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Peace and Conflict

Factum Perspective: Starlink in the Global South

By Brayan Jayawardhana Two weeks ago, on March 10, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sirkorski took to X to respond to Elon Musk’s claim that Ukraine’s “entire front line” would collapse if he turned Starlink off. Sirkorski, who seemed agitated if not angry, tweeted that Poland was paying for Starlink’s use in Ukraine, and that if…

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Factum Perspective: Redefining Truth in the Digital Age – Challenges, Consequences, and the Path Forward

By Darshatha Gamage Philosopher Bertrand Russell, in his seminal work On the Nature of Truth, posed two enduring questions: "In any inquiry into the nature of truth, two questions meet us on the threshold: In what sense, if any, is truth dependent upon mind? Are there many different truths, or is there only the Truth?"…

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Factum Perspective: The ICJ climate change case and the politics of climate justice

By Ramindu Perera In December 2024, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) concluded the oral hearings of a historic case on international obligations of states to combat the climate crisis. The case originated with the request submitted by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to provide an advisory opinion clarifying obligations international law imposes on…

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Factum Perspective: Superstition and Science in Governance and Global Health

By Gerard Dinith Mendis In an age where scientific breakthroughs define the trajectory of human progress, a concerning global trend has emerged: skepticism toward science and the resurgence of superstitious rhetoric in political leadership. Leaders are increasingly leaning on pseudoscience and cultural mysticism, often at the expense of evidence-based policymaking. This shift not only threatens…

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Factum Special Perspective: The Fall of a House of Cards – A Global Reckoning in 2024

By Deshani Samaragunarathna The year 2024 has been one marked by global tumult, with the world seemingly lurching from one crisis to another. From the Ukrainian frontlines to the simmering Middle East, to the escalating conflicts across Africa, and the erosion of liberal democracies in the West, the international system appears on the verge of…

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Factum Special Perspective: China’s role in global transformation

By Vinod Moonesinghe We bear witness to a period of accelerated global transformation, with the rise of the East and the relative decline of the West reshaping the global political and economic landscape, benefitting the Global South. China, whose rapid economic growth and expanding influence play a pivotal role in this new era of global…

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Factum Perspective: The Need for an Integrated Border Management System

By Rear Admiral Y. N. Jayarathne (Retd.) The launch of the book Labour Migrants from South Asia: Issues and Concerns (Consortium of South Asian Think Tanks: COSATT), on November 12, 2024, in Colombo, Sri Lanka got me thinking more about the subject, as the discussions during the ceremony highlighted various concerns on the question of…

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