Around the World
The Mexican Supreme Court ruled earlier this month that infringing on the ability to use and grow marijuana was unconstitutional. The landmark decision gives drug policy reformers high hopes that marijuana prohibition could soon end across Latin America. Ana Davila discusses region-wide legalization trends and how Mexico’s court decision will impact the upcoming U.N. special meeting on drugs.
Continuing his critique of economics as an academic subject, James H. Nolt expands on the not-so subtle ways neoclassical economists inflate the importance of the free market and ignore the influence of private power.
Meanwhile, Rwandan President Paul Kagame appears to have secured enough backing to alter the constitution and legally run for an additional term despite appeals from Western nations. Jonathan Beloff reviews efforts to amend the constitution and argues that this experience provides Rwanda an opportunity to reduce its dependence on international assistance.
Finally, in this week’s episode of World Policy On Air, editor emeritus David A. Andelman previews December’s climate conference in Paris, highlighting major points from his interview with Ségolène Royal, the French minister of ecology, sustainable development, and energy, in the journal’s latest issue.
Around the Institute
On Tuesday, Nov. 17 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., World Policy Institute is hosting a members-only World Economic Roundtable on “The Joyful Science: The New Economics of Abundance,” featuring Rajiv Chaudhri, Founder and CEO of Sunsara Capital. Chaudhri will discuss why conventional economics has not been able to fully explain or offer appropriate policy prescriptions for new macroeconomic phenomena such as continued disinflation following the 2008 financial crisis, widening inequality, and persistently high levels of unemployment and underemployment in the United States and other developed economies.
WikiLeaks has unearthed praise for a World Policy Journal article in its release of emails from the global surveillance industry. In an internal email from Italian malware vendor Hacking Team on the topic of bulk surveillance by Russian security services, our Fall 2013 article “Russia’s Surveillance State” is cited as “excellent.”
Fellow Updates
Jonathan Cristol was interviewed for Al Jazeera English and Middle East Eye about Prime Minister Netanyahu’s White House visit and U.S.-Israeli relations.
Yaffa Fredrick spoke to Johannesburg’s 101.9 ChaiFM on the significance of the electoral outcomes in Turkey and Canada.
Swadesh Rana spoke at an Asia Society discussion on Nov. 9 about India’s foreign policy, covering topics such as India’s U.N. Security Council aspirations and the country’s relations with the U.S., Russia, and China.
Damaso Reyes’ three-part documentary about the experiences of individuals of African descent in Central Europe was featured on the German platform Schlosspost.
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[Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons]