Pete’s blog

A review of the success of debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries initiative. A case study of Uganda and Mozambique’s debt.
Debt is a significant problem faced by many African countries. Africa’s ratio of external debt to GDP in 1998 was the highest in the world at 65.5%, approximately 6% of GDP […]

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South Africa as a hegemonic stabiliser for Africa? Using hegemonic stability theory to understand South Africa’s relationship with Africa.

The transformation of South Africa from apartheid pariah of the world to a free democracy welcomed by all has undeniably changed the dynamics of African relations. After years of poverty and decay in Africa, […]

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TO : Minister of Foreign Affairs: Dr N Dlamini Zuma
FROM : Directorate: West Asia: PR Nixon
STATUS : Policy recommendation
DATE […]

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Debt relief is a very topical issue at the moment, with pop stars and actors firing up public interest in the matter. Africa and debt relief are also inextricably linked – Africa conjures up images of heavily indebted countries and one cannot think of debt relief with thinking of Africa. If this is […]

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South Africa, as part of the African continent, is tied to the fates of its fellow African nations. As the largest economy in Africa, South Africa carries the hope of spreading and sharing its wealth with the rest of Africa, but it also carries the fears of dominating and overwhelming the weaker states. […]

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A lack of transparency regarding China’s defence modernisation has raised suspicions in East Asia and the US. Beijing’s rapid and sustained increase in defence expenditure suggests a long-term objective to dominate East Asia and the Pacific. Discuss.
 
Concerns have recently been raised about the growth and modernisation of China’s military. Combined with a lack […]

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China poses several big foreign policy challenges for the US. Militarily it is a rising power in Asia, challenging US dominance. Politically, China remains an authoritarian country in a region increasingly democratic. Economically, China supports the US dollar, while flooding the US economy with low-priced consumer goods. Asses the history of US policies […]

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In the post-Cold War era, as during the Cold War, NATO has successfully expanded its membership and partnership agreements to encompass the entire European continent. Yet, has this created greater security for NATO member states or further complicated and made NATO less useful as a political and military alliance able to respond to the […]

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In your opinion, why has the Middle East been a region wracked by conflict and instability? Is this state of affairs likely to continue or is the Middle East on the brink of a new era of democracy, peace and stability? Why?
(Use 3 mini case studies of your choice to support your answer)
The Middle […]

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Discuss the main characteristics of international trade and economic relations in the post Cold-War era, with special reference to the role of international economic organisations.

During the Cold War, trade was restricted to being between the countries of the West or the countries of the East, or with the marginalised non-aligned. But the fall of […]

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