On 20 January 2021, Kamala Harris will make history. At noon on that day, she will become the first female Vice-President of the United States. The fact that she is a black woman of mixed heritage only adds to the momentousness of this moment. But Kamala Harris is not the
Belgium – record holder for longest time without a government
On Thursday the 1st of October Belgium’s new government was sworn in. The ceremony and the official presentation of the government were a bit different than usual because of the pandemic, but what was much more unusual about this new government is how long it took to form it; 494
Brunei: The Sharia Welfare State
Brunei recently implemented the death penalty by stoning for male homosexual relations and adultery. Additionally, thieving is penalized by forced amputation. Following the implementation of these harsh sharia punishments, George Clooney is leading a boycott of luxurious hotels connected to the small sultanate. International pressure eventually forced the sultan to
An End to Corruption: Jair Bolsonaro And Brazil’s Expanding Militia
A councilor executed in the streets, the leading presidential candidate jailed before the election, and a controversial politician rising to fame from previous anonymity. In the world’s fifth largest country with potentially the largest oil reserves in the world, corruption has been running rampant with paramilitaries increasingly spreading their influence.
▶︎ Linda Kivi: Can Men Also Be Presidents?
Can a man be president too? Linda Kivi talks in Voices of UPF how in her childhood she looked up to female role models like then-Finnish president Tarja Halonen and Pippi Longstocking. Role models shape how people think and act, enabling dreams and empowering people. For these reasons, Linda talks
Post-Soviet Ideology In The New Russian Empire
The 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union, the Warsaw pact, and Comecon, was succeeded by the creation of 16 independent nation states. It was not only the political collapse of a state, but an ideological collapse of the belief in communism; an ideology that had played a significant role in
From The Ashes Of Tragedy: Opportunity For Institutional Change In Mexico
In the wake of the oil explosion tragedy in Hidalgo, Mexican president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador faces the first major crisis that may outline the course of his administration’s plans to tackle fuel theft and corruption in both the state-owned oil company Pemex and the federal government itself. On January
Zuma And The Legacy Of Mandela
After repeated accusations of corruption Jacob Zuma, the 4th President of South Africa, left the office in February 2018 after ten years of service as the leader of the African National Congress. With the upcoming election in 2019 questions are now being raised to as how much the once revered
The Pursuit Of Political Change In Venezuela
Venezuela, once the richest country in South America due to its oil reserves, is currently crippled by a deep economic and political crisis. The crisis has sent millions into poverty and starvation. This has led citizens to take desperate measures, such as looking for food in garbage bins. Now the
Winds Of Hope Blowing In The Horn Of Africa
From Kenya to South Africa, Africans are hailing Ahmed’s premiership and celebrating his achievements. After only eight months in office, the young Prime Minister managed to give millions of Ethiopians – and many other Africans – a reason to feel optimistic about the future of their country and the region.