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AnalysesInternational Affairs

Among the Israeli hostages in Gaza, some are still lost, while others are being released. With the ceasefire agreement now in effect, Hamas has begun releasing hostages who were kidnapped over 15 months ago. The first to be freed are women, the elderly, and children, as outlined in the agreement. However, a devastating blow to the families and all of Israel came in the last few hours: not all of the 33 hostages to be released in the first phase of the agreement – which lasts 42 days – are still alive. Some, likely 8, have died, and only their bodies will be returned. Hamas officially informed Israel, confirming intelligence reports. Meanwhile, there is still uncertainty about the fate of the other hostages not included in this first group. It’s estimated that 63 more hostages remain, most of them men.

PublicationsInternational Affairs

Ten years after the Arab Spring, the change promised by that fateful season has been minimal at best. The common thread moving through Arab society in this third millennium is precisely the overall feeling of incompletion, making any prospect of economic revival more dismal due to the arrival of a lethal health crisis. This timely publication, the product of a two day conference held in December 2020, aims to bring together some of the best minds in reflection on the past decade of stumbles and obstacles in the Arab world and what hope does the Tunisian Exception hold for the future.

Our Initiatives International Affairs

The current political situation in Post-Soviet countries, primarily the Russian Federation, raises questions about the cultural roots of today’s prevailing nationalist political ideologies and behaviours. The international scientific community has to overcome the lack of knowledge about Russia’s Post-Soviet history, also in order to avoid the sheer repetition of old clichés – liberal -western opinions versus a despotic-eastern world

Videos International Affairs

Asma Afsaruddin, professor of Islamic studies at Indiana University, talks about the challenges of achieving peaceful coexistence in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. She highlights the need for equal rights and justice for all, pointing to the absence of a Palestinian state as a major obstacle.

ConveningInternational Affairs

December

2024

Online

Is Donald Trump’s electoral success a sign of authoritarian decline in American democracy, or is it a response to the Democratic Party’s failure to deliver on its promises? Daron Acemoglu recently argued the latter, suggesting the Left has focused too narrowly on cultural recognition at the expense of material protections. This neglect of the social order’s material foundations has deepened tensions, fueling “culture wars.” Shifting focus away from these conflicts toward social protections to tackle global crises is a compelling idea—but is it feasible, and how might it be achieved?

March

2024

Online (Zoom)

Join us on Thursday March 7th at 8 am EST / 2pm CET / 6:30pm IST to dissect the implications of Modi’s triumphalism, the erosion of India’s federal system, and how will this impact India’s international aspirations after India’s upcoming elections.

December

2023

Palermo, Italy

The conference will examine why democracy has struggled to take root in the Arab world: historical factors such as the consequences of oil resources, autocratic regimes, the inability to effectively implement economic reforms, the historical legacy of the alliance with the Soviet Union and the effects of colonialism, and in more recent times the negative parabola of the “Arab Springs” and in particular the failure of the compromise between Islamic and secular political forces that had made possible the beginning of a democratic path for Tunisia, now dominated by an autocratic power that arrests opponents.