Think Pieces

Resuming Military Aid To Egypt: In US National Interest?
By Rana Allam
The Trump admin is releasing $195 million in military aid to Egypt that was previously withheld over human rights concerns. Have these concerns been alleviated over the past year? Or has the Egyptian government’s PR machine garnered results?


Can Preventive Diplomacy Avert Military Conflicts?
In the paradoxical battle against military conflicts, is preventive diplomacy one of the political remedies that can help deter wars before they break out? Thalif Deen writes for IPS, with commentary from ICAN’s ED Sanam Naraghi Anderlini





To Sustain Peace: Heed the Warnings & Prevent the Next War
By Sanam Naraghi-Anderlini
As the May 12 deadline looms for the US’s endorsement of the JCPOA, world leaders who claimed to support Mr.Guterres’ sustaining peace agenda, have a clear moral imperative: to stand by their words and sustain the peace for the millions of civilians in Iran and beyond who would pay the price if violence escalates.


Hashtag Feminism in Afghanistan
Feminist writer, Zarlasht Sarsam Safy, writes about the wave of feminism that has engulfed Afghanistan





Rise of Feminism & the Renewed Battle for Women’s Rights
“So 101 years on as March 8th 2018 dawns, how far have we come and how far do we still need to go?” Sanam Naraghi Anderlini writes about the battle for women’s rights


UN Relies on DNA for Paternity Claims Against Sexually Abusive Peacekeepers
In this commentary by Thalif Deen about Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA) by UN Peacekeepers, ICAN’s Sanam Naraghi Anderlini offers valuable insight on the issue




The Egyptian Revolution Continues
A Commentary by Rana Allam.
Despite the Egyptian regime’s guns and tanks, and the farcical elections, the revolution of the minds cannot be stopped.





Iran After Protests: Change Does Come
By Sanam Naraghi Anderlini
If past events are any predictor of the present, it would be erroneous to assume that they will result in either the status quo remaining or the hardline reasserting control.





Peacekeeping is a Woman’s Job
Some 17 years after the UN resolution on women, peace and security, women make up just 5 percent of deployed blue helmets. It’s time to find the political will to upend the status quo.




Jerusalem: A High Price For An Unnecessary Move
By handing Israel the city of Jerusalem, which Palestinians view as the heart of the two-state solution, Trump has killed any hope of a viable peace process. Rana Allam writes on the repercussions of Trump’s move to the peace process, peace advocates and the Palestinian people’s plight