Is it bad to forget culture? Is there a point to endlessly accumulate or remember cultural information? Is there more to forgetting that we are missing out on? The implications for cultural erasure and forgetting are damning. On an international stage, however, perhaps there could be generative and restorative value in forgetting.
Oct 18: White House issues 40-page report against climate crisis, Myanmar junta chief excluded from upcoming ASEAN summit, Sudanese protesters took to the streets demanding military take over.
Diplomacy is not isolated from the changes that come along with the COVID-19 pandemic. The new world order and geopolitical scene possess new threats and demand new developments, ultimately calling to question whether the world can still rely on the usual practices of diplomacy. The IAS Gazette investigates how cultural diplomacy may rise to the forefront of diplomacy and its potential to mediate the problems of today.
Oct 11: The World Health Organisation (WHO) approves world’s first Malaria vaccine for use in Africa, The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) has voted to stop formal investigations of war crimes in Yemen, Multiple world leaders have been implicated in the Pandora Papers, a leak that has uncovered the offshore shell companies in which people hide their wealth.
COVID-19 has exposed how interconnected our world has become. Even though the virus first appeared in China, it has eventually become a global pandemic. While leadership and cooperation are most needed during this time, the pandemic has further pushed them towards adopting protectionist policies. Though we have emerged out of many crises in the past, will we be able to do so again?
Oct 4: Brazil approves construction of power line through the Amazon reserve despite concerns, Former French military police officer admits to being a notorious serial killer in suicide note, Greta Thunberg led hundreds of young people to march along Milan to demand for swifter climate action.
As COVID-19 disrupts the operations of governments and businesses, technology can be utilised to bridge these gaps. This is an opportunity for governments to strengthen and empower their digital infrastructure. But we must ensure that safeguards are in place to protect our data and privacy rights.
Sep 27: World leaders gathered at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to enforce pledges to end energy poverty, Kim Jo-Yong negotiated that talks to discuss an end to the Korean war will only be done if “hostile policies” cease, new tally by the United Nations (UN) puts the death toll of the Syrian war at 350,000.
The pandemic has had countries scrambling for masks and trying to contain the virus. Foreign policy has turned into a key area of competition, exacerbated by globalisation. What can the world take away from the actions of superpowers in this trying time, and what will the future look like once this is over?
Sep 20: French submarine building deal with Australia abruptly ended after the latter decided to join a defence pact with the United Kingdom and the United States, the US government admits that a drone strike conducted in Kabul killed 10 innocent people, and Iran formally begins the process to join the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, a Eurasia-adjacent alliance.
The IAS Gazette is a news site run by undergraduates from the Singapore Institute of Management’s International Affairs Society (IAS). Founded in 2018, it traces its roots to The Capital, a now defunct bimonthly magazine previously under the IAS.
