Comparative analysis of the current legal frameworks in Latin America to fight online gender violence and support women’s* leadership in public life Published: 23 November 2023 Online gender-based violence, specifically targeted at women in politics, directly threatens democracy as it deteriorates and wears out until it becomes more unjust and less participatory.
The Ukraine War: Perspectives and Reactions in Asia Published: 19 May 2022 This article provides an overview of how Russia's war of aggression on Ukraine is being viewed and assessed in various regions and countries in Asia, and how the governments there are positioning themselves and reacting: in the Southeast Asian ASEAN countries, in Northeast Asia, and in India, China, and Myanmar.
State of emergency in El Salvador Published: 19 May 2022 El Salvador’s President, Nayib Bukele, is attempting to respond to the ongoing violence in the country by declaring a state of emergency. Critics see this predominantly as a militarisation of politics and a further step towards the breakdown of democracy.
Green hydrogen - Sustainable investment and fair trade Published: 18 May 2022 Within the energy transition, international trade in green hydrogen and its derivatives will play an important role. But what opportunities and risks does this entail for exporting countries in the global South? What framework is needed to ensure that investments and trade develop from the start with sustainability in mind? The Heinrich Böll Foundation and Bread for the World are exploring these questions in a joint project.
One Queer Fight for Southeast Asia amid a Pandemic of Fear and Oppression Published: 17 May 2022 As the COVID-19 pandemic draws to a close, it will leave the vulnerable, especially countless LGBTQIA+ persons, desperate for deliverance and justice. In this regard, the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersexphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT) has become more significant than ever. It calls us to seek those who are scared and traumatized, and lift them from the rubbles.
India’s balancing act in the Ukraine war Published: 13 May 2022 New Delhi's indirect support to the Russian position is not a product of Russian pressure. Neither is it about its genuine belief about Russia’s legitimate interests in Ukraine. Rather, it is the result of a desire to safeguard its own interests, strategic vulnerability and 'non-alignment'- a cultural foreign policy ethos that prevails in Indian thinking.
Green hydrogen from Morocco – no magic bullet for Europe’s climate neutrality Published: 10 May 2022 There are great hopes pinned to the Moroccan energy transition – not just in the North African kingdom itself, but also in Europe and Germany.
„There are two quite different stories about war and peace in Japan“ Published: 6 May 2022 The invasion of Ukraine has shocked Japan. The country participates in the sanctions against Russia. Still, people in Japan look at the war in Europe against the backdrop of security threats in their Northeast Asian region, says Akira Kawasaki, a peace activist with the Japanese NGO Peace Boat. He sees opportunities for civil society action even under current war conditions.
G20 Under Siege Published: 5 May 2022 This year, Indonesia holds the presidency of the G20. During the preparations for the upcoming summit in November 2022 in Bali, how does Indonesia navigate growing controversies amongst the G20 member states concerning the Russian aggression towards Ukraine?
Pakistan’s glacial melting woes Published: 2 May 2022 There are more than 6,000 glaciers in northern Pakistan, including Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). These are clean water reservoirs that actually irrigate Pakistan. But these glaciers are changing rapidly due to climate change. The ecosystem of these areas is changing. Global warming has accelerated their melting and more lakes have been formed as a result. Flooding due to the melting endangers lives and livelihoods of millions of local people and adversely affects the ecology.
Locating Gender in the Disinformation Landscape Published: 28 April 2022 Digital Rights Foundation, in cooperation with the Heinrich Böll Stiftung, conducted a series of focus group discussions with researchers from across the globe in order to deconstruct ‘gendered disinformation’, understand existing work on the subject and identify areas for future interventions.
Early Warnings Published: 26 April 2022 In the battle against climate change the Global South has a lot to teach and give. Yet its voices and contributions are significantly underrepresented and consistently ignored by the dominating Global North in imperialist fashion.
Acting Straight: A Message for My Kind Published: 21 April 2022 In an excerpt from his essay “I, ,the fag'”, Syrian author Raeef al-Shalabi reflects on an inner struggle that helped to position himself as a gay man and ultimately to think about human rights in a new way.
Winning the Marathon and the Sprint: Achieving long-term economic policy objectives in an era of short-term responses Published: 21 April 2022 This article wants to provide food for thought on what a long-term economic policy could look like. In the context of the climate crisis, increasing inequality, the loss of biodiversity and financial instability, the challenge is to craft a strategic approach that can set the course for long-term success.
Global Feminist Pitch 2022: Call For Application Published: 14 April 2022 The Global Feminist Pitch is back to support feminists from Latin America, Asia, Africa, Middle East and (South) Eastern Europe. This year we are looking for ten feminists who will write on the topic of feminist mobilisation in their region. Apply now!
European Democracy Conference Published: 10 October 2022 Every year since 2009, the European Democracy Conference has brought together European voices from academia, politics and the public to discuss a key European policy issue.
Statement on the ban of the Heinrich Böll Foundation in Russia Published: 8 April 2022 Today, the Russian Ministry of Justice has revoked the registration of the Heinrich Böll Foundation, as well as that of other German political foundations and international organisations, thus peremptorily banning the activities of these foundations in Russia.
Narrowing room for manoeuvre: The effects of Putin's war on Hungary Published: 7 April 2022 Hungarian foreign policy has been standing on two pillars in the past decade: building multilateral ties with great economic powers in order to boost trade, foreign investment, and development, and in the meantime maintaining traditional commitments to EU and NATO allies in the security and defence realm. However, with the tensions between Russia and Ukraine escalating to a war, Hungary has had to change its long-established attitudes overnight. In such a situation, any pro-Russian stance and balancing became practically impossible.
Higher education in Taliban’s Afghanistan Published: 6 April 2022 The unexpected ban of secondary school education of girls on 23 March 2022 by the Taliban authority was condemned by the international community. Professor Michael Daxner, who has been actively involved in the higher education sector in Afghanistan for the last several years, gives an overview of challenges currently faced.
Further and Further Away"- Environment and Identity in Cambodia Published: 6 April 2022 The short film “Further and Further Away” is portraying a brother and sister who belong to the Bunong ethnic minority in Cambodia. We spoke with director Polen Ly and producer Daniel Mattes about the process of making the film, youth in Cambodia and the opportunities for independent film making in the country.
Punches in the Margins of Massacres and Calamities Published: 4 April 2022 “We live between great countries and superpowers. We laugh and cry, fear and suffer.” In recounting seven punches in the face, Avo Kaprealian's essay tells the story of Armenians in Syria that begins and ends with an exodus.
War in Ukraine: The effects are dramatic Published: 31 March 2022 How the war in Ukraine threatens global food security – an interview with Dr Martin Frick, head of the Berlin office of the UN World Food Programme (WFP).
Digging another metre deeper in Bosnia and Herzegovina Published: 29 March 2022 Democratic values and principles have been under fire in Bosnia and Herzegovina for years, from within and without, a battle between ethnocracy and democracy is being waged in the country at the expense of its citizens.
The EU must stop appeasing “Putin’s puppets” in Bosnia Published: 28 March 2022 The Russian invasion of Ukraine will bring flashbacks to millions of people in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and Kosovo, who have all suffered massively under the regime of Serbian dictator Slobodan Milošević. In April 1992, Serb nationalists waged a war on my home country under a similar pretext as Putin did with Ukraine, denying its statehood, history, and national identity. Today, Bosnia and Herzegovina is in the worst crisis since the end of the war.
The Never-ending Story of Building Bosnia-Herzegovina Published: 23 March 2022 Not a dormant ethno-national conflict is the main problem in Bosnia. Rather, the source of crises since 1995 lies in the state’s weakness as well as a political class prone to corruption, nepotism, and abuse of power in the name of ill-defined ethnic interests. Is the Russian aggression on Ukraine a wake-up call for US and EU’s engagement in Bosnia?
High-risk geoengineering technologies won’t reverse climate breakdown Published: 21 March 2022 Techno fixes like carbon dioxide removal and solar radiation management are no substitute for exiting coal, oil and gas – whatever polluters would like you to think.
Climate mitigation and adaptation requires gender-responsive financing Published: 21 March 2022 Among those hardest hit by the climate crisis, women have taken some of the leading roles in combatting it. On local levels they are directly addressing the effects of climate change. Here we present some of the core calls for fair and gender-equitable climate financing on a global scale.
Overexposed Published: 21 March 2022 Women are more affected than men by plastics. Biological reasons are part of the problem: their bodies react in different ways to toxins, and the hygiene products that women use are often contaminated. But alternatives do exist.
“Net Gain” is a lose-lose for rights, gender justice and social equity in biodiversity policy Published: 17 March 2022 A new policy paper by the Global Forest Coalition addresses offsets to biodiversity. It shows that offsets mostly do not contribute to biodiversity conservation and also have significant negative impacts on women and indigenous peoples.
“Welcome culture” with staying power! Published: 15 March 2022 The largest refugee movement since the Second World War now requires coordination throughout Europe.