What showing up for Western Sahara says about Jeremy Corbyn
God, I’m enjoying seeing all the Blairite New Labour people writhing over Jeremy Corbyn’s success in the leadership campaign. I know Jeremy. He has been – by far – the most steadfast supporter of the liberation of the Western Sahara in the British parliament, for decades. I love him for that alone. The Western Sahara must unfortunately be close to the bottom of the list of fashionable international issues in the world. Continue reading What showing up for Western Sahara says about Jeremy Corbyn
The Mediation-Industrial Complex fails Syria
Greece, Varoufakis and the danger to the European ideal
I recommend this profile of Yanis Varoufakis by Ian Parker in the New Yorker. Parker clearly spent some time shadowing Varoufakis, yet the portrait that emerges is not wholly flattering (but not wholly disparaging either). Parker adroitly uses the personality of Varoufakis as a device to tell the dismal story of Greece’s debt debacle, although – typically – there has been way too much attention on the man rather than the detail of the issue. Continue reading Greece, Varoufakis and the danger to the European ideal
Some thoughts on the Iran deal: don’t forget Syria
The reaction to globalisation – Stir magazine
”I see the desire for decentralisation and in some cases separation as a very natural and inevitable response to globalisation, where power has not only left people’s hands but also no longer seems to belong to national governments. Just look at Greece. Everyone feels a lack of agency over the circumstances that affect them and that matter to them. That desire to reassert agency and control will be manifested in many different ways. But the paradox is that decentralisation or separation, as in Scotland or Catalonia, will not really recapture economic agency. Continue reading The reaction to globalisation – Stir magazine
Europe must rethink immigration – the human tide is not about to stop (quote from CR)
Quote in Newsweek article by Adam leBor on Europe’s immigration crisis:
The complex system of humanity: Carnegie Council
A while back, I spoke at the Carnegie Council. This is a clip comprising a short explanation of complexity theory as a means to understand what’s going on.
Continue reading The complex system of humanity: Carnegie Council
Revolution begins in the imagination
This was a panel I took part in at the Skoll World Forum, discussing political change with film-makers and activists.
“A rebel diplomat on the Catalans’ side”: Translation of Catalan “Vilaweb” review of “The Leaderless Revolution”
This review appeared on a Catalan website Vilaweb in 2013, but was recently and generously translated by my friend and colleague, Jan Hartman. Please note that there are one or two inaccuracies about me in the article, including the timing of my work on Iraq at the UNSC, which in fact concluded several months before the 2003 invasion.
A rebel diplomat on the Catalans’ side
A Short guide to the British general elections – for Americans
Published on Medium, January 28th 2015
Americans may just about have heard that Britain is to go to the polls to elect a new parliament in less than 100 days. Much about British politics is extremely obtuse and muddling, even to Brits. So here’s a short guide that may help pierce the fog.
Continue reading A Short guide to the British general elections – for Americans