The coronavirus pandemic is accelerating the development of central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) as it has prompted millions of people to turn to cashless payments. But, efforts to create CBDCs is nothing new. Central banks have been exploring how CBDCs could become a reality since Facebook’s efforts to launch its own cryptocurrency Libra raised the...
Starting with a street vendor in Tunisia, the “Arab Spring” protests took over much of the Middle East and Northern Africa ten years ago as people fought against oppressive governments. Although many observers and analysts believed that this would be a turning point for the region, high hopes turned to despair. A decade after citizens...
The U.S. Secretary of State and the Foreign Ministers of France, Germany, and the United Kingdom issued a joint statement indicating that they are willing to hold direct talks with Tehran over how to bring the United States and Iran into compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (or JCPOA, commonly known as the...
It has been said that when women do better, countries do better. However, globally gender equity is lagging. In late 2020, the European Union adapted a Feminist Foreign Policy, in which the principle of equality between women and men became core value of the EU. It also requires increased female presentation in leadership roles and...
The debate over differences in U.S. and European speech rights is a perennial issue. But, the emergence of private social media platforms – and their dominance – has given the issue a new dimension and a new sense of urgency. What is the role and responsibility of the state and private companies in terms of...