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Author: John L. Hirsch

by John L. Hirsch

John L. Hirsch is a Senior Adviser at the International Peace Institute.
More articles by this author →

  • Perspective: South Africa and the ANC’s Uncertain Future

    June 7, 2019by John L. Hirsch

    As Ramaphosa enters his second term, it is unclear what he will be able to accomplish, especially in relation to taking effective action against those in the government, the ANC, and other parties charged with corruption.

    Further Readingafrica
  • In South Africa, a Push to Change Euro-Centric University Curriculum

    September 11, 2018by John L. Hirsch

    Demands for changes in how universities in South Africa teach and function have been raised over many years by students and recent efforts are a continuation of these attempts.

    Analysisafrica
  • Remembering Winnie Mandela

    April 18, 2018by John L. Hirsch

    Winnie Mandela will be remembered as a person of great courage who worked for a greater cause throughout a very difficult life.

    Further Readingafrica
  • A Democratic Transition and the Return of an Ex-Military Leader in Sierra Leone

    April 12, 2018by John L. Hirsch and Lidia Cano

    In Julius Maada Bio’s favor is the pragmatism that he has thus far demonstrated, though there should still be no doubt about the magnitude of the challenges ahead.

    Analysisafrica, elections
  • Sierra Leone’s Election: New Opportunities, New Challenges

    March 20, 2018by John L. Hirsch and Lidia Cano

    The winner of the presidential election’s second round on March 27 will have much to do to move the country ahead.

    Analysisafrica, elections
  • Africa in Transition

    January 9, 2018by John L. Hirsch

    Africa’s men and women are now faced with the question of whether they can bring about a new African polity based on the principles of democracy and human rights or whether the politics of entrenched and often corrupt leaders who stayed in power for decades will continue.

    Further Readingafrica, african-union
  • As October Election Approaches, Kenyans Ask: Will it Be Fair, Verifiable?

    October 6, 2017by Sheila Kinya Gitonga and John Hirsch

    Given its central position in IGAD and the EAC as well as at the African Union Kenya’s electoral approach will have a significant bearing on ongoing efforts by the African Union and the United Nations to strengthen peace and security in the East African region.

    Analysiselections, kenya
  • South Sudan: What Options Remain?

    May 10, 2017by John L. Hirsch

    Absent some unforeseen new initiative, or the fulfillment of those initiatives currently underway, any prospect of improving the lives of the South Sudanese in the foreseeable future unfortunately seems remote.

    Analysisafrica, south-sudan
  • Somalia “Pregnant with Possibility” Ahead of Election: Q&A with Michael Keating

    February 7, 2017by John L. Hirsch

    Michael Keating, the United Nations’ special representative for Somalia, discusses the political and security situation in the country.

    Interviewselections, somalia
  • Gambian Gamble: Rare Intervention a Win for African Democracy

    January 25, 2017by John L. Hirsch and Michael R. Snyder

    Barrow’s victory now adds him to the list of freely elected rulers in West Africa, alongside President Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia, President Akufo-Addo of Ghana, and President Sall of Senegal.

    Analysisafrica, elections
  • Next →

This week

  • Why Congo’s M23 Crisis Lingers On

    May 30, 2023by Judith Verweijen and Christoph Vogel

    The conflict has been propped up by blame games, ineffective diplomacy, recurring geopolitical tensions and proxy warfare in the Great Lakes region, and the Congolese state’s weak commitment to addressing grievances that drive armed group proliferation.

    Analysisafrica, conflict
  • China’s Small Steps into UN Peacekeeping Are Adding Up

    May 24, 2023by Courtney J. Fung

    China will likely continue to shape peacekeeping along its preferences for a more technical and less overt political foreign policy tool.

    Analysispeacekeeping, unpkat75, united-nations

Trending

  • As UN Missions Draw Down, Strengthening Community-Led Approaches to Protection of Civilians

    May 23, 2023by Gay Rosenblum-Kumar

    UN mission transitions still result in gaps in the protection of civilians experiencing violent conflict.

    Analysispeacekeeping, protection-of-civilians
  • Human Survival Depends on Biodiversity: Interview with Brad Cardinale

    May 22, 2023by Jill Stoddard

    Brad Cardinale, an ecologist who focuses on the conservation and restoration of biodiversity in natural systems discusses the scale and irreversibility of the biodiversity crisis.

    Interviewsbiodiversity, climate-change, ecology
  • Mediation in Peacekeeping Contexts: Trends and Challenges for Mission Leadership

    May 19, 2023by Sara Hellmüller and Flavia Keller

    The political role of the UN may not have diminished overall, but shifted.

    Analysispeacekeeping, unpkat75, united-nations
  • How Not to Do UN Peacekeeping

    May 17, 2023by Cedric de Coning

    One of the most enduring lessons learned over the past 75 years of peacekeeping is that peace cannot be imposed.

    Analysispeacekeeping, unpkat75, united-nations
  • 75 Years On, the Uncertain Fate of UN Peacekeeping

    May 16, 2023by Jenna Russo

    This spring marks 75 years since the UN first deployed a peacekeeping mission. Here are some of the challenges peacekeeping is facing, and opportunities for the future.

    Analysispeacekeeping, unpkat75, united-nations
  • Ten Years After Genocide Trial in Guatemala, Justice System Suffering Trust Deficit

    May 10, 2023by Vaclav Masek

    The ten-year anniversary of the historic trial coincides with a process of erosion in judicial independence in the country.

    Analysisamericas, rule-of-law, transitional-justice
  • As Crimes against Peacekeepers Increase, How to Find Accountability

    May 4, 2023by Agathe Sarfati and Jill Stoddard

    Major challenges remain in pursuing justice for peacekeepers who have been victims of attacks.

    Analysispeacekeeping
  • A New Agenda for Peace: Making Peace Plural and Healing Historical Traumas

    April 27, 2023by Youssef Mahmoud

    Left unaddressed, painful legacies of past political violence will continue to infiltrate the institutions, processes, and assumptions that inform definitions of peace and approaches to sustaining peace.

    Analysispeace-and-security, sustaining-peace, united-nations
  • Small Changes, Big Impacts: WPS Achievements in Contingent Owned Equipment Manual Negotiations

    April 18, 2023by Phoebe Donnelly

    Updates to the COE manual addressing some of the particular obstacles faced by women peacekeepers are a tangible step toward meeting gender parity goals in UN peacekeeping operations.

    Analysispeacekeeping, women-peace-and-security
  • Will it Be MINUSMA à la Carte, or Geopolitical Endgame in Mali?

    March 30, 2023by Arthur Boutellis

    Ten years after MINUSMA was established, the mission’s future is more uncertain than ever.

    Analysisafrica, peacekeeping
  • Wagner Group Poses Fundamental Challenges for the Protection of Civilians by UN Peacekeeping Operations

    March 20, 2023by Dirk Druet

    The Russian government-affiliated Wagner Group has gained widespread attention for its brutal tactics in the Central African Republic and Mali.

    Analysisafrica, peacekeeping, protection-of-civilians
  • Addressing Gender Bias to Achieve Ethical AI

    March 17, 2023by Ardra Manasi, Subadra Panchanadeswaran, and Emily Sours

    For AI to be ethical and be a vehicle for the common good, it needs to eliminate any explicit and implicit biases, including on the gender front.

    Analysistechnology
  • Future Peace Deal Not Just About Putin, Zelensky: Ukrainian People Get a Voice and a Vote

    March 8, 2023by William Partlett

    A stable peace deal requires the support of the Ukrainian people for both legal and political reasons.

    Analysisconflict, eastern-europe, peace-processes
  • Do People Trust the UN? A Look at the Data

    February 22, 2023by Albert Trithart and Olivia Case

    Survey data does not reveal a major, widespread drop in the UN’s legitimacy over the past few years.

    Analysismultilateralism, united-nations
  • After Agreement in Ethiopia’s Tigray Region, What Stands in the Way of Lasting Peace? 

    February 7, 2023by Hilary Matfess and Anne Lauder

    A peace deal between Tigrayan forces and the Ethiopian government signed in November 2022 raised hopes that the war in northern Ethiopia—one of the world’s deadliest conflicts in recent years—was finally drawing to a close.

    Analysisafrica, conflict, peace-processes
  • The Multilateralism Index: Measuring Transformation in a Time of Crisis and Uncertainty

    January 9, 2023by Adam Lupel

    A better understanding is needed of where the multilateral system is working, where it is not, and where it is headed.

    Analysismultilateralism
  • Does the UN Need a More Coherent Approach Toward “De Facto” Authorities?

    January 6, 2023by Damian Lilly

    As a result of shifting dynamics in certain conflicts, as well as recent coups, the UN is having to engage with de facto authorities in a growing number of country contexts.

    Analysisunited-nations
  • The East African Community Steps into the Crisis in the DRC. Will It Help?

    December 12, 2022by Jenna Russo

    While the current crisis is unlikely to be resolved without military force, any hope for success requires that operations remain closely tied to a political process, and that neighboring countries remain accountable to support the security and sovereignty of the DRC.

    Analysisafrica, conflict
  • A Crisis of Consent in UN Peace Operations

    August 2, 2022by Anjali Dayal

    Last week, at least 15 people died in protests demanding UN peacekeepers leave the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The week before, the military junta ruling Mali halted troop rotations for the UN mission there and ejected the mission’s deputy spokesperson. These incidents highlight…

    Analysisafrica, peacekeeping, united-nations
  • Russia, NATO, and International Organizations

    May 23, 2022by Kseniya Oksamytna

    As Finland and Sweden begin the process of applying for NATO membership, misleading narratives about the role of NATO’s so-called eastward expansion in “provoking” Russia’s invasion of Ukraine continue to hold sway.

    Analysisconflict, eastern-europe

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The Global Observatory provides timely analysis on peace and security issues by experts, journalists, and policymakers. It is published by the International Peace Institute. The views expressed here represent those of the contributors and not IPI.

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