Dear Globalist readers,
At the beginning of this semester, after discussing other options, we settled on the theme of a pendulum. This theme turned out to be a great device for explaining many dynamic events unfolding around the world. The back and forth swinging of ideas and conditions is present in all of our articles on this issue, and we are very proud of the work of our writers this semester.
Misha Ghafouri outlines the on-and-off involvement of Western feminists in Afghanistan, charting the rise in their attention after the US invasion and its decline over the next 22 years. She presents the fascinating perspectives of both Afghani women and experts on feminism and Afghanistan. Ultimately she contemplates what obligations Western actors – particularly those who want to achieve gender equality – have towards Afghanistan and its people.
This question of responsibility is also interrogated by Avi Rao in his analysis of the aftermath of the recent coup in Niger. His piece presents an argument for what was the core cause for the overthrow of President Bazoum, drawing on insights from various academics and the former US Ambassador to Niger. Throughout the article, Avi goes beyond the statements of Western actors, government officials, and the military junta to assert where their true motivations lie.
Going east to Iran, Jack Olson analyzes Iran’s involvement in the Middle East before and after the Islamic Revolution of 1979. In this geographically and temporally expansive piece, he sketches the interference of the regime and the decisions that lay for it in the future. Given the current spike in conflicts in Ukraine, the Middle East, and Yemen this is a timely and informative piece.
In an essay that is both personal and analytical, Nataliia Shuliakova unpacks the assumption of the Ukrainian ‘privileged refugee’. The difference in treatment of those who flee war is highly variable. Nataliia’s analysis of the ‘false generosity’ that is extended to Ukrainians at the expense of other groups provides a nuanced view on the current state of refugee rights in Europe.
Hailey Seo explores the South Korean right wing’s reaction to what they perceive as feminism’s overreach. Throughout the article, she notes the gap between the perception of gender equality and female empowerment and the reality of the widespread, continued discrimination against women in South Korea.
Camila Young’s article is both simultaneously light-hearted and an informative explanation on misinformation and environmental policy. It touches on both carbon and convents, and what shifts people’s attitude on climate change.
Warmly,
Ezana Tedla & Dylan Gunn
Editors-in-Chief