By Naveed Qazi | Editor, Globe Upfront OPPRESSION OFTEN BECOMES A CHANNEL through which revolutions emerge. When uprisings erupted across the Arab world in 2010 and 2011, they were driven by demands for dignity, political freedom, and social justice, and they spread rapidly across several countries as long-standing frustrations with authoritarian governance, corruption, and economic stagnation came to the surface. Jack Shenker, reporting for The Guardian from Cairo during the early stages of the Egyptian uprising, described the Arab Spring not as a sudden explosion but as the culmination of years of accumulated anger against political repression and worsening socio-economic conditions. The New York Times, in its contemporaneous reporting from Tunisia and Egypt, similarly pointed to structural problems such as high unemployment, inequality, and weak economic management, while Al Jazeera’s coverage emphasised how digital communication platforms accelerated mobilisation by amplifying...

By Naveed Qazi | Editor, Globe Upfront Turkey entered a decisive moment in 2017 as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sought sweeping constitutional changes to transform the country’s parliamentary system into an executive presidency. On 16 April, fifty‑five million citizens were asked to vote on a package of 18 amendments. Reuters reported that the reforms abolished the office of prime minister, gave the president authority to appoint vice presidents and ministers without parliamentary approval, issue decrees, dissolve parliament under certain conditions, and exert influence over judicial appointments.  The BBC noted that the ‘yes’ camp narrowly prevailed with just over 51 per cent of the vote, a result that reconfigured Turkey’s political architecture and allowed Erdogan to potentially remain in power until 2029. Supporters framed the reform as a path to stability, pointing to strong presidential systems in France and the United States. Pro‑government newspapers argued that coaliti...

By Naveed Qazi | Editor, Globe Upfront Economic disparities and corruption often make masses revolt, and South Africa, the so‑called rainbow nation, became the most recent country where public protests regained their course in April 2017. Since 2009, more than thirteen notable protests had rattled the country, reflecting a growing disillusionment with the ruling African National Congress. The ANC, a 105‑year‑old political party once chaired by Nelson Mandela, was facing internal revolts that threatened to fracture the organisation which had dominated the political scene since the end of apartheid in 1994. As Al Jazeera reported at the time, tens of thousands of South Africans poured into the streets in the largest demonstrations in years, demanding accountability and change. President Jacob Zuma’s decision to reshuffle twenty ministers, many of whom were regarded as competent, and replace them with personal loyalists without party consultation, triggered outrage. Opposition members d...