July, 2011
Yao Ming: Breaking the Celebrity Activist Mould
Andy Cooper looks at the career of non-western sports celebrity Yao Ming and his commitment to the public good.
What Will Christine Lagarde Need to Put on Her Agenda at the IMF?
Bessma Momani argues that "Lagarde, the IMF's first female managing director and first non-economist to take the directorship, will have to put a number of items on the top of her agenda at a key time when the IMF has serious reputation damage."
Acclaim or Negation for George Clooney's Role in South Sudan's Independence?
CIGI Distinguished Fellow Andrew Cooper examines the role and perceptions of celebrity within the case of South Sudan's secession.
UN Security Council Reform Could Alter Global Relevance of G8, G20
"(Canada) must realize that it is essential the G20 succeed and act accordingly. If it doesn’t, the risk is that we shall be dropped from the inner table," CIGI Distinguished Fellow Gordon Smith writes in exploring the possible ramifications for global summitry if the UN Secuirty Council was expanded to nine permanent seats.
Rebranding the Next Generation of Royals: Between Institutional Duties and Mega-Celebrity
"The first international visit by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, a.k.a William and Kate, has major implications for the future of the British House of Windsor in all of its institutional reach," explains Andrew Cooper as he discusses the concept of mega-celebrity and humanitarian affairs.
Is the IMF a Sexist Organization?
Bessma Momani argues that "the problem with low female recruitment at the IMF is far from the fault of the organization and says more about how the economic discipline does not attract women to study it."
The return of Col. Chavez
In light of Hugo Chavez's return to Venezuela after 26 days in Cuba, Jorge Heine looks the region and comments that whatever allure the Bolivarian Revolution once had has dissipated.