The State of European Burqa Bans

Recent attacks in France and Germany have put the international community on alert and caused governments in those countries to draft or enforce legislation aimed at preventing future attacks. While countries in France have drafted legislation directly targeting what is believed to be symbols pertaining to Islamic extremism, Germany has chosen a more neutral approach by … Read more

Senegal’s Habré Sentence Sends a Strong Message

For the court of one country to prosecute the ruler of another is unprecedented. But that is what happened two weeks ago in a historic first, when an ad hoc tribunal in Dakar, Senegal, sentenced Hissene Habré to life in prison after finding the former president of Chad guilty of international human rights crimes. The … Read more

70 Years of Justice

This week we celebrate a very important birthday – on April 18th, 1946, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) was born. Since its birth 70 years ago, the ICJ has had the opportunity to hear 161 cases. These cases have been entered from large countries like the United States and the former Soviet Union all … Read more

War and Displacement – A Nigerian Story

In 1903, the Sokoto caliphate in Northern Nigeria, Niger, and southern Cameroon fell, placing the preceding areas under British control. After the British took control, some of the Muslims in these areas expressed their resistance to Western influences. In 2002, Mohammed Yusuf formed Boko Haram, which in loose translation means western education is a sin. … Read more

EU-Turkey Agreement: What’s the Deal?

On March 8, 2016, the European Union (EU) and Turkey reached an agreement aimed at resolving the migrant crisis, which has grown exponentially over the past several years. Since the beginning of the conflict, a total of 9 million migrants, have fled war-torn areas such as Syria, Afghanistan, and Iraq. In search of safety, most … Read more

ICC Convicts Former President Bemba for Atrocities in Central Africa

On Monday March 21, 2016 the International Criminal Court (ICC) convicted former Congolese vice-president Jean-Pierre Bemba of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the 2002-2003 situation in the Central African Republic (CAR). Bemba was convicted by the ICC of two counts of crimes against humanity, for murder and rape, and three counts of … Read more

The Future of Airline Safety Regulations

On March 4th, head of the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board Chris Hart expressed his concern that international efforts to improve airline safety efforts have thus far fallen short. After Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 disappeared two years ago, lax safety standards were thrust into the headlines, both in the U.S. and abroad. Since the MH370 … Read more

The FBI and Apple, Inc.: National Security v. Privacy

In January of this year, President Obama’s top intelligence advisers met with Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook and other technology leaders to discuss their long-standing disagreement over the encryption safeguards built into their devices. The Federal Bureau of Investigation requested Apple help unlock an iPhone used by Syed Rizwan Farook, one of the San Bernardino murderers … Read more

The Trans-Pacific Partnership: Where Do You Stand?

On February 4, 2016, the Trans-Pacific Partnership, or “TPP”, was signed by the United States and eleven other countries as one of the most ambitious international trade deals in world history. Through its seven years of grueling negotiations, the criticism of this deal has been, for the lack of a better term, loud.  The TPP … Read more

The Non-Profit Age: Altruistic Values in America

The American nonprofit sector has grown at an exceptional rate and continues to grow each year.  In the 10 years from 2001 to 2011, the number of nonprofits in the United States grew by 25%.  And the sector continues to grow.  In 2010, the U.S. nonprofit sector employed approximately 10% of the country’s workforce and … Read more