Category: Timely Commentary & Analysis

Understanding “rape culture” in Bangladesh, India, & Pakistan

By Rudabeh Shahid, Kaveri Sarkar, and Azeem Khan

Countless examples of gender-based violence (GBV) in South Asia from last year raise significant concerns about so-called “progress” made in improving women’s standing and fighting rape culture in the region. Political discourse in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh is deeply misguided regarding such issues, often leading to systematic victim-blaming which—knowingly or unknowingly—helps the perpetrators.

#DFRLabCoffeeBreak with Assistant Secretary General of NATO Baiba Braže

Assistant Secretary General of NATO for Public Diplomacy joins DFRLab's Lukas Andriukaitis for the latest #DFRLabCoffeeBreak.

A new national reinvestment fund could address the greatest threats facing the US

By Harlan Ullman

Make no mistake: As deadly and as disruptive as the COVID-19 pandemic is, this disease is a harbinger of even worse crises that could follow if a broader danger is not recognized. That danger is a new MAD, not the mutually assured destruction of the Cold War and the existential specter of thermonuclear Armageddon, but massive attacks of disruption.

Addressing African debt burdens

By Stefan de Villiers

Across the world, COVID-19 has ravaged economies and government revenues. For many sub-Saharan African (SSA) nations, that has tipped the delicate balance of debt. Zambia was the first affected, defaulting on debt obligations in November. Many more must take action to avoid the same fate, including Angola, Gabon, Ghana, and Kenya, among others.

Why digitalization is the future of energy as big oil and gas players decarbonize

By Leo Simonovich

The way companies handle the rapid transformation caused by digitalization across their value chains—and their resilience and security against cyberattacks—will become a major market differentiator. As the oil and gas industry increasingly relies on digitally connected energy assets, automation, and remote operations, cyber risks will have a direct, and growing, impact on operations. Cybersecurity is quickly becoming a key enabler of companies’ competitive advantage in the digitized energy future, protecting core value by ensuring trust and providing stability of operations and resilience against unplanned outages.

Transcript: A global view of Joe Biden’s inauguration

By Atlantic Council

Many in the global community sat and watched the US presidential inauguration. Here's what these experts think of the important moment and what it means for the rest of the world.

Transcript: Fatih Birol on what’s next for the energy system post-pandemic

By Atlantic Council

Fatih Birol tells the Atlantic Council's Global Energy Forum about how the energy sector will fare post-pandemic and the opportunities that lie ahead.

Bhasan Char: An inflection point in the Rohingya refugee crisis?

By Imrul Islam

On December 4, 2020, Dhaka followed through on its promise to move refugees from Cox’s Bazar to Bhasan Char, starting a new, unpredictable chapter in the Rohingya crisis. However, Bhasan Char does not solve these problems as much as it relocates them. Separating some refugees from others does not address the underlying drivers of crime within the refugee camps. If anything, relocation splinters aid response, and further attenuates humanitarian space.