Why, How, & Now: Behind the Lightning-fast Internet Speeds that Fuel the Republic of Korea’s e-Government

By: Sydney Wright.

As the Republic of Korea gains recognition for the world’s fastest internet speeds, citizens are doing more than just streaming Netflix on the subway. Read how the Republic is revolutionizing democracy, boasting some of the most efficient e-Government services and ranking among the top in the world for citizen participation in government.

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A Push for More Data Privacy in New Zealand

By: Gary Gonzalez

Data privacy is a hot topic around the globe. The General Data Protection Regulation is a leading factor for this trend. The regulation affects all companies conducting business within the European Union. One of the countries seeking to increase its data privacy laws is New Zealand. The United States, however, has taken a step in the other direction. This paper will briefly touch on the upcoming changes to U.S. privacy laws, and then explain the proposed changes to New Zealand’s privacy laws.

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The Right to Marry in Israel: An Anti-Miscegenation Law Masquerading as Traditional Religious Values

By: Jacob Simon.

Anti-miscegenation appears to be alive and well in the Jewish State of Israel where all marriages must be performed by religious officials, and interreligious marriage is strictly prohibited. This religious based restriction on marriage becomes the equivalent to an anti-miscegenation law when the bloodline requirement to be considered Jewish enough for marriage to another Jew by the Orthodox Jewish Rabbinical Court is also taken into account. Those who follow Israel politics closely should not be shocked to learn that the Rabbinical Courts have become even more hostile in recent years to Jewish converts and the children of Jewish converts.

 

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Germany’s Deportation Practices: Familiar Rhetoric & Why We Cannot Ignore What’s Happening Across the Pond

By: Angela C. White.

German deportation practices have been a point of controversy in recent months, especially since the German government has accelerated its deportation processes for those who do not qualify for refugee protection. According to Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Chief of Staff Peter Altmaier, the push to deport more people was an attempt to persuade conservative voters and preserve support for the asylum system.

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Constitutional Crisis in Poland

By: Steven Simmons.

A constitutional crisis is continuing to unfold in Poland. In late 2016, the Polish nationalist right-wing government succeeded in packing Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal, an important check on legislative and executive power in Poland, capping a year-long campaign where the court overturned numerous laws as unconstitutional.

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China's Forced Repatriation of North Korean Defectors

By: Abbie Carver.

The human rights concerns surrounding the DPRK are abundant. Tens of thousands of North Korean civilians have been abducted by the North Korean government; family members of “dissidents” have disappeared; North Koreans sent to prison camps experience torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment (many fall ill or die soon after entering custody); citizens must obtain permission to travel within the country as well as abroad; women are trafficked and forced into marriages; and millions of North Koreans face extreme hunger or starvation.

 

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How Latin and South America Protects Intellectual Property

By: Tyler Seling.

Protecting intellectual property (“IP”) is an important aspect of any business or organization. Whether utilizing trademarks for brand development, copyrights for the works of authorship, or patents for the design or innovation it’s created, having an established IP policy is critical to succeeding in the competitive digital market.

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The Fight for "Las 17"

By: Monica Macias.

El Salvador has some of the world's most draconian abortion laws. In 1998, abortion was outlawed in El Salvador. The crime carries a prison sentence of up to eight years, but when it is treated as homicide, women are sentenced up to four decades in jail.The tough on crime law enforcement approach has even spilled over to instances where an abortion is inferred cases where a miscarriage occurred. 

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Legal Ramifications of Norway’s Government-Abducted Children

By: Brad Bourne.

Simply put, Norway is generally considered to be one of the best countries to call “home.” Despite a well-founded reputation, Norway is not flawless or free of controversy. From 2008 to 2013, there was a fifty percent increase in the overall number of children removed from their homes in Norway. Together, these cases, and the public’s response to them, serve as the basis for the assertion that the Norwegian government is engaged in the practice of “child-kidnapping."

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Centuries After Vlad Dracula, Corruption Continues to Suck Romania Dry

By Calla Ketchens.

Corruption was so prevalent in Romania that when it joined the European Union in 2007, along with Bulgaria, the European Commission established the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism (CVM) specifically for these two countries in order to assess Romania’s progress in fighting corrupt practices. Romania has made progress in its fight against corruption, but, if the recent protests in Romania are any indication, Romania still has a long way to go before the CVM reaches its expiration date of 2019.

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Paradiso and Campanelli v Italy: Surrogacy Agreements and their Exploitation of Surrogate Mothers and Children in the EU

By: Kelly Kane.

A recent case before the European Court on Human Rights has raised the issue of surrogacy as a form of human trafficking.  While Article 8 prohibits “interference by a public authority with the exercise of” the right to private life and family life, in January the Court determined that removal of a six-month-old child from his adoptive parents was not a violation of this right.

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