Content

Op-Ed

Feb 9, 2021

Zarazinski in Hacker Noon: Venezuela is patient zero challenging the Western financial system with Bitcoin

Global sovereign currencies are regulated and mediated by central banks, with significant tracking and infrastructure capabilities to allow for secure currency transactions, to enforce government policy, and to monitor criminal behavior. These safeguards do not exist with cryptocurrencies, which enable peer-to-peer instantaneous and immutable blockchain transactions. The result: participants can sidestep American controlled transaction mechanisms. […]

empowerME Conversations

Feb 9, 2021

Transforming homz

By Atlantic Council

In episode 5 of empowerME Conversations podcast, host Amjad Ahmad interviews Homzmart Co-Founder and CEO Mahmoud Ibrahim about his multiple entrepreneurial ventures, the growth in e-commerce in the Middle East, proactive changes governments are making to laws and regulations (and changes that are still needed), the importance of developing talent through mentoring, women’s economic inclusion in his businesses, and the need for the region to go beyond digitization and create change through innovation.

Economy & Business Middle East

In the News

Feb 8, 2021

Garlauskas on Strauss Center’s webinar: The North Korea forecast for 2021

On February 2, Markus Garlauskas made an appearance as a guest speaker at a virtually held event by the Strauss Center for International Security and Law housed in the University of Texas at Austin, titled “The North Korea Forecast for 2021: A Former National Intelligence Officer’s View”. Based on his experience at the US National […]

Arms Control Korea

Op-Ed

Feb 8, 2021

Sherman and Herr in The National Interest: Finding a foreign policy for the internet

At present, the United States foreign policy for the internet is absent, and much of the country’s policy efforts could be summed up as “not what China is doing,” a rejectionist attitude beset on all sides by purposeful adversaries and weakened alliances. The United States government does not yet have a constructive strategy for the […]

SouthAsiaSource

Feb 8, 2021

The dynamics of South Asia: A roadmap for the Biden administration

By Safiya Ghori-Ahmad and Kyle Gardner

South Asia offers the Biden administration opportunities to elevate US diplomacy and strengthen partnerships in capitals from Delhi to Dhaka. But doing so will require navigating five dynamics at play across this important region.

Digital Policy Economy & Business

Event Recap

Feb 8, 2021

Event recap | Data salon episode 6: Digital identity

By Arjun Mehrotra

On Thursday, December 17, the GeoTech Center hosted the fifth installment of the Data Salon Series in partnership with Accenture to discuss the future of digital identity and the potential benefits of and hurdles to its widespread adoption.

Digital Policy Economy & Business

EnergySource

Feb 5, 2021

Charting a path towards net-zero: The importance of US leadership in carbon dioxide removal

By Anne Canavati

Under the Biden-Harris administration, the United States can and must reemerge as a global leader on climate action. Accelerating research, development, demonstration, and deployment of a range of carbon dioxide removal applications is a critical step to achieving US and global climate targets.

Climate Change & Climate Action Elections

In the News

Feb 5, 2021

Busch in The Hill: COVID, Barley and a most unusual Australia-China trade war

By Marc L. Busch

Marc Busch writes that Australia may have effectively leveraged some of the WTO's misfunction to its political benefit in a trade disagreement with China.

Australia China

ACFrontPage

Feb 5, 2021

Transcript: President Macron on his vision for Europe and the future of transatlantic relations

By Atlantic Council

At the launch of the new Atlantic Council Europe Center, French President Emannuel Macron talked about how with a new administration in the United States, this is an opportunity to re-invigorate the transatlantic community to tackle common challenges. This moment is an opportunity to reshape the Alliance with a more responsible global Europe at its core.

Europe & Eurasia European Union

SouthAsiaSource

Feb 4, 2021

A house divided: Afghanistan neighbors’ power play and regional countries’ hedging strategies for peace

By Tamim Asey

Afghanistan is once again at a cross-roads facing an uncertain future. The United States, intent on ending its longest war, is hoping to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan with a timeline based on the US-Taliban agreement, now under review by the new Biden administration. Afghanistan’s neighbors, hedging their bets and securing their borders, are expecting that the ensuing chaos will help to ensure that their geopolitical interests are served via proxies or at least a friendly government in Kabul.

Afghanistan Conflict