Stephanie Carvin

Worst. IHL. Treaty. Evar….

by Stephanie Carvin | 26 February, 2011 | Various and Sundry

Suspected Mercenaries in LibyaI really do more things than tweeting, but this morning I got up to find that the ICRC had sent out a message that simply stated the title of the Convention of the OAU for the Elimination of Mercenarism in Africa. Libreville, 3rd July 1977 and a link to the treaty. I can only assume they're doing it in response to the situation in Libya where it has been alleged that Gaddafi has been using mercenaries (from Chad? Nigeria? - They seem to deny it, claim to be ordinary African migrant workers) to back up his regime. I find this interesting for a few reasons. The...

Middle Eastern Dictator Speech Bingo: Threatened by Revolution Edition

by Stephanie Carvin | 22 February, 2011 | Various and Sundry

Science Fiction and International Orders – Live Blog [UPDATED]

by Stephanie Carvin | 17 February, 2011 | Various and Sundry

[podcasts of ProfPTJ and DHN's contributions to the afternoon sessions are now up:PTJ: https://kittenboo.com/blog/2011/02/21/science-fiction-and-international-orders-ptj/DHN: https://kittenboo.com/blog/2011/02/21/science-fiction-and-international-orders-dhn/Also: the sci-fi author part of the session is available to listen to here.]Okay things are getting underway here at the LSE. I have never live-blogged before, but I'm told there is a first time for everything. Professor Chris Brown is just starting the introduction.Please note that I am trying to be as accurate as possible. I think there...

Science Fiction and International Orders

by Stephanie Carvin | 17 February, 2011 | Various and Sundry

Today at the LSE there are two fabulous (read: fabulously nerdy) events on Science Fiction and IR. Even better, it's full of ducks! The event was organized by Chris Brown and features Dan Nexon and Prof PTJ. The first event, chaired by Chris Brown, features three prominent Science Fiction authors: Jon Courtenay Grimwood, Paul McAuley, Ken McLeod. The second event features several prominent academics who will be discussing the implications for IR. Chaired by Barry Buzan, it features our two ducks and Iver Neumann.My only regret is a lack of female voices. So, in an attempt to rectify this, I...

Getting Slizzerd with the Red Cross: Disasters and/in Social Networking

by Stephanie Carvin | 16 February, 2011 | Various and Sundry

This is not my usual forte – Charli is much better on NGOs, networks and social things. (I just like tweeting.) However, last night when I checked my twitter, a fairly odd message came up from the American Red Cross:Slightly different from their usual “please donate blood” or “how are you preparing for the blizzard?” kind of emails.Within an hour, the tweet was withdrawn and replaced with this:Colour me impressed. A 130 year old humanitarian agency with a sense of humour.However, I’m drawing attention to the story because yesterday was also the day the ARC released research it has done (in...

“State” Multiculturalism

by Stephanie Carvin | 5 February, 2011 | Various and Sundry

This is England?I woke up this morning to discover that apparently “state multiculturalism” has failed. According to Prime Minister David Cameron:...when a white person holds objectionable views, racist views for instance, we rightly condemn them. But when equally unacceptable views or practices come from someone who isn’t white, we’ve been too cautious frankly – frankly, even fearful – to stand up to them. The failure, for instance, of some to confront the horrors of forced marriage, the practice where some young girls are bullied and sometimes taken abroad to marry someone when they don’t...

Riverdance your way through through the Irish Bailout in two minutes: Taiwan animation style!

by Stephanie Carvin | 30 November, 2010 | Various and Sundry

From NMA – those who brought you the Tiger Woods Video, and the USA-China Currency Crisis Rap Battle video comes the Ireland Bailout video (which I can't make fit in the frame! Edit: Fixed!)As an IR blogger with an interest in econ, you might be interested in this animated take on Ireland's current state of financial distress. I can't vouch that a leprechaun really charged into Biffo's office as he was taking in a Guiness, but we tried our hardest to condense the situation in less than two minutes.Please watch it if only for the signs the protesters are holding at the end.Despite the email,...

How George Mitchell relaxes on his days off

by Stephanie Carvin | 23 November, 2010 | Featured

Will no one think of the bacon?Hat tip to Robert Farley

Priority check, eh?

by Stephanie Carvin | 10 November, 2010 | Featured

First they came for the icebergs...So let me get this straight - Canada is going to close down 1/5 of its African embassies, but we're worried about terrorism in the Arctic where terrorists might attack our.... igloos? Frozen piles of rocks? Radicalize our polar bears? Really, I'm all for patrolling the place but I can't think that Tuktoyaktuk is really that high on the al Qaida radar. Rather, I'm pretty sure that this is the reason why we as a nation can't have nice things.

Guy Fawkes Night: Fireworks, but does torture?

by Stephanie Carvin | 5 November, 2010 | Featured

England doesn’t really have a national holiday. Sure there is St. George’s Day – but I would have to actually check Wikipedia to know when it is. The only sign is usually some white flags with a red cross outside of various pubs. It’s a bit of a shame, really, but that’s a post for another time. Fireworks are usually left to 5 November – Guy Fawkes Night (aka Bonfire night… leave it to the English to put a firework night in the middle of rainy, cold November). The short version is that Guy Fawkes was a Catholic zealot who plotted to blow up Parliament while the King (James I) was visiting in...

The Duck of Minerva