Nearly two decades have passed, but Sammy remembers his father’s words clearly. Then a young professional, Sammy was out for a walk with his family in 2007 when they came across a convoy of International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) vehicles, he told me in a recent interview. His little brother asked what ISAF was, and [...]
It has been a longstanding principle of judicial restraint in the US that judges ought not to read their politics or personal preferences into the laws of the republic. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, dissenting in the same-sex marriage case Obergefell v. Hodges, wrote that “Under the Constitution, judges have power to say what [...]
On June 18, 2024, huge demonstrations broke out in Kenya over the contested Finance Bill 2024. These protests initially intended to compel legislators to reject the bill, which featured provisions that would financially burden Kenyans. Unlike the previous protests against the Finance Bill 2023, this one had several distinguishing characteristics. Primarily, the country’s Gen Z youth spearheaded these [...]
Member states of the United Nations are bound by the rule of law, both within their borders and in their interactions on the global stage. This legal framework includes international humanitarian law, which aims to protect civilians during times of armed conflict. Israel, as a member state, has an obligation under the Fourth Geneva Convention [...]
Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom. – Viktor E. Frankl Content warning: This essay briefly describes a suicide attempt. If you or someone you know are/is struggling with thoughts of suicide or self-harm, please [...]
Here, the author Pitasanna Shanmugathas a graduate from Vermont Law looks at the reprisals faced by prominent whistleblowers in the wake of Julian Assange’s release, and the threat whistleblower prosecutions raise to media freedom and the principles of transparency and accountability in government… The release of Julian Assange after years of legal battles highlights the [...]
In early June, Israel carried out a daring rescue, freeing four hostages who had been taken and held for eight months by Hamas and, in flagrant violation of international law, embedding the hostages within families in housing full of civilians, including many children—also a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and the laws of war. All major news [...]
The recent defense agreement between North Korea and Russia, pledging mutual defense and assistance, signals a disturbing shift in the global geopolitical landscape. This pact, building on an increasingly visible camaraderie between these authoritarian regimes, raises the specter of a new axis of dictatorships. With China, Iran, and Belarus already exhibiting varying degrees of alignment [...]
In the final analysis, human fragmentation into separate and competitively hostile states is unnatural. Because it is contrary to intellectual understanding and natural law, such fragmentation always makes it impossible to fashion a just and survivable global order. Ipso facto, it also renders impossible any long-term American future. What should be done? Suitable transformations are [...]
As the United Nations prepares for its third meeting of international envoys on Afghanistan in Doha, concerns are mounting over the exclusion of Afghan women from the process and the lack of focus on the Taliban’s gender apartheid policies. The plights of women like Arzo — a teacher and a single mother of four — [...]
