Social Issues | Council on Foreign Relations

Nigeria

Nigeria's Sultan of Sokoto Bans #MeToo Movement

The Sultan of Sokoto, Nigeria’s premier Islamic traditional ruler, has banned the #ArewaMeToo campaign in Sokoto state. The movement is a northern Nigeria spinoff of the international #MeToo movement…

Blog Post by John Campbell December 10, 2019 Africa in Transition
Election 2020

What Would a Smart Immigration Policy Look Like?

In this episode of our special Election 2020 series of The President’s Inbox, Edward Alden and James Carafano join host James M. Lindsay to discuss U.S. immigration policy.

Podcast with James M. Lindsay, Edward Alden and James Carafano December 10, 2019 The President's Inbox
United States

U.S. Adults’ Knowledge About the World

A new survey commissioned from Gallup by the Council on Foreign Relations and the National Geographic Society explores American adults’ knowledge about geography and world affairs.

Report by Gallup, Council on Foreign Relations and National Geographic Society December 1, 2019

Religion

Religion and Foreign Policy: Bridging the Divide

Rebecca Linder Blachly, Shaun Casey, and Suhail A. Khan discuss how to best provide policymakers with contextual information as they debate and vote on issues pertaining to religion, with Brie Loskota moderating.

Event with Rebecca Linder Blachly, Shaun Casey and Suhail A. Khan November 25, 2019 Religion and Foreign Policy Series
China

China’s Repression of Uighurs in Xinjiang

More than a million Muslims have been arbitrarily detained in China’s Xinjiang Province. The reeducation camps are just one part of the government’s crackdown on Uighurs.

Backgrounder by Lindsay Maizland November 25, 2019
South Africa

Protest Camp Outside UNHCR in South Africa Removed by Police

The South African Police Service (SAPS) has ended a sit-in at the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) compound in the capital, Pretoria. Some two hundred people have been arrested, according to…

Blog Post by John Campbell November 22, 2019 Africa in Transition
Nigeria

Abacha, Abiola, and Nigeria’s 1999 Transition to Civilian Rule

The 1999 transition of Nigeria from military to civilian, democratic government, is a defining moment in Nigerian history, representing the beginning of the longest, uninterrupted government since in…

Blog Post by John Campbell and Jack McCaslin November 21, 2019 Africa in Transition
Women and Women's Rights

STEMinism

Women and girls are excluded from career paths in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). This gender gap is causing the world to lose out on “the genius of half the population,” according to former U.S. Chief Technology Officer Megan Smith.

Podcast with Gabrielle Sierra, Megan Smith, Meighan Stone and Rachel B. Vogelstein November 20, 2019 Why It Matters
South Africa

What’s Behind South Africa’s Recent Violence?

Recent attacks that appeared to target immigrants have underscored South Africa’s struggle to combat violence and limit tensions with the rest of the region.

In Brief by John Campbell November 15, 2019
Religion

The Future of the Kurds in Syria

Henri J. Barkey, adjunct senior fellow for Middle East studies at CFR and the Bernard L. and Bertha F. Cohen chair in international relations at Lehigh University, discusses the future of the Kurds i…

Conference Call with Henri J. Barkey November 14, 2019 Religion and Foreign Policy Conference Calls
Nigeria

Middle Class Nigerians Struggle to Afford Housing in Lagos

Housing for professionals working in the modern economy are challenged in most of the world’s mega-cities. Lagos is no exception, as profiled by the BBC. Its reporter estimates that “middle-to-high-i…

Blog Post by John Campbell November 8, 2019 Africa in Transition
South Africa

Renowned American Anti-Apartheid Activist Passes Away

Jennifer Davis, an American anti-apartheid activist, passed away on October 15. Among her many legacies, she mobilized public pressure on the U.S. Congress to overturn President Ronald Reagan’s veto …

Blog Post by John Campbell November 6, 2019 Africa in Transition
United States

Immigration and Border Policy

Shannon K. O’Neil, vice president, deputy director of Studies, and Nelson and David Rockefeller senior fellow for Latin America Studies at CFR, provides an update on U.S. immigration and border polic…

Conference Call with Shannon K. O'Neil October 29, 2019 State and Local Conference Calls
European Union

Democracy and Identity in the European Union

Kathleen R. McNamara, professor of government and foreign service at Georgetown University, discusses democracy and identity in the European Union. Learn more about CFR’s resources for the c…

Conference Call with Kathleen R. McNamara December 4, 2019 Academic Conference Calls
Islamic State

After Baghdadi: What Hurts the Islamic State May Help Al-Qaeda

Al-Qaeda could benefit from the death of the Islamic State’s leader, potentially regaining its worldwide reach and influence.

In Brief by Bruce Hoffman and Jacob Ware October 29, 2019 National Security and Defense Program