Essays

This paper discusses the economic and social development inspired by entrepreneurship in Brazil. In the past thirty years, Brazil has transitioned from an authoritarian military regime to a globalized democracy, growing into the undisputed entrepreneurial capital of Latin America. Economic and social-science studies suggest a correlation between increased entrepreneurial activity and a country’s development. Drawing on academic literature, business articles, and interviews with a range of entrepreneurs in São Paulo, the following article considers the effect of the entrepreneurial phenomenon…

The strategic players of China, India, and America (CIA) are all attempting to restore historic supremacy and legitimacy in the Indian Ocean through Sri Lanka—as if the island’s post-Eelam War’s peace dividends could benefit all stakeholders. Sri Lanka, the crown jewel of China’s multibillion dollar New Silk Road—or the String of Pearls—strategy across the Indian Ocean will be home to a $100-million plus, all-encompassing Lotus Tower. The tower, named in deference to the Buddha’s Lotus Sutra, is being paid for by Beijing. Cementing longstanding historical ties as well as reaffirming…

China-India border disputes are one of the most prominent factors embedded in Sino-Indian relations, as they began influencing the relationship between the two Asian powers since the end of the Second World War. The aim of this paper is to identify the historic, geopolitical, and economic reasons behind China-India disputes, showing under which conditions the emergence of a critical juncture helped Beijing and New Delhi governments to partially or completely solve their controversies, as well as what happened when one of the two parts involved in the dispute did not recognize the emergence of a…

Trafficking in persons represents a serious crime, although one that is not yet fully explored. Notwithstanding, what is known about it makes one wonder how this modern-day slavery could acquire such immense proportions. The international community has progressed a long way over the past two decades in understanding and tackling the crime of human trafficking. Throughout the 1990s, it was primarily viewed as, and often confused with, illegal migration. The UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime with its Protocols adopted in 2000 successfully addressed this distinction and inaugurated…

Drug trafficking and its impacts have become defining features of politics, governance, and statehood in Guinea-Bissau. While “cocaine politics” is triggering a new era of fragility and instability across the subregion and beyond, the problem is deeply rooted. This paper examines the country’s postcolonial past to better understand the present relationship between drugs and statehood and the role of the international community in Guinea-Bissau. Such an analysis offers insights into potential strategies that might begin the process of delinking these increasingly intractable, interwoven strands…

On election night, California voters passed Proposition 35, which increases penalties for those convicted of human trafficking. California is among the top four destinations for human trafficking in the United States. According to a recent study by California’s Attorney General, 1,277 people have been identified as victims of human trafficking and forced labor in the last two years in California.

Globally, the $32 billion-per-year human trafficking industry is estimated to affect 2.4 million people. This April, the Director of the United Nations Office on Drug and Crime asked…

“Here is the question—still unanswered—who are the masterminds behind Duca, Legija, and Zveki? Although some politicians have hinted and part of the public is convinced they exist, the official investigation has not clearly indicted anyone. . . . The process of returning Serbia to a normal state and its transformation into a well-governed country appears to be irreversible. But what has the assassination of Zoran Djindjic brought to those who were using political dogmas, prejudices, and ideology as an excuse for this crime?
Milos Vasic[i]