Corruption in Africa, Corruption in Canada: Different Scale, Same Problem0

• Analysis
• July 2, 2013

Published in the Globe and Mail, July 1, 2013

The trip to East Africa with an attempt to climb Mount Kilimanjaro was a check off my bucket list. But the professional lessons I learned from that trip were also …

Peace Talks in Doha: A Reality Check0

• Analysis
• July 2, 2013

Last week, White House officials announced that the U.S. and the Taliban would start peace talks in the reopened Doha office of the Taliban. The announcement made headlines around the world, nurturing hopes that the protracted conflict in Afghanistan may …

The G8 Summit: Another Flawed Show?0

• Analysis
• June 27, 2013

The G8 Summit took place quietly in Northern Ireland on June 17-18. UK Prime Minister Cameron was in the chair, with his bold TTT (Taxes, Trade and Transparency) theme.

None of the actors around the conference table brought rosy economic …

New Powers Won’t Play by Old Rules on Human Rights0

• Analysis
• June 26, 2013

Published in the e-zine openGlobalRights, June 25, 2013

The following piece is a contribution to the Global Rights forum on Open Democracy. Over the next year, this forum will provide a venue for discussion and debate on a number …

What’s Next After Iran’s Surprise Election Result?0

• Analysis
• June 17, 2013

Published in the Globe and Mail, June 16, 2013

The Iranian electorate has surprised us. Most Iran experts (mea culpa – me too) had confidently expected that Hassan Rouhani had little chance of victory. But then he won. …

A New Chapter in US-China Relations?0

• Analysis
• June 11, 2013

U.S. President Barack Obama and Chinese leader Xi Jinping have just concluded a two-day summit, which was described by U.S. officials as positive and constructive. The summit, held at the Annenberg Retreat at Sunnylands, just outside Palm Springs, was the …

20th Century Laws Meet 21st Century Surveillance: Why Metadata Surveillance is a Serious Concern0

• Analysis
• June 11, 2013

by Michael Geist

Published on www.michaelgeist.ca, June 11, 2013.

The concerns about telephone and Internet surveillance moved north yesterday as the Globe revealed that Canada has its own metadata surveillance program. The program was discontinued in 2008 after concerns …

In Defense of Academic ‘Fiddling’0

• Analysis
• June 10, 2013

Published in the Ottawa Citizen, June 5, 2013

Are political scientists failing to play their part as critics of the government in Canada? Lawrence Martin thinks so. Writing in the Globe and Mail last week, he lamented that academics …

Migrants’ Global Ties Challenge Canada to Make Big-Picture Policy0

• Analysis
• June 7, 2013

Published in the Toronto Star, June 6, 2013

The American writer Maya Angelou was referring to deep matters of the heart when she said, “You can never go home again, but the truth is you can never leave home, …