Global Political Insight

As the stand-off between Russia and the West continues, one organisation seems to be completely off the radar, and yet has managed to make great strides in its development and growth. This organisation is the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), an intergovernmental group of Central Asian countries aiming to promote cooperation between its six member states:Russia, China, […]

Earlier this year the Trussell Trust, the UK foodbank provider, claimed that nearly one million people had visited a foodbank for an emergency 3 day food supply, a staggering 163% increase since 2012/13 figures. The increase in reliance on food banks has been linked to problems in the benefit system, and to people relying on […]

Kurdistan is a roughly defined geo-cultural region, encompassing areas of Northern Iraq, South Turkey, West Iran, and East Syria. The Kurdish people are an ethnic group in the Middle East who inhabit the area Kurdistan. Kurdish settlements have been present in the area documenting back to the medieval period existing during the 16th to 19th […]

By: Arman Sidhu As part of Narendra Modi’s regional foreign policy, the prime minister’s most recent visit to Japan has solidified India and Japan’s historically friendly ties. With Japan serving as example for Modi’s vision for a flourishing economic powerhouse, the talks between both governments have rendered increasing strategic partnerships in trade, a subject of […]

United Nations created in 1945 following the conflict against Axis powers in World War Two plays a vital role in securing peace in complex situations which affect the lives of millions of people today. However the situations in Iraq, Syria, Gaza and Ukraine has highlighted fundamental problems within the organisation as it seeks to resolve […]

Due to the tragic Ebola outbreak in Western Africa Sierra Leone has found itself in International headlines for the first time since the end of its eleven year civil war in 2002. The Ebola outbreak of recent months has reignited international interest in the small West African country with reports focusing on the impact of […]

Ethnicity is defined as “The fact or state of belonging to a social group that has a common national or cultural tradition” (Oxford Dictionary Online). Ethnicity and its relationship to conflict are highly relevant in the modern strategic environment; in the post-Cold war international system cleavages along ethnically defined lines have been utilised as an […]

Islamic State demonstrates enormous commitment to their cause with the public murders of American journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff, but the Western response indicates that lessons have been learnt from the Iraq War, and a coordinated, localised response is likely to produce an elongated struggle that will shape Iraq’s future. Another week goes by, […]

NATO’s Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen made announcement recently that North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) is for the first time looking to deploy its forces at new bases in Eastern Europe, in response to the Ukraine crisis and in an attempt to deter Russian President Vladimir Putin from “causing trouble in the former Soviet Baltic republics”. […]

The recent headlines of geopolitical clashes or the series of stricter banking regulations that are restricting banks by forcing them to deleveraging did not stop the financial markets from growing. On the contrary, undeterred by relatively weak growth of the major economics, financial stocks are continually reaching their record highs. Volatility on the markets is […]

Alexander Clackson, founder of Global Political Insight, took part in a debate on The Heat, a weekly news and current affairs talk show program on CCTV America, the English-language news channel run by Chinese state broadcaster China Central Television, based in Washington. The debate with Olexander Scherba, the Ukrainian Ambassador-at-Large focused on whether Ukraine should join NATO.

Over the past several months the British public has been exposed to issues concerning fracking (Hydraulic Fracturing), though some argue in favour of this method of extracting shale gas. Where there is the argument that fracking has horrendous environmental repercussions, there is also the argument that it prevents reliance on other countries’ energy sources. Many maintain that this […]

At three months since the beginning of the Kiev government military operation against anti-government rebels in Ukraine’s south-east, Europe appears to be acting to the detriment of its reputation as a peace and rule-of-law project, as well as its broader economic and trade interests and political goals in the region. The expansion of restrictive measures […]

Alexander Clackson, founder of Global Political Insight, was asked to appear on CrossTalk, a current affairs debate television program on RT. It focuses on global affairs, with host Peter Lavelle moderating conversation between multiple guests. This episode focused on the crisis in Ukraine. Ukraine is running out of many things: money, time and patience. There […]

The West’s increasing involvement in Iraq to combat the Islamic State (IS) insurgency has placed significant dilemma on its stance towards  Bashar al-Assad. The virtual none existence of the border between Iraq and Syria, and the apparent lack of Iraqi government authority in the Sunni dominated lands, has allowed the formation of the Islamic State and the […]