Nov 8: US House of Representatives passes US$1 trillion infrastructure bill, Tigray forces join hands with nine opposition groups in coalition against Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, Nicaragua’s President Daniel Ortega set to win a fourth term in widely-criticised election.
What is soft power? Is soft power by and large an extension of hard power? Could states build and project soft power? If so, how? Ultimately, are hard power and soft power different sides of the same coin? Renée and Ryan from The IAS Gazette explore the duality of hard and soft power in this article.
Nov 1: General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan ousts Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok in a military coup in Sudan, Iran’s nuclear negotiations to resume by the end of November, China’s Foreign Minister warns that countries, including the US would pay the price if they continue to “wilfully” push their overtures on Taiwan.
Sustainability and ethics when it comes to the fashion industry has taken the form of movements and advocacy. Certain practices like recycling and upcycling have been advocated in the name of sustainability, but are these methods truly sustainable? Is the quest for a sustainable fashion industry a lost cause? This piece explores the complexity of sustainability in today’s context and the need for fashion to be redefined and reimagined in order to encapsulate this.
Oct 25: Hundreds of students marched into DRC’s parliament building demanding higher pay for their teachers, At least 11 people were killed after the Syrian army shelled the residential area of Ariha, Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte takes full responsibility for the massive drug war.
Is it bad to forget culture? Is there a point to endlessly accumulate or remember cultural information? Is there more to forgetting that we are missing out on? The implications for cultural erasure and forgetting are damning. On an international stage, however, perhaps there could be generative and restorative value in forgetting.
Oct 18: White House issues 40-page report against climate crisis, Myanmar junta chief excluded from upcoming ASEAN summit, Sudanese protesters took to the streets demanding military take over.
Diplomacy is not isolated from the changes that come along with the COVID-19 pandemic. The new world order and geopolitical scene possess new threats and demand new developments, ultimately calling to question whether the world can still rely on the usual practices of diplomacy. The IAS Gazette investigates how cultural diplomacy may rise to the forefront of diplomacy and its potential to mediate the problems of today.
Oct 11: The World Health Organisation (WHO) approves world’s first Malaria vaccine for use in Africa, The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) has voted to stop formal investigations of war crimes in Yemen, Multiple world leaders have been implicated in the Pandora Papers, a leak that has uncovered the offshore shell companies in which people hide their wealth.
COVID-19 has exposed how interconnected our world has become. Even though the virus first appeared in China, it has eventually become a global pandemic. While leadership and cooperation are most needed during this time, the pandemic has further pushed them towards adopting protectionist policies. Though we have emerged out of many crises in the past, will we be able to do so again?
The IAS Gazette is a news site run by undergraduates from the Singapore Institute of Management’s International Affairs Society (IAS). Founded in 2018, it traces its roots to The Capital, a now defunct bimonthly magazine previously under the IAS.
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