Democracy is widely seen as being under threat. Our discussion will reflect critically on how it is presented in both political rhetoric and academic debates. We will ponder the socio-political origins of constitutions, their purpose in the historical context of state formation and the evolving meanings and expectations attached to citizenship. Can populism be seen as an inevitable by- product of constitutional democracy as it is understood and ‘sold’ to the people? Does the dominant approach to democracy work in the era of globalization?

This month, Turkish voters are making a decision that will determine the country’s fate for the next 5 years and potentially affect the balance of power in the region and around the world. With their best chance in a generation, the opposition, led by Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, hopes to dismantle President Erdoğan’s legacy in a divided country on the frontlines of democracy.

Emotion lies at the heart of all national movements, and Zionism is no exception. For those who identify as Zionist, the word connotes liberation and redemption, uniqueness and vulnerability. Yet for many, Zionism is a source of distaste if not disgust, and those who reject it are no less passionate than those who embrace it. The power of such emotions helps explain why a word originally associated with territorial aspiration has survived so many years after the establishment of the Israeli state.

According to the Tax Justice Network, up to $32 trillion in hidden assets are held in offshore tax havens.

The increasing outflow of money into the offshore world starves developing countries of government revenues, enables kleptocrats to hide their illicitly acquired wealth, and allows global multinational companies to lawfully avoid paying hundreds of billions in taxes. Until recently, we lacked comprehensive and detailed academic studies for understanding the scope and inner workings of the offshore system.

This is a small, cohesive, and welcoming reading group interested in foregrounding a serious and sophisticated critique of war by revisiting twentieth-century responses to the increasing civilianization of military conflict from the ‘global south’ and aimed at facilitating interdisciplinary conversations within the humanities.

Please join us for a book launch:

Tahriib – Journeys into the Unknown: An Ethnography of Uncertainty in Migration
By Anja Simonsen

Discussant: Ruben Andersson
Chair: Peter William Walsh

Criss-crossing the disparate realms of healthcare and global finance, war and national security, climate and personal safety, the language and logic of risk have become pervasive in the twenty-first century.