Agenda 2030: A new path for all? Published: 22 January 2016 In September 2015, leaders from 193 countries gathered in New York to adopt 17 Sustainable Development Goals. In this speech, Barbara Unmüßig analyzes, why these goals are not yet a paradigm shift. Barbara Unmüßig
Farm Hack: A Commons for Agricultural Innovation Published: 22 January 2016 In 2011, a community of farmers, designers, developers, engineers, architects, roboticists and open source thinkers came together in Boston, Massachusetts, to explore a simple yet radical idea – that great improvements in agriculture could be achieved by reducing barriers to knowledge exchange. Dorn Cox
How I Have Been Conducting Research on the Commons Without Knowing It Published: 20 January 2016 Making commons come alive again in everyday life seems like a revolution that can be interpreted through two lenses. Is it a rediscovery of precapitalist and prestate organizational principles or is it a break with the current political order? Étienne Le Roy
Negotiating Iranian Politics: Rouhani’s Reform Agenda Published: 19 January 2016 After the United States and the European Union have lifted economic sanctions on Iran, the country can expect major economic rewards and greater interaction with the international community. This is a success for Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, under whose leadership Iran complied with its obligations under the international agreement to restrict its nuclear program. Rouzbeh Parsi
The Ethical Struggle to Be Human: A Shack Dwellers Movement in South Africa Published: 19 January 2016 In 2005 Black shack revolted because they felt betrayed by the government. After that they started to organize their protest. Their demand for recognition goes beyond the liberal tradition of “inclusion” in a political or legal system. Nigel C. Gibson
Commons and Alternative Rationalities: Subjectivity, Emotion and the (Non)rational Commons Published: 18 January 2016 Andrea J. Nightingale points out that emotional attachments to land, seascape and community can help subjectivities to foster successful commoning. Andrea J. Nightingale
India: Women Protect Common Forest Rights in Rajasthan Published: 18 January 2016 Nichlagarh, an adivasi village in the forest region of Southern Rajasthan, is caught between the bureaucratic regime of the Forestry Department (FD) of India and progressive legislation that claims to restore the traditional rights of commoners. Soma KP, Richa Audichya
Beyond Borders: Women Parliamentarians Perspective on Regional Peace Building Published: 10 January 2016 In 2015, the hbs head office in collaboration with regional offices in Afghanistan and Pakistan arranged a delegation visit to Berlin and Brussels from to discuss country situation, women parliamentarians performance, gender equality, peace building, shrinking spaces for women rights activism, and share the findings of the comparative study “Unmaking Political Patriarchy through Gender Quotas?” with a wide range of stakeholders at the European level. Abdullah Athayi
On Cologne, #Einearmlaenge and the Instrumentalization of the Feminist Movement Published: 7 January 2016 The mass-scale sexual assaults in Cologne, Germany have inspired a political blame-game—but condemning women’s conduct or Europe’s open border policies won’t serve the victims of Cologne or the refugees who continue to need our protection. Mackenzie Nelson
German Inefficiency: Berlin’s refugee services are becoming a bureaucratic nightmare Published: 7 January 2016 While Germans are generally well-known for their efficiency, the situation at the asylum registration center LaGeSo (Landesamt für Gesundheit und Soziales) in Berlin is anything but. Kavitha Surana, Thalia Beaty