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Ramesh Thakur

Ramesh Thakur

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Ramesh Thakur, a former United Nations assistant secretary-general, is Emeritus Professor at the Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University. He is the author of The United Nations, Peace and Security: From Collective Security to the Responsibility to Protect. 

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  1. Why Australia Is Burning
    thakur11_Sam MooyGetty Images_australiabushfiremen Sam Mooy/Getty Images

    Why Australia Is Burning

    Jan 9, 2020 Ramesh Thakur argues that the immediate cause of severe bushfires is not climate change, but rather poor land management.

  2. Progressive Phonies
    op_thakur2_ PRAKASH SINGHAFPGetty Images_trudeau Prakash Singh/AFP/Getty Images

    Progressive Phonies

    Sep 27, 2019 Ramesh Thakur argues that rampant virtue signaling has made the left increasingly vulnerable to moral hypocrisy.

  3. India’s Bad Bet in Kashmir
    Kashmir unrest_AAMIR QURESHI_AFP_Getty Images Aamir Qureshi/AFP/Getty Images.

    India’s Bad Bet in Kashmir

    Aug 7, 2019 Ramesh Thakur worries that the removal of the disputed territory's special status will spark a new wave of violence.

  4. New Zealand’s Loss of Innocence
    thakur9_MICHAEL BRADLEYAFPGetty Images Michael Bradley/AFP/Getty Images

    New Zealand’s Loss of Innocence

    Mar 17, 2019 Ramesh Thakur suggests that the killer of 50 Muslim worshipers had two reasons for choosing Christchurch.

  5. India’s Trifecta of Failure
    children education rural india In Pictures Ltd./Corbis via Getty Images

    India’s Trifecta of Failure

    Feb 20, 2019 Ramesh Thakur says the Modi government's latest caste-based policies highlight deeply entrenched national shortcomings.

  1. castaneda88_GERARDO MENOSCALAFP via Getty Images_latin america safety GERARDO MENOSCAL/AFP via Getty Images
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    From Welfare State to Safe State in Latin America

    Jorge G. Castañeda & Carlos Ominami urge the region’s progressives to start treating security as an essential component of social protection.
  2. ocampo57_Celal GunesAnadolu Agency via Getty Images_imf Celal Gunes/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
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    The Urgency of Sovereign-Debt Restructuring

    José Antonio Ocampo highlights the need for a comprehensive mechanism to deliver relief to low- and middle-income countries.
  3. fischer215_Mostafa AlkharoufAnadolu via Getty Images_tel aviv iran attack Mostafa Alkharouf/Anadolu via Getty Images
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    The Gaza War Goes Global

    Joschka Fischer

    The escalating war in the Middle East must be understood in a broader context. The fact that the Iranian regime felt emboldened to risk a direct strike on Israel attests to a changing world order in which Western power is increasingly open to challenge.

     considers the implications of Iran’s unprecedented decision to launch a direct strike on Israeli territory.
  4. nyirinkindi1_ISAAC KASAMANIAFP via Getty Images_women phone fintech ISAAC KASAMANI/AFP via Getty Images
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    Gender-Neutral Fintech Isn’t Working for Women

    Emmanuel Nyirinkindi & Jessica Schnabel show that the industry is not fully delivering on its promise to accelerate financial inclusion.
  5. evans72_Alex WongGetty Images_palestine statehood Alex Wong/Getty Images
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    The Urgency of Palestinian Statehood

    Gareth Evans explains why formal international recognition is crucial to ending the intolerable status quo.
  6. schiffrin10_Mark WilsonGetty Images_journalists Mark Wilson/Getty Images
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    Quality Journalism Is More Important than Ever

    Anya Schiffrin, et al. explain how policymakers can support rigorous, objective reporting, just as they provide other public goods.
  7. wei60_MANJUNATH KIRANAFP via Getty Images_india population MANJUNATH KIRAN/AFP via Getty Images
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    Is India’s Economy Overhyped?

    Shang-Jin Wei argues that the country’s rapid development, while undeniable, conceals deeper structural problems.
  8. krake1_Celal GunesAnadolu via Getty Images_spring meetings Celal Gunes/Anadolu via Getty Images
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    Negotiating a Bigger, Better World Bank

    Michael Krake & Wempi Saputra explain how a new framework will nudge countries to invest in projects that deliver global public goods.
  9. redford1_Getty Images_earth conservation Getty Images
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    The Ozone Layer’s Recovery Shows How to Protect the Planet

    Robert Redford & Xiye Bastida highlight the critical role of international cooperation in preserving the planet’s habitability.

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