Conflicts cold and hot, new and old in 2023

+ Colorado ruling against Trump: earthquake or blip? US Edition - Today's top story: Ukraine war has exposed the folly – and unintended consequences – of 'armed missionaries' [View in browser]( US Edition | 21 December 2023 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Top headlines - [What happens next in Colorado’s barring of Trump from ballot]( - [University donors dismayed over campus Israel-Hamas war protests]( - [Ukrainian Christmas carols reflect current politics]( International news year in review As The Conversation grew in 2023, we introduced a new role in the newsroom: international affairs editor. Prior to then, the job of helping readers understand what was going on outside U.S. borders was spread across other desks. But having a dedicated position has allowed us to expand the scope and depth of international stories, encourage new and diverse voices and provide different perspectives on major world events. It couldn’t have come at a more important time. Over the last 12 months, we have seen the continuation or resumption of conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza, Nagorno-Karabakh and Myanmar, coups in a number of African states, political lurches to the right and left in South American elections, and geopolitical shifts that will only be truly understood in the fullness of time. Unsurprising, some of our most-read stories touched on these meaty issues. University of Michigan historian Ronald Suny used the opportunity of the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to assess how that [ongoing conflict is affecting the global geopolitical order](. Krista Wiegand, from the University of Tennessee, explained how tensions in the South China Sea could boil over into [outright conflict between the U.S. and China](. Meanwhile, Maha Nassar, a Palestinian historian at the University of Arizona, provided [crucial context to better understand the escalation of violence in Gaza](. Ideology, personality and geopolitics are always present in international affairs, as the conflicts of 2023 have shown. Henry Kissinger, who died during the year, was driven by all three, although the jury is out as to which one dominated his decision making. One thing that is certain is that his policies had consequences for the people who suffered them. Sophal Ear, from Arizona State University, wrote about what [Kissinger and his secret bombing campaign meant for Cambodia](. Myanmar’s troubles persisted throughout 2023. The civil war there looks to only be getting worse – driven in part, noted scholar Tharaphi Than, by [international indifference to the spiraling violence]( as well as the people’s dogged resistance to the military rule. The deteriorating situation in Myanmar is proving an early test to [Indonesia’s desire to become a “great regional power,”]( as Angguntari Ceria Sari from Universitas Katolik Parahyangan explained. Regardless, the growth of Indonesia – on course to becoming the world’s fourth-largest economy – underlines that the world is changing and the existing “order” is being challenged. Boston University’s Jorge Heine explored how so in a piece explaining and [exploring the concept, and rise, of the “Global South.”]( [ [Miss us on Sundays? Get a selection of our best and most popular stories (or try our other weekly emails).]([]]( Matt Williams Senior International Editor Putin’s decision to go to war has seen great geopolitical ripples. Getty Images [Ukraine war has exposed the folly – and unintended consequences – of ‘armed missionaries’]( Ronald Suny, University of Michigan A year into the war in Ukraine, a historian reflects on how it has affected the geopolitical environment. Destruction from the latest siege of Gaza. Ashraf Amra/Anadolu via Getty Images) [The Gaza Strip − why the history of the densely populated enclave is key to understanding the current conflict]( Maha Nassar, University of Arizona The enclave abutting Israel has been described as the world’s ‘largest open-air prison.’ Conditions have deteriorated for the population there under a 16-year blockade. A Marine amphibious assault vehicle takes part in a 2019 joint U.S.-Philippines exercise. Ted Aljibe/AFP via Getty Images [The US is about to blow up a fake warship in the South China Sea – but naval rivalry with Beijing is very real and growing]( Krista Wiegand, University of Tennessee The South China Sea is of strategic and economic importance to Beijing and the US, setting up a potential power struggle that could spark conflict. - [Henry Kissinger’s bombing campaign likely killed hundreds of thousands of Cambodians − and set path for the ravages of the Khmer Rouge]( Sophal Ear, Arizona State University A Cambodian scholar who fled the Khmer Rouge as a child writes about the legacy of Henry Kissinger, who died at the age of 100 on Nov 28, 2023. - [Military violence in Myanmar is worsening amid fierce resistance and international ambivalence]( Tharaphi Than, Northern Illinois University Since seizing power in a 2021 coup, Myanmar’s military has killed more than 3,000 civilians and pro-democracy activists. But the army has struggled to contain an armed resistance movement. - [Myanmar crisis highlights limits of Indonesia’s ‘quiet diplomacy’ as it sets sights on becoming a ‘great regional power’]( Angguntari Ceria Sari, Universitas Katolik Parahyangan As current chair of the regional body ASEAN, Indonesia is tasked with resolving a conflict that has killed thousands. Progress has been slow. - [The Global South is on the rise – but what exactly is the Global South?]( Jorge Heine, Boston University Terms like ‘Third World’ and ‘developing nations’ have long fallen out of fashion. Politics + Society - [Trump barred from Colorado ballot – now what?]( Mark A. Graber, University of Maryland A historian and legal scholar of a key part of the US Constitution explains what happens now that the Colorado Supreme Court has ruled Trump cannot be on the state’s presidential ballots. - [US-led taskforce deploys in Red Sea as Middle East crisis threatens to escalate beyond Gaza]( Basil Germond, Lancaster University A US-led naval taskforce has deployed in the Red Sea and is considering strikes on rebel positions in Yemen. Ethics + Religion - [New date, same traditions: Ukraine’s wartime Christmas celebrations]( Iryna Voloshyna, Indiana University An expert on Ukrainian music and folklore explains how holiday traditions celebrate both centuries of culture and present-day resistance. Science + Technology - [AI could improve your life by removing bottlenecks between what you want and what you get]( Bruce Schneier, Harvard Kennedy School Life is full of hidden bottlenecks that result from logistical trade-offs between efficiency and your unique needs and desires. AI promises to change this taken-for-granted equation. Economy + Business - [What do universities owe their big donors? Less than you might think, explain 2 nonprofit law experts]( Ellen P. Aprill, Loyola Law School Los Angeles; Jill Horwitz, University of California, Los Angeles Threats from disappointed donors over the language used during campus protests about the Israel-Hamas conflict have become angrier and more public than in the past. Podcast 🎙️ - [Social media drains our brains and impacts our decision making]( Mend Mariwany, The Conversation; Jusneel Mahal, The Conversation New research shows that scrolling through Instagram can effect our processing and language capabilities. Listen to The Conversation Weekly podcast. Trending on site - [Wild ‘super pigs’ from Canada could become a new front in the war on feral hogs]( - [Why 14th Amendment bars Trump from office: A constitutional law scholar explains principle behind Colorado Supreme Court ruling]( - [With ‘White Christmas,’ Irving Berlin and Bing Crosby helped make Christmas a holiday that all Americans could celebrate]( - [How active are the microorganisms in your yogurt? We created a new tool to study probiotic activity — and made it out of cardboard]( - - More of The Conversation Like this newsletter? You might be interested in our weekly and biweekly emails: • [Weekly Highlights]( • [Science Editors' Picks]( • [This Week in Religion]( • [Politics Weekly]( • [Global Perspectives]( • [Global Economy & Business]( Trying out new social media? 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