Category: International Extemp Page 27 of 58

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of November 23-29, 2015

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HOTtopics1. Is Africa the neglected battleground of the war on terrorism?
2. Should social media networks ban users with extremist views?
3. Is globalization triumphing over nationalism?
4. Will the ASEAN Community significantly improve the economies of its member states?
5. What should Nepal do to quell protests by the Madhesi movement?
6. Do George Osbourne’s budget cuts go too far?
7. What does the result of the Argentinian presidential election mean for the nation’s economic future?
8. Is China militarizing the South China Sea?
9. Should the international community sanction Bangladesh after the execution of Islamist politicians?
10. How can European leftists avoid losing political ground after the Parisian terror attacks?

Myanmar’s National Elections (2015)

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Since 1962, Myanmar has been dominated by a military junta.  This junta isolated Myanmar from the rest of the world and abused the rights of its citizens, notably those of ethnic and religious minorities.  In 1990, the junta flirted with holding national elections, but after the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) won it the junta annulled the result and went about governing as if there was no election at all.  In 2011, Myanmar’s generals finally began the process of modernizing their country, making strides toward opening the nation’s economy to foreign investment, trying to reach a ceasefire with ethnic militias, and transitioning to a quasi-democratic system that allows Myanmar’s citizens to elect 75% of the national legislature, which in turn elects the nation’s president.  Last week’s elections were the first in more than five decades and once again, the NLD achieved a significant victory behind its Nobel Prize-winning leader Aung San Suu Kyi.  Unlike 1990, the military and its political allies publicly announced that it would respect the result, thereby paving the way for Myanmar to return to civilian rule.  However, winning an election and governing a country are separate tasks, and there are concerns that Suu Kyi may find it difficult to maintain her popularity and keep her diverse coalition of supporters together.

This topic brief will provide some important information about Myanmar’s elections, highlight how the elections do not mean that Myanmar has embraced universal democracy, and then discuss the challenges that Suu Kyi will face in a governing role next year.

Readers are also encouraged to use the links below and in the related R&D to bolster their files about this topic.

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of November 16-22, 2015

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HOTtopics1. What is Russia’s endgame in Syria?
2. If Venezuela does not allow observers from the OAS to monitor its elections, should it be expelled from the organization?
3. Can a nation have a welfare state with open borders?
4. Is a genocide unfolding in Burundi?
5. Does Europe need to conduct more background checks on Syrian refugees?
6. Is Romania doing enough to fight corruption?
7. Can the Islamic State be contained?
8. Is the world making significant progress in the fight against deforestation?
9. What does the opposition’s victory in Myanmar’s elections mean for the nation’s future?
10. Should France pursue a closer relationship with Russia in light of the Parisian terrorist attacks?

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of November 9-15, 2015

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HOTtopics1. Should Dilma Rousseff resign?
2. Would the EU be significantly harmed by a Brexit?
3. How can Thai democracy work?
4. Can Jeremy Corbyn become a successful leader for the British Labour Party?
5. Should the United Nations intervene in Yemen’s civil war?
6. Was Myanmar’s election a success?
7. Should the international community be concerned about the state of North Korean-South Korean relations?
8. Is Egypt responsible for the Sinai plane crash?
9. Does India need good relations with Nepal?
10. Who should become Russia’s next president?

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of November 2-8, 2015

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HOTtopics1. Will the EU’s new internet rules hurt startups?
2. Is Daniel Scioli poorly positioned to win the Argentinian presidential runoff?
3. Can Myanmar hold a free and fair election?
4. Should the EU grant a pardon to Edward Snowden?
5. Is a world without borders preferable to a world with them?
6. What role can Iran play in ending the Syrian Civil War?
7. Will the ending of China’s one-child policy bolster China’s long-term economic prospects?
8. How can Tanzania better fight corruption?
9. Will Turkey’s recent elections give it much needed political stability?
10. Is the Islamic State becoming a threat to Bangladesh’s national security?

Canada’s Parliamentary Elections (2015)

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Last Monday, Canadian voters delivered a stunning victory to the Liberal Party, a result deemed unthinkable several weeks ago.  Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s Conservative Party lost its governing majority, losing sixty seats.  Meanwhile, the Liberals gained an amazing 148 seats due to the impressive campaigning of its young leader Justin Trudeau, the oldest son of former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau.  Observers noted that the Liberal victory was due to Canada’s faltering economy as well as perceptions that Harper’s government was inconsiderate toward the plight of Syrian refugees and neglectful of Canada’s proper place in global affairs.  A Trudeau-led government has promised to change Canada’s fiscal policy and reform the nation’s drug laws.  The Liberals are also poised to alter Canada’s foreign policy, especially with respect to environmental and security issues.  What is certain is that the Liberals will have to contend with a new Conservative Party, as Harper announced his resignation as party leader following the announcement of the election results.

This topic brief will provide a summary of the 2015 Canadian elections, discuss the top domestic and international priorities of the Trudeau government, and then analyze what Stephen Harper’s legacy as Canadian prime minister might be.

Readers are also encouraged to use the links below and in the related R&D to bolster their files about this topic.

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of October 26-November 1, 2015

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HOTtopics1. Does Great Britain need to become more active in global affairs?
2. Are term limits needed to ensure an effective democratic system of governance?
3. Will the TPP go into effect within the next five years?
4. Was Iran the winner of its nuclear deal with the West?
5. What steps should the international community take to combat extreme poverty?
6. Should European nations give control of their external borders to EU officials?
7. Is Saudi Arabia headed for economic disaster?
8. Why did Stephen Harper lose the Canadian elections?
9. Would a more powerful UN significantly reduce global tensions?
10. Is a two state solution in Israel’s best interest?

A Third Intifada?

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October has been a bloody month in East Jerusalem.  Palestinian youth, responding to rumors that Israel is planning to take over the Temple Mount, revered as a holy site for Jews and Muslims, are clashing with Israeli security personnel and launching random, “lone wolf” attacks on Israeli civilians.  In response, the Israeli government has imposed movement controls and other preventative measures, but critics contend that this will serve to exacerbate tensions rather than produce a lasting solution.  Some experts contend that Palestinians are engaging in a third intifada, or uprising, and this would be the second time in two years that Palestinians are reacting violently against the Israeli government.  Frustrated at their political leadership, Israeli settlement expansion, and the lack of progress toward a two-state solution, it is believed that some Palestinians are responding through violence to bring greater international attention to their plight. 

This topic brief will explore the causes of the recent unrest between Palestinians and Israelis, explore Israeli responses, and then explain why it is unlikely that the causes of the violence will be solved in the near future.

Readers are also encouraged to use the links below and in the related R&D to bolster their files about this topic.

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of October 19-25, 2015

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HOTtopics1. How should Saudi Arabia deal with low oil prices?
2. Should Mexico cease using its soldiers as police?
3. What fiscal reforms should the Chinese government enact?
4. Should Pakistan place limits on its nuclear program?
5. Will the truce between Dilma Roussef and Eduardo Cunha end Brazil’s political gridlock?
6. Should Taiwan grow closer or farther from China?
7. Is African democracy in crisis?
8. Do Egypt’s parliamentary elections matter?
9. Will South Africa withdraw from the ICC?
10. How will the result of the Canadian elections affect Canada’s foreign policy?

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of October 12-18, 2015

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HOTtopics1. Is the Syrian Civil War a threat to Israeli security?
2. How should India handle its energy crisis?
3. Will economic problems bring down Stephen Harper?
4. Has Russia replaced the U.S. as the leader of the global war on terrorism?
5. Is Matteo Renzi the last hope of the moderate European left?
6. What does an ideal peace deal between India and Pakistan look like?
7. Can Muhammadu Buhari clean up corruption in the Nigerian oil industry?
8. Is Paul Kagame’s ability to run for a third term the death knell for democracy in Rwanda?
9. Can the answer to Europe’s migrant crisis be found in Libya?
10. Is a third intifada on the horizon?

Russia’s Intervention in Syria

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Last week, Russian aircraft dropped bombs on Syrian rebel positions, inaugurating an escalation of Russia’s participation in Syria’s four-year civil war.  Russian President Vladimir Putin has calculated that it is in Russia’s geopolitical interest to preserve the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and Russia’s bombing runs mark a potential turning point of the conflict.  Russia’s intervention could improve Assad’s position and force Western nations backing the Syrian rebels to temper their opposition to Assad’s role in a political transition.  In addition, Russia’s intervention is cloaked within the bounds of an ongoing war against the Islamic State, also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), reflecting how the Syrian Civil War has transformed from an attempt to overthrow Assad to a multi-faceted war where neither side looks good.  Although the West insists that Russia will fail in its intervention, extempers should be prepared to discuss this change in the Syrian Civil War at tournaments throughout the fall as it could have implications for the ongoing fight against ISIS, the ability of Syrian rebels to displace Assad, and Russia’s position in the Middle East vis-à-vis the United States.

This topic brief will discuss the reasons for Russian intervention in Syria, highlight what actions it has taken thus far to bolster Assad’s chances in the conflict, and analyze the risks inherent in a more direct Russian role in Syria.

Readers are also encouraged to use the links below and in the related R&D to bolster their files about this topic.

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of October 5-11, 2015

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HOTtopics1. Will climate change produce the next refugee crisis?
2. Is trade the new “great game” of the world’s major powers?
3. Will the easing of the U.S. embargo actually prove damaging to the Cuban economy?
4. Has Hezbollah been a significant loser in the Syrian Civil War?
5. Will the Bank of England raise interest rates before the Federal Reserve?
6. Would the Middle East be better off today if Saddam Hussein and Moammar Gaddafi had never been removed from power?
7. How should Israel react to the Abbas’s claim that the Palestinians are no longer bound by the Oslo Accords?
8. Was the recent Portuguese election a setback for pro-austerity forces?
9. Will the European refugee crisis force early elections in Germany?
10. Can Afghanistan fight off the Taliban without American support?

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of September 28-October 4, 2015

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HOTtopics1. What is the most important Sustainable Development Goal?
2. How should international debt forgiveness be implemented?
3. What are the international implications of Iran desiring to take Saudi Arabia to court over hajj deaths?
4. How can Volkswagen overcome its recent emissions scandal?
5. What grade should China receive on women’s rights?
6. Will Syria become Putin’s Afghanistan?
7. Is India losing influence in Nepal?
8. Should Germany be given a wider global role in international organizations?
9. Is Russia replacing America’s role in the Middle East?
10. How should Spain handle the drive for Catalan independence?

Nepal’s New Constitution

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Ever since 2006, Nepal’s political parties have attempted to reach an agreement on a new national constitution.  Divided over the role of religion in government, whether the nation’s 239-year-old monarchy should be restored, political boundaries, and the rights of ethnic minorities, the nation saw little movement on a lasting constitutional draft.  However, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake in April literally shook the country’s major parties out of their prolonged gridlock.  On Sunday, supporters of a new constitution gathered in the capital of Kathmandu to celebrate, but reception across the country was mixed.  Ethnic minorities in Nepal allege that the constitution denies them adequate representation and women’s rights activists allege that the document rolls back some of the protections women enjoyed in previous governments.  Analysts agree that Nepal’s new constitution may give its federal authorities the ability to finally govern the country and fix the problems that ail one of the world’s poorest nations.  Nevertheless, if federal officials are not able to acquire adequate buy-in from the nation’s various ethnic groups, the chances of achieving lasting change are minimal.

This topic brief will provide some historical background on Nepal’s political intrigues leading up to the new constitution, break down the ways that the constitution will change Nepal, and then analyze arguments that have been made against the document and how that may usher in a new period of instability in one of South Asia’s most unstable states.

Readers are also encouraged to use the links below and in the related R&D to bolster their files about this topic.

HotTopics: International Extemp Questions for the Week of September 21-27, 2015

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HOTtopics1. What role should religion play in international development efforts?
2. Do nations need more female ambassadors?
3. What has gone wrong in Brazil?
4. Will Nepal’s new constitution bring much needed stability?
5. Can Myanmar’s democratic forces care out more space in an authoritarian state?
6. What grade should Enrique Pena Nieto receive at the halfway point of his presidency?
7. Should the West condemn the Burkina Faso coup?
8. Does Juha Sipila need to pay more attention to Finland’s economic recession?
9. How will the migrant crisis affect Europe’s economy?
10. Can the Catholic Church successfully push Cuba to improve its human rights record?

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