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This Week at ISN

13 17 January 2014

Our Weekly Editorial Roundup

JUMP TO Editorial Plan | Security Watch | Blog | Video

// Fragile States and Informal Institutions

With the Westphalian system allegedly showing increasing signs of age, informal institutions and actors including transnational gangs in Latin America, Islamist organizations in Africa and the Middle East, and private corporations with their 'hired guns' are picking up where states leave off. But will these new competitors replace the state, or do they actually have vested interests in continuing to prop it up? After all, if the ultimate aim of drug cartel violence in Latin America is to influence state policy, and the proliferation of Chinese NGOs helps to legitimize the CCP, could anxiety over the state's future relevance be more of a passing fad than a harbinger of things to come?

Dunbar's Dilemma: Statecraft, Informal Institutions and Human Limitations

13 January 2014

The rise of informal institutions means that the state is becoming increasingly obsolete, right? Wrong, argues David Danelo. What we're really seeing is a shift in 'the relationships that matter'. Instead of the traditional ones between states, they will increasingly be between formal and informal groupings. More

A New Medievalism?
14 January 2014

The growth of informal ways of governance means that states must now negotiate their sovereignty with new types of actors. According to John Rapley, this means that modern states are increasingly becoming 'neo-medieval' ones first at the West's periphery, then at its core. More

Violent Corruption and Violent Lobbying

15 January 2014

Why do territory-holding drug cartels prefer to battle weak states instead of overthrow or even secede from them? The answer, according to Benjamin Lessing, is that calibrated violence permits the cartels to influence state policy. More

The Local Corporatist State and NGO Relations in China

16 January 2014

Does the growing number of NGOs in China support or undermine the state? According to Jennifer Hsu and Reza Hasmath, the CCP's tacit sanctioning of NGOs has become a preferred strategy to preserve its legitimacy in the face of mounting problems at home. More

Bitcoin, Alternative Currencies and the Future of Money

17 January 2014

What does the growing significance of digital, alternative and crypto-currencies mean for the global economy, financial markets and the state's traditional monopoly on money? Today, a Chatham House panel explores this question. More

// Security Watch
NATO: Ready, Robust and Rebalanced?
13 January 2014

NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen believes that the future of the Alliance depends on adhering to the above three R's. But do all of the member-states agree? Not according to Obaid Ul-Hassan, particularly when it comes to the idea of collective security and participating in out-of-area missions. More

Saving South Sudan

14 January 2014

How can other governments and international organizations bring the world's youngest country back from the brink of state failure? Beyond offering material assistance to the war-torn country, writes J. Peter Pham, they might also want to look at the nature of the conflict more realistically. More

China Expands into Himalayan Neighbor Nepal

15 January 2014

Why has China spent the past decade enhancing its diplomatic and economic ties with Nepal? According to Saransh Sehgal, strong relations with the landlocked country not only help Beijing control Tibet better, they also provide it with an opportunity to keep India's geostrategic interests in check. More

Russia's Shiny New Weapons

16 January 2014

Russia's armed forces hope that by investing more in UAVs and robotics they will be able to overcome a shortage of draftage young men. Fair enough, writes Mark Galeotti, but there are real doubts over whether they have the financial and technological capabilities to make this happen. More

US Counterterrorism Laws Block International Humanitarian Aid

17 January 2014

The United States continues to enforce its counterterrorism laws to a tee. That's resulted in humanitarian aid being blocked and relief organizations prevented from going about their work. Worse still, writes Sandi Halimuddin, it's also prolonged and exacerbated food crises in already insecure areas. More

// Blog
Interview James Fearon
13 January 2014

Stanford University's James Fearon focuses his research on the causes and correlates of interstate war, civil war, and ethnic conflict. In today's interview, he discusses the impact Kenneth Waltz had on his intellectual development, how to end the ongoing conflict in Syria and more. More

Will Iran's New Support of Human Rights Go Deeper Than Rhetoric?

14 January 2014

President Hassan Rouhani wants to change international perceptions of Iran's record on human rights, but Helen Alkin and Jose Vericat aren't impressed. As they see it, it's a pity that his diplomatic offensive doesn't seem to apply at home, where executions and political repression remain the order of the day. More

Review Cybersecurity and Cyberwar

15 January 2014

Does P W Singer's and Allan Friedman's recent book, "Cybersecurity and Cyberwar," deepen our understanding of current cybersecurity debates? Alex Stark thinks so, but not if you're already well tutored about them. More

New Threats in Africa Mean New Questions for UN Peacekeeping: Interview with Major General Patrick Cammaert
16 January 2014

UN peacekeepers are now facing an unprecedented range of threats in Africa. According to Patrick Cammaert, it's time to debate the increased use of technology in peacekeeping operations and maybe issue an updated version of the Brahimi Report. More

Think Again Before Exploiting the Arctic's Resources Where's the Infrastructure?
17 January 2014

If current predictions hold true, Arctic waters are destined to be open and navigable during the summer months. That's good news for those who can't wait to kick-start a 21st century 'gold rush' in the region, but Aiko Shimizu has an inconvenient question where's the infrastructure needed to make it happen? More

// Video
Meet Global Corruption's Hidden Players with Charmian Gooch
In this video, Global Witness' Charmian Gooch discusses the architecture of worldwide corruption and how it is often strengthened by the exploitation of natural resources. She also considers the impact that 'facilitators of corruption' have on domestic politics and poverty. More

Dirty Money: Breaking the Link between Organised Crime and Politics with Artis Vels
In this video, Artis Vels, who is Latvia's Deputy Chief of State Police, discusses how international development actors might improve the way they cope with organized crime's impact on local governance, particularly in developing countries. To illustrate his points, he provides an interesting case study from his own country. More

"Politics Demonizes, Culture Humanizes": Arts, Conflict, and Security

In this video, three practitioners discuss the important role played by the arts in unstable and authoritarian states, particularly when dealing with domestic politics, security issues and conflict. More

Coming Up
Next week's theme: Cities and Security

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