Category: South America

In the spring of 2016, Prime Minister Matteo Renzi invited to a referendum in Italy – with elections on 4 December. The question was yes or no to comprehensive changes to the constitution. Renzi had taken on one of the biggest tasks a politician can embark on: changing Italy. But at a press conference the day after the election, he had to admit that he had failed. “I have lost,”…

Italy – the Art of Twisting Part II

The art of arranging ” L’arte di arrangiarsi ” – the art of twisting – is a key concept for understanding Italian society. Although the differences are great between the rich north and the poor south of Italy, there is a widespread tendency for a lot to go “on acquaintances” . 50 percent of Italians get a job after a personal recommendation, 39 percent through a personal contact and only…

Italy – the Art of Twisting Part III

In the 1994 parliamentary elections, Forza Italia went to the polls on a promise to change Italy. The charismatic Berlusconi promised tax cuts, the fight against bureaucracy and the abuse of power, and he claimed that his own success would become a model for the whole of Italy. And Italian voters were convinced. Berlusconi became Italy’s new prime minister, and not only that: he was to be the longest-serving prime…

EU Neighborhood Policy Part II

6: Ukraine and Russia To date, the neighborhood policy has not contributed to peace and stability in the eastern neighborhood of the EU. In recent times, developments have been particularly negative in Ukraine. This is mainly due to an aggressive and reprehensible Russian policy towards the country. However, some believe that the EU is not entirely without responsibility. These will mean, among other things, that the EU has paid too…

EU Neighborhood Policy Part I

The EU Neighborhood Policy (ENP) was established in 2004, the same year that the European Union (EU) was enlarged by 10 new countries, mainly in Eastern Europe. The purpose of the policy was to create a “ring of veins” around the EU’s new external borders and thus prevent new dividing lines in Europe. The desire was to continue the EU as a peace project, based on an idea that closer…

Germany: Europe’s New Superpower Part III

The certainty that they are good at solving challenges is reflected in Germany’s international role. As a large trading nation, they naturally place great emphasis on building a well-functioning global trading system, including the fight against tax havens. But it is in the climate and environmental field that they have excelled most in recent decades. Germany was a leader in the work of establishing the Kyoto agreement , and the…

Germany: Europe’s New Superpower Part II

5: A popular country Germany’s handling of the euro crisis aroused associations with the Nazi – infamous cliché (worn-out expression) about the Germans, that they are strict people of order. During street demonstrations in Athens, some posters bearing Hitler’s mustaches on Merkel were displayed, and several European publications made headlines depicting the German Chancellor as authoritarian, possibly a cold and cynical robot. Most Europeans, on the other hand, seem to…

Germany: Europe’s New Superpower Part I

October 21, 2021October 21, 2021 agooddir

Germany has emerged from the shadows of the past, and in a short time has become Europe’s political, economic and cultural powerhouse. How will they use their new position of power ? What is Germany’s relationship with the outside world today? What views does Germany hold during the euro crisis? What makes Germany an “export world champion”? How does Germany differ from many other great powers? After the German war…

Population Development in the World

In the 1970s, global population development – often referred to as a population explosion – was presented as the major threat to peaceful social and economic development. Pictures were taken where the poor part clung to an increasingly crowded planet. It was also warned that the rapid population growth in the south could lead to armed conflicts between the poor and the rich part of the world. (see also later…

International Law Part III

8. As much as possible should be decided nationally International law and national law are two different legal systems . There is increasing integration between these systems , but they can also conflict with each other. The question is what is to be decided nationally, what belongs at the international level, and how, and who, is to decide conflicts on these issues. Brexit is an expression of the fact that…

International Law Part II

4. The individuals and other actors on the rise It has been a long time since international law was merely a legal order that gave states rights and obligations. International law is ultimately for the individuals, not for the states. Today, human rights protect the fundamental rights of individuals . Individuals can also be held accountable for the most serious crimes against other people in international criminal courts. Some of…

International Law Part I

International law regulates both the war in Syria and Brexit. It regulates what states can do in war , and it contains rules for how states can withdraw from agreements. It applies to everything from the trivialities of daily life to how to protect ourselves against climate catastrophe. International law is nothing new in the international community, but the web between states – in the form of agreements between states…

Nobel Peace Prize 2020: The World Food Program

Conflict leads to starvation, and someone thinks starvation can lead to conflict. A vicious spiral that Nobel Laureate Verda’s Food Program (WFP) wants to break. But can food distribution contribute to peace? Why did the World Food Program win? What is food security? What is the relationship between food and conflict? Can food distribution contribute to peace? In its founding award, the Nobel Committee highlighted the WFP’s “efforts in the…

Plastic in the Sea Part I

Littering of the sea is a significant problem, and plastic is a serious and large part of this. Animals are dying, and microplastics have been found in humans. How extensive is this littering, and what can we do? What is plastic? What is the problem with plastic? What are the sources of plastic waste? What can happen? Plastic is a material of fundamental importance in modern society. It has numerous…

Plastic in the Sea Part II

5: What are the consequences? Plastic litter of the sea is one of our most serious environmental problems, and it is increasing over time. As pointed out above, the problem is partly visual, something that touches on, for example, tourism negatively. On the one hand, there is a major problem with lost fishing gear, for example so-called “ghost nets”, which continue to fish and contribute to increased pressure on fish…

Who will own the Arctic? Part I

Russia planted a flag on the seabed below the North Pole

Previously, it was no man’s land. Large parts of the Arctic seabed will now be distributed between the five states that surround the Arctic Ocean. At the same time, sea ice is melting faster and faster, making the rich natural resources in the region more accessible. How are the new boundaries on the seabed determined? What consequences can climate change have for settlement and business development in the Arctic? What…

Who will own the Arctic? Part II

5: Large deposits of oil and gas However, some also see new opportunities in climate change. At sea, climate change is a potential “game changer” that opens up new opportunities for utilizing natural resources both in the Arctic Ocean itself and on the seabed. In 2008, when the international oil price was at its highest ever, the US Geological Survey announced that about a quarter of the world’s undiscovered oil…

Nobel Peace Prize 2017: Towards a World Free of Nuclear Weapons? Part III

There is no immediate solution to this dilemma. The 1925 Geneva Protocol , which banned chemical and biological weapons, was in practice a non-first-use protocol. At that time it was approx. 50 states in the world, and 40 of them signed with the reservation that as long as the weapons existed, they had to reserve the right to use them in retaliation. Alliance members considering joining the Prohibition Treaty could…

Nobel Peace Prize 2017: Towards a World Free of Nuclear Weapons? Part II

Secondly, the rationale for the weapons rests on some form of nuclear deterrence. Seventy years have passed since World War II without it becoming a third. An obvious explanation gives the new element in the equation – nuclear deterrence – the credit for it. It has urged leaders to exercise caution. But the correlation between the presence of nuclear weapons and the absence of war between the great powers can…

Nobel Peace Prize 2017: Towards a World Free of Nuclear Weapons? Part I

The nuclear powers are obliged under international law to work for disarmament, but now they are planning as if they intend to keep the weapons indefinitely. Russia and the Western nuclear powers are modernizing their arsenals and the Asians are expanding theirs. At the same time, civil society around the world is working for a world free of nuclear weapons. On Sunday 10 December, the International Campaign to Ban Nuclear…

Arrival in Brazil Part I

Most travelers come to Rio de Janeiro by air, but this is just one of the many ways to get to Brazil, a country located in South America according to ZIPCODESEXPLORER. The country has several other major international airports and land borders with almost every country in South America (with the exception of Chile and Ecuador). Airplane: Since Varig’s economic troubles in 2005/06, TAM has been Brazil’s premier international airline. It offers flights to…

Arrival in Brazil Part II

Rail: some trains connect Brazil with Bolivia, Argentina, Uruguay and Chile. The most important rail routes include Rio de Janeiro – Buenos Aires (Argentina), Rio de Janeiro – Sao Paulo – Montevideo (Uruguay), Rio de Janeiro – Santiago (Chile), Sao Paulo – Antofagasta (Chile) and Sao Paulo – Bauru – Corumba – Santa Cruz (Bolivia) – La Paz (Bolivia). Buses run between Brazil and Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. The prices…

Brazil History

Brazil is the only Latin American country that has adopted the language and culture from Portugal. The native residents of the country are mostly nomadic Tupi-Guarani Indians. Admiral Pedro Alvares Cabral claimed the territory of Brazil for Portugal in 1500. The early explorers brought wood to Europe from the newly discovered land, which contains a red dye, pau-brasil. The name Brazil goes back to this dye. Portugal began colonization in…

Travel to Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro is the capital of the country of Brazil and is known all over the world for the city’s landmark, the Sugar Loaf, but also for the beautiful carnival that takes place there year after year. Various theaters and museums, each with a very different offer, ensure a very balanced cultural offer in this city, in which something can actually be found for every taste.…

Brazil Entry Requirements