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Articles on Democratisation

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French President Emmanuel Macron during his visit to French counter-terrorism forces in northern Mali, in May. EPA/Christophe Petit Tesson

What drives instability in Africa and what can be done about it

Some African countries present a facade of democracy. The absence of substantive democracy is contributing to instability on the continent.
By engaging a broad base of people on a popular level, film has a much more immediate and visceral impact than formal lustration proceedings. Before the Rain (1994)

Cinema opens a dialogue about coming to terms with Balkans’ past

Cinema can be instrumental in opening up dialogue on collective culpability for the past. Manchevski’s Before the Rain and Angelopoulos’ Ulysses’ Gaze are perfect examples of this.
The U.N. General Assembly Hall. UN Photo/Manuel Elias

Trump, Clinton and the future of global democracy

Will the next U.S. president continue to champion democracy around the world? Not meeting this challenge could have dangerous consequences, says former U.S. diplomat.
Podcasts are emerging as an arguably easy-to-access, affordable mode of creating new spaces for discussion and debate. Shutterstock

Podcasts can drive debate and break down academia’s ivory towers

The podcast has emerged as a promising medium for facilitating ongoing debate about issues that need more time than mainstream, profit-oriented media or the changing tides of hashtags might allow.
The presence of civil society representatives, such as State Secretary Praktikno (left), a former university rector, in government shows increased plurality in Indonesia’s bureaucracy. Reuters/Antara News Agency

Facing bumps, but on the right track: Indonesia’s democratic progress

Indonesian activists see that opportunities for them to enter the state arena and influence the policy process are opening up with Joko Widodo’s presidency.
The political crisis surrounding the 2012 ousting of Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed led to a return to authoritarian rule. Dying Regime/flickr

Does Islam have a problem with democracy? The case of the Maldives

Democracy did not fail in the Maldives because it clashed with Islam. Instead, a privileged and powerful elite helped topple the elected government, and nations that advocate democratic ideals did little to stop them.
Yu Keping: ‘The movement towards democracy everywhere is a political trend that cannot be reversed. China is no exception.’ Supplied

Crossing the river by feeling the stones: democracy’s advance in China

Opponents of democracy often raise the spectre of social disorder. Over the long term, it is only democracy and the rule of law that will provide for the long-lasting peaceful rule of the nation.
A typical community protest over the delivery of basic services in South Africa. A study shows protesters often resort to violence to attract attention. Reuters/Mike Hutchings

Voices of the poor are missing from South Africa’s media

The advent of democracy in South Africa in 1994 is often hailed as peaceful and smooth. But, there are lingering problems. Dissent over unmet expectations has resulted in an increase in protests.
Whatever the terms agreed by the 12 trade ministers who signed the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the text is unlikely to include the word ‘democracy’. Reuters/USTR Office

Why democracy is the unspoken issue in America’s TPP agenda

Why has the United States, the great engine of democratisation, advanced a pact that is silent on a defining theme of its foreign policy?

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