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Europe

Transnistria. In the Shadow of the Kremlin.

It is not recognized by any state, but, to all intents and purposes, it is independent: from the border to Tiraspol, between checkpoints and the still visible signs of the 1992 war. A journey to a country that does not exist, officially. A prefabricated container interrupts the two-lane road connecting Chisinau to Tiraspol. The cars…

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Europe. Drug-trafficking Ports.

The ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp have become the main entry hubs for cocaine in Europe These are two large structures, not just for the enormous number of containers handled every year, but also because they have become the two main hubs on European soil that are used by drug traffickers. In itself, a port…

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The EU and the Fight against Climate Change.

The fight against climate change is now on the agendas of all major global political players. The objective of the European Union is to play a decisive role in the fight to save the planet through its internal and foreign politics. Will the EU be able to act as a model on a global level?…

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Sami. An indigenous European people.

The Sami have always lived in the far north of the continent. Historically oppressed and assimilated, they are today fighting to keep their culture and traditions. All despite advancing modernisation. The Sami are an indigenous people numbering around 75,000. They are divided by the borders of four countries – Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia –…

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Bulgaria. Social breakdown.

The Bulgarian demographic crisis is the one that is most critical due to the speed at which it is taking place. Here, too, there is a high probability that in the near future the Romani may become the most numerous ethnic group in the country. In this regard, the United Nations predict that in Bulgaria,…

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The Romani People in the Balkans.

The Balkans and central Eastern Europe are experiencing the most serious and sudden drop in population in the world. Actually, for more than twenty years, the birth rates have been constantly declining and have recently reached the critical threshold which, according to experts, may not guarantee generational replacement. The factors which determine this change are…

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Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina. Fragile countries.

Serbian demography is also following the trend of the other surrounding countries, registering a considerable decline in population, something that involves especially the citizens belonging to the Serbian ethnic group. Demographic studies inform us that, in the period from 1991 to 2011, the population changed from 8,010,000 to 7,186,000, while the population of autochthonous citizens…

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Romania. Failure to integrate.

Romania, with its 19.6 million inhabitants, is going through a shocking demographic depopulation crisis. If the present pace were to continue, according to calculations made by the Romanian National Statistics Institute, the population would be reduced by around eight million in a matter of forty years, to below eleven million by 2060. According to experts,…

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A Polarized Policy.

The Moldovan political situation is extremely complicated. It reflects the clashes between the West and Russia, but also between internal power groups that escape the great logic of international relations.  In fact, it is self-centred interests that determine every balance, at the expense of the collective well-being, in the light of the significant influence played…

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Dangers of Secession.

The secessionist threat of the Gagauza community, which developed simultaneously with that of Transnistria, was resolved thanks to the recognition of an autonomy statute, subsequently contemplated in the 1994 Constitution (art.111 Cost.), and ratified by referendum in the territories concerned. The same fate did not fall to Transnistria where a ‘dormant conflict’ continues. However, the…

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Moldova. Difficult Balances.

Geographically located on the very outskirts of southeastern Europe, Moldova is a small state nestled between Romania and Ukraine. It shares the western border with Romania, while Ukraine envelops it to the north, east and south. The territory, mostly flat, coincides roughly with the Bessarabia region, an area situated between the Prut and Nistru rivers.…

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A Dependent Economy.

From an economic point of view, Moldova is considered one of the poorest countries in Europe. The average net monthly income slightly exceeds 250 euros, the agricultural sector represents about 21% of the GDP, industry 15.1% and services 63.9%. Following independence, the country touched economic collapse due to the interruption of commercial ties with the…

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Advocacy

Yvette Mushigo, Breaking the Silence.

The Congolese activist and jurist Yvette Mushigo is the coordinator of the Synergie des Femmes pour la Paix et la Réconciliation (SPR), a network of…

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Baobab

The qualities of a Tuareg sheikh.

At the foot of the Atlas Mountains, a mountainous massif in the Western Sahara, there was a powerful kingdom ruled by a sheikh as wise as…

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Youth & Mission

Pope Francis to Congolese Youth.

Looking at the hands with which a different future can be built, Pope Francis suggests "five ingredients for the future", like the five fingers. In the stadium…

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