Dossier articles from the past 3 months
It is now almost five years since the coup d’état that took place in Thailand on 22 May 2014. This year on 24 March, it will hold elections which could have serious consequences for the Country of the Smile, now grim and uncertain, led formally by civil institutions but inflexibly guided by the National Council…
Read moreBangkok seems to be a champion of futuristic architecture but its lights simply overwhelm without removing either its own multiple dark areas or the darkening shadows of the country. The present contingency, with the creation of a speculation bubble, the flight of capital, failed investments, populist policies and the rigidity of a self-referential system which…
Read moreThailand is now witnessing the disappearance of its myth as a ‘Teflon Country’, unmoved by any crisis and capable of regaining its solidity after temporary setbacks. Officially, such things are never due to internal reasons but only to international contingencies. Apparently immune to what it sees as from outside, Thailand is occupied solely with presenting…
Read moreThe nation, the monarchy and Buddhism are the pillars commonly attributed to the Thai identity. A mixture of doctrinal rigour contaminated in practice by many Hindu and animist elements, Thailandese Buddhism, which belongs to the Theravada current, is in substance a ‘religion of works’. Offerings, donations and almsgiving are its determining elements, associated for many…
Read moreThe Limpopo River Basin is a fragile environment threatened by the combined pressure, of climate change, urban waste disposal and mining activities. The sluggish waters of the Limpopo, called Espiritu Santo River by the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama in 1498 and much later the “great grey-green, greasy Limpopo» by Rudyard Kipling, flow from South…
Read moreThe Zambezi River is one of Africa’s main energy assets and could become as well one of the continent’s main water highway, but many threats ranging from climate change to the risk of collapse of the Kariba dam, must be addressed. With a total length of 2,574 km, the Zambezi River, called the “Great River”…
Read moreThe Senegal River is a main source of life and prosperity for three West-African countries. But its vital role is put in jeopardy by a number of threats. The 1,641 km-long Senegal River, which has two headstreams in the Fouta Djalon highlands of Guinea and one in Mali, is vital for the four countries of…
Read moreThe Niger River is the main source of life of large parts of West Africa. But owing to climate change and human activities, riparian populations face growing challenges. Sailing down the Niger River from the Fouta Djalon Mountains of Guinea to the sands of Timbuktu, the pearl of the desert and to the mangroves of…
Read moreIn the new geopolitical context that is developing worldwide, Africa is increasingly seen as a nerve centre of interests. Its natural resources and its strategic position have drawn the attention of Western countries (especially that of the combined efforts of the USA, Israel and France) and have provoked the interest of new actors such as…
Read moreOver the years, President Putin has attentively observed the political, economic and military strategy of the United States and China in Africa. For the United States, Africa represents one of its geostrategic priorities for two sorts of reasons: the first is connected to the control of energy and mineral resources and the second is of…
Read moreIt is a fact that Libya is of fundamental importance for the Russian Federation since it is geographically embedded between the Mediterranean and the Sahara and also between Egypt and Algeria, historical Russian allies in the region. On the Libyan chessboard, despite the reigning chaotic situation due also to the interests of multiple actors, Russia…
Read moreMoscow began to take its first steps in the African context during the “Soviet period”. Since it had no colonial networks, it relied upon Marxist-Leninist doctrine to give ideological support to the emancipation of Africans from the yoke of colonialism and upon military means to provide them with arms and organise them militarily. Such a…
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She played a key role in a campaign that challenged a corrupt waste trafficking scheme between Italy and Tunisia, resulting in the return of 6,000…
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The Black and white swallow flew high up in the clear, blue sky, wheeling and diving, his fast, pointed wings carrying him at a great speed. Swallow…
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Welcoming, listening and guiding. Some characteristics of Pope Leo with the youth During the years when Father Robert Francis Prevost was pastor of the church of Our…
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