"Italy, wake up!" Away with the Gerontocracy! (visual montage)

During the re-writing of history after Margaret Thatcher's death, a story remained untold. This was the support the Iron Lady enjoyed from some Black activists, due not least to the crushing of the 'racist' union movement.

American radical feminist Shulamith Firestone was a leading theorist of 70s feminism who died a lonely death last summer. Responding to Susan Faludi’s psychological profile of Firestone in The New Yorker last month, Kathleen B. Jones examines Firestone’s contribution to women’s liberation

One lesson from the 1979 Iranian revolution and the 2011 Arab revolutions is that activists seeking to promote women’s rights, human rights and the transition to democracy must challenge patriarchy from within the Muslim legal tradition. 

Europe can make sense only insofar as it becomes a space which makes it easier to get rid of the fear that the crisis is disseminating within the social fabric, a space where it is more viable to struggle against poverty, exploitation, and discrimination.

Roger Owen, professor of Middle East history at Harvard University talks about Syrian rebels’ narratives and current US strategies. Interview. 

The treatment of politicians Laura Boldrini and Cecile Kyenge highlights the persistent problem of the abuse of women in Italy's public sphere. This cannot be dismissed as just a debate about censorship. Italy’s gender question is a wound left unhealed. 

In preparation for Zimbabwe's forthcoming general election, the use of quotas to increase women’s occupation of political office remains one of the most effective tools for countering the patriarchal barrier to women of ‘merit’, says opposition MP Jessie Fungayi Majome.

In the UK political debate, boundaries are being blurred between the two hot topics on the political agenda: migration and the EU. This should be a wake-up call for the 2.7 million European immigrants living and working in the UK, says Nando Sigona.

When it comes to Gaza, an approach centered on isolation and deterrence has not led to a real stability, resulting in repeated rounds of violent confrontation between the two parties

On May 15 the EU will organise a donors’ conference on Mali. It should address the underlying causes of terrorism and instability, making investment in youth a priority 

Placing them within a pre-existing history of resistance simplifies our perception of who they “really” are

The outcome of the Syrian crisis, no matter what that might be, will delimit the new Middle East in a way that will affect the entire world—not just Syria and the region

The Scottish nationalists want to win next years independence vote by saying things will not change while those opposing them paint 'separation' as a disaster yet call for the UK to leave the EU in order to... stay the same. What are we to make of it?

The question of citizenship lies at the heart of the legitimacy of rule and political subjectivity, but its origins are European and orientalist. In a dewesternizing world, how can citizenship be reconceptualised? (Video, 33 minutes)

The persistence of a sense of "Iraqiness" could still be the foundation of a better future for Iraq's people, says Janan Al-Asady.

With his regime running out of steam, Vladimir Putin is resorting to the rhetoric of the past and traditional values. Marie Mendras sees little future in it. 

Repressive laws, socialist icons, and the promotion of Eurasian identity amount to a regression to the Soviet past, says Daniil Kotsyubinsky. Russian society has moved on, however, and the Kremlin will have to tread very carefully to avoid an explosion of protest. 

With Aleksei Navalny on trial and other opposition leaders under threat, Vladimir Putin is relying more on the stick than the carrot to shore up his regime. Kirill Rogov points out the risks of this policy.   

There are few new ideas driving the Putin regime forward. If the Kremlin has an ideology, it is a deeply conservative and miltaristic one, with no goals, vision or future.