DIAMOND Syrians, not too long ago, were a nation known for their rich cultural heritage, commerce, and diversity. Their country was home to one of the world’s ancient civilizations, and even in the 20th century it was frequently featured as an exotic tourist destination. Today, only the remains of many historic cities and […]

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