This report shows the EU’s plan to drastically increase imports of renewable hydrogen from North Africa is not realistic from a cost or energy perspective, and instead diverts renewable electricity away from local needs and local climate targets.
Multistakeholderism, a specific form of corporate capture of multilateral institutions, has become increasingly determinant in the formulation of national public policies, with direct effects on access to and quality of health services provided worldwide.
As conflict and crisis continue in the aftermath of the SAC coup, political instability and uncertainty have swept many parts of the country. In this commentary, Khun Say Lone examines a dramatic succession of events in Shan State that have seen the RCSS, an NCA-signatory, forced to retreat by other ethnic armed organisations in the territory. Amidst allegations of “divide and rule”, he argues that unity is needed if the people are to end the cycles of conflict and build a better future.
The Transnational Institute (TNI) is issuing an open call for essays, accessible papers, infographics and artistic collaborations on the theme of 'digital power' for its eleventh State of Power report to be launched in January 2023. (Deadline for pitch/proposal: 8 June 2022)
Mark Akkerman, Pere Brunet, Andrew Feinstein, Tony Fortin, Angela Hegarty, Niamh Ni Bhriain , Joaquín Rodriguez Alvarez, Laëtitia Sédou, Alix Smidman, Josephine Valeske
17 March 2022
Report
The European Defence Fund (EDF) and its precursor programmes explicitly aim to strengthening the ‘global competitiveness’ of the technological industrial base of European defence. There is a major disconnect between such technologies and their potential impact beyond the profits they will generate. They will inevitably boost European arms exports and fuel the global arms race, which will in turn lead to more armed conflicts and wars, greater destruction, significant loss of life, and increased forced displacement.
Shaun Matsheza and Nick Buxton of TNI spoke to two activists on the editorial board of the left Commons journal that explores and analyses Ukraine’s economy, politics, history and culture. Denys Gorbach is a social researcher currently doing his PhD in France on the politics of Ukrainian working class and Denis Pilash is a political scientist and activist involved in a social movement, Sotsialnyi Rukh.
“Electricity should be owned by the people”, declared Bernd Lange, the chair of the European Parliament's Committee on International Trade (INTA), during a recent visit to the Mexican Senate. But this should also apply to other energy and natural resources. The “modernization” of the Free Trade Agreement between the European Union and Mexico raises great concerns, because it may result in a greater surrender of sovereignty and shows many shortcomings in environmental protection.
This conference will bring together academics, social activists and trade unionists to discuss their current observations and findings on narrative shifts in public spending and public services globally.
Arnau Quinquillà, Bruno Palombini Gastal, Katie Sandwell
08 March 2022
Article
The Farmers Movement in India has inspired millions around the world who are fighting for justice, democracy and solidarity. The farmers held their ground in the face of threats, intimidation and relentless propoganda, and forced the Modi government to repeal the farm bills. This was one of the most spectacular victories of ordinary people against the combined assault of corporate power and the state, showing that determined struggle can defeat the mightiest of forces.
What’s the role and position of women in opium cultivation areas in Myanmar? What is life like for women who use drugs in Myanmar? This primer maps out the gendered dynamics of drug policy in Myanmar, drawing from on-the-ground conversations with women involved in the drugs market.
This briefing illustrates how the world's biggest asset managers - BlackRock, Vanguard, & StateStreet - are fuelling and profiting from the climate crisis through investments in polluting fossil fuels, destructive agribusiness, and violent border regimes.
The dreadful events unfolding in Ukraine have captured world attention. TNI's wide network of Associates, scholar-activists from all around the world, have shared their analyses with international media. We have collected a small sample here.
We will work to keep this page up to date as events continue to unfold.
This week, the International Court of Justice in The Hague is investigating allegations of genocide, conducted by the Myanmar armed forces against the Rohingya population in Rakhine State. Meanwhile an uneasy peace exists in the territory where the United League of Arakan-Arakan Army continues to expand its administrative outreach following an informal ceasefire in November 2020. In this commentary, Kyaw Lynn examines the political and security rivalries taking place between the military State Administration Council and ULA-AA, with the ULA-AA offering a new vision for a modern Arakan national identity that will include all nationality peoples.
Nick Middeldorp, Tjalling Postma, Guus Geurts, Sara Murawski
22 February 2022
Report
The EU-Mercosur trade agreement leads to the destruction of nature, violations of the land rights of farmers and Indigenous people and loss of industrial jobs in the Mercosur countries. An alternative treaty should be proposed – one that improves political cooperation between the EU and Mercosur countries while strengthening fair and sustainable international trade rules.
Financial technology, or ‘fintech’, is a widely celebrated recent innovation. However, in this paper we explore how its seductive narrative is a fundamentally flawed and inaccurate portrayal of the emerging reality. While it is clear that fintech offers a major opportunity to improve the lives of the poor if done right, and it has had some important initial successes, its full long-term impact looks far less rosy.
