• The flaws of the decade of Roma Inclusion 2005-2015

    The flaws of the decade of Roma Inclusion 2005-20150

    After a turbulent decade of Roma Inclusion starting from 2005, the year 2016 is a year of analyses, evaluations and impact assessment. The end of the decade provided space for discussions with an emphasis on the gains and losses of the initiative. Some of the stakeholders highlight the pros arguing that the decade was the perfect period to raise awareness for the issues of Roma while I echo the cons, arguing that the Central and Eastern European countries overlooked the initiative and shown lack of interest in sustainable changes for inclusion of Roma.

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  • Basic income – Three centuries of discussion

    Basic income – Three centuries of discussion1

    Between unemployment, the refugee’s crisis, the rise of the extreme right and a possible Brexit, it is easy to see that the European Union has witnessed better times. Let’s try to look at the sunny side of politics. What if every EU citizens received an unconditional basic income? In other words, what if the EU distributed an income regardless of your social-economic status? This is what Finland, Switzerland and the EU more generally decided to inquire into.

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  • EU-US data transfers: Why Safe Harbour 2.0 may just be an empty shell

    EU-US data transfers: Why Safe Harbour 2.0 may just be an empty shell1

    The European Commission and the US have just come to a deal to replace Safe Harbour, which ensured a blanket allowance for EU-US data transfers before its invalidation by the European Court of Justice (ECJ). The newly-baptised Privacy Shield is supposed to set a framework for transatlantic data flows ensuring compliance with the EU Data Protection Directive. However, except for a fancy new name and a couple of nice declarations of intention, there is – at this time – no sign that it will offer better guarantees regarding EU citizens’ rights to privacy and data protection.

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  • The dilemma of oil and biodiversity on Azerbaijan’s Absheron Peninsula

    The dilemma of oil and biodiversity on Azerbaijan’s Absheron Peninsula0

    Azerbaijan is one of the major oil and gas producers in the Southern Caucasus region, which is putting the preservation of biodiversity of the Caspian Sea at great risk.

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  • Turkey: Who’s the enemy?

    Turkey: Who’s the enemy?0

    The repression of Kurds in Turkey has been a long lasting situation, leading to violent outbreaks between the PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party) and the Turkish state. The latest cease fire ended in 21 July 2015 and from then on attacks have been undertaken on Kurd majority areas in southeastern Turkey and northern Iraq, one of the most recent being the killing of 32 on the 10 January 2015.

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  • University responses to refugee crisis in Europe

    University responses to refugee crisis in Europe0

    In recent months, the EU has been extensively criticized for its inability to deal with Europe’s largest humanitarian crisis in the last decades. The Commission as well as the Member states received negative cover because of dedicating financial resources to border protection rather than integration of refugees. This op-ed describes how the Commission and universities across Europe could work together to integrate refugees in the EU’s societies.

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