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Decoding the Internet's Role in Democracy: Positive Power or Polarizing Influence? The Democracy Forum and TDF President Lord Bruce invite you to a live webinar: ‘Impact of the Internet on democracy: positive tool or polaris' on Tuesday, September 26, 2023 2-4pm UK time (BST) 6:30-8:30 India time (IST) Chair Humphrey Hawksley, Author & former BBC Asia correspondent Panellists Prof. Helen Margetts, Professor of Society and the Internet, Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford; Professorial Fellow Mansfield College and Director of the Public Policy Programme at the Alan Turing Institute for Data Science and AI Prof. Cristian Vaccari, Chair in Future Governance, Public Policy & Technology, University of Edinburgh Dr Andreu Casas, Lecturer in Political Communication, Dept of Politics, International Relations & Philosophy, Royal Holloway, University of London Prof. Shannon C. McGregor, Associate Professor, UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media; Principal Investigator, Center for Information, Technology & Public Life, University of North Carolina Dr Peter Ferdinand, Emeritus Reader in Politics & International Studies, University of Warwick Closing remarks by Barry Gardiner MP, Chair of TDF
Impact of the Internet on democracy: positive tool or polarising force?
‘Drivers of China’s nuclear build-up’ August 16, 2023 The Democracy Forum Webinar A quest for status, changing views of deterrence, and the desire to get back Taiwan, are among the drivers of China’s current nuclear expansion, according to experts at The Democracy Forum’s August panel discussion, which focused on what has led to this momentous build-up, as well as aiming to uncover its extent and strategic imperatives. Chair Humphrey Hawksley, Author & former BBC Asia correspondent Panellists John Erath, Senior Policy Director for the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation Dr Tong Zhao, Senior Fellow, Nuclear Policy Program and China Center, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Matthew Henderson, Independent China & East Asia specialist; Associate of the Council on Geostrategy; former British diplomat Dr Amrita Jash, Assistant Professor, Dept of Geopolitics & International Relations, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) Closing remarks by Barry Gardiner MP, Chair of TDF Music Beneath the Surface Song 1 of 2 Future 201809 27 Song 2 of 2 ARTIST South London HiFi ALBUM Beneath the Surface LICENSES Get YouTube Premium Youtube Library
Drivers of China’s nuclear build-up
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Wednesday July 26, 2023 The Democracy Forum Moderator Humphrey Hawksley, Author & former BBC Asia correspondent The Democracy Forum Panellists Dr Sadia Sulaiman, Assistant Professor at the Area Study Centre for Africa, North and South America, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad. Asanga Abeyagoonasekera, Senior Fellow & Executive Director of the South Asia Foresight Network (SAFN) at the Millennium Project, Washington DC Dr Anu Anwar. Fellow at Harvard University's Faculty of Arts and Sciences Rafaello Pantucci, Senior Fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore; Senior Associate Fellow, Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) Closing remarks by Barry Gardiner MP, Chair of TDF Music On the Tip Song 1 of 3 Beneath the Surface Song 2 of 3 Future 201809 27 Song 3 of 3 Future 201809 27 Peter Dolgov ARTIST Jingle Punks LICENCES YouTube Audio Library Get YouTube Premium
China's growing inroads into South Asia
The Democracy Forum and TDF President Lord Bruce invite you to a live webinar, Repercussions of Pakistan’s descent into anarchy on Monday June 19, 2023 2-4pm UK time (BST) Moderator Humphrey Hawksley, Author & former BBC Asia correspondent Panellists Dr Pervez Hoodbhoy, Islamabad-based Physicist, Writer & Activist Dr Niloufer A. Siddiqui, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy, University at Albany-SUNY MJ Akbar, Author & Journalist; Former Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha Prof. Tim Willasey-Wilsey, Visiting Professor, Dept. of War Studies, King's College, London; former senior British diplomat Dr Sumrin Kalia, Post-Doctoral Fellow, Institute for Global Prosperity, University College, London Closing remarks by Barry Gardiner MP, Chair of TDF Chapters 00:00 The Democracy Forum's Mission The Democracy Forum, founded in 2009, aims to promote democracy, peace, and the rule of law while countering religious fundamentalism and intolerance. It hosts seminars and discussions on various topics related to democracy and human rights worldwide. The organization encourages academics, students, journalists, and socially and politically conscious individuals to participate in its activities. 15:02 Imran Khan's rise to power in 2013 and 2017 Imran Khan came into power in 2013 and 2017 after protests in Islamabad. However, his tenure was marked by severe mismanagement as he surrounded himself with corrupt individuals. He lacked the ability to handle complex issues and struggled in dealing with international relations, including the United States and Europe. His decision to appease religious fanatics and his naive statements regarding the fall of Kabul to the Taliban further strained his leadership with the army. These instances of misgovernance led to the Army reconsidering their support for him, and the economy was in decline. 30:12 Pakistan's descent into chaos Pakistan is descenting into chaos, and the US is uncertain about how to deal with this situation. This descent into chaos poses a significant threat, potentially surpassing tensions in Taiwan or Ukraine. The combination of economic chaos, and political instability could make Pakistan a major hotspot. The participants expresses concern that previous solutions have failed, and the situation is dire, with no clear path to improvement. 43:30 Impact of Military Actions Previous military's actions have enabled it to reach the people and have an impact on the country. An example is the Local Government Act passed by the military ruer in 2001, which devolved power to local governments and led to an increase in the human development index. However, since 2010, progress has been limited, indicating that the problem extends beyond terrorism and politicians. It requires political will and the empowerment of the opposition through elections. 1:12:16 Struggling Economy and Popular Action The struggling economy and rising inflation are causing people to struggle to make ends meet, which is likely to lead to popular action in the near future. If large crowds begin protesting due to the financial situation, it will pose a concern for the army. The army, being the guarantor of Pakistan's nationhood, does not like being unpopular. However, it has become unpopular partly due to populist comments from Imran Khan, the new Chief of Army Staff, who lacks experience. This unpopularity and the changing demographics within the Pakistan Army, with fewer upper-middle-class individuals joining the ranks, may lead to an antagonistic relationship towards politicians and the people. There is a real worry that the Pakistan Army may stop being a guarantor of Pakistan's nationhood and become more hostile like other countries such as Burma, Syria, or Algeria. 1:26:04 Continuing attacks by the TTP in Afghanistan Despite repeated pleas for the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to be expelled from Afghanistan, their attacks continue, leading to destabilization in the border areas between Pakistan and Afghanistan. 1:40:17 The dire state of the economy The economy is in a dire state of chaos. The speaker emphasizes the need to address the corruption within the Army that has corrupted the entire political system in Pakistan throughout its existence. The Army's vast business interests and its role in perpetuating the war economy were discussed, highlighting its power. Music On the Tip Song 1 of 3 Beneath the Surface Song 2 of 3 Future 201809 27 Song 3 of 3 ARTIST Jingle Punks LICENCES YouTube Audio Library Get YouTube Premium Music
Repercussions of Pakistan’s descent into anarchy
The Democracy Forum and TDF President Lord Bruce invite you to a live webinar, China & the US: Effects of competing hegemonies in the Indo-Pacific Wednesday May 24, 2023 2-4pm UK time (BST) 6:30-8:30 (IST) Chair Humphrey Hawksley, Author & former BBC Asia correspondent Panellists Dr Peter Harris, Associate Professor of Political Science, Colorado State University James Rogers, Co-founder and Director of Research, the Council on Geostrategy Dr Jason Kelly, Senior Lecturer, Dept of Politics and International Relations, Cardiff University Carisa Nietsche, Associate Fellow, Transatlantic Security Program, Center for a New American Security Closing remarks by Barry Gardiner MP, Chair of TDF Music Cataclysmic Molten Core Song 1 of 3 Beneath the Surface Song 2 of 3 Future 201809 27 Song 3 of 3 ARTIST Peter Dolgov Jingle Punks LICENSES YouTube Audio Library
China & the US: Effects of competing hegemonies in the Indo-Pacific
How China & the US are Reshaping the Future of the Indo-Pacific. Who's Winning the Battle for Hegemony in the Indo-Pacific? The Democracy Forum and TDF President Lord Bruce invite you to a live webinar: 'China & the US: Effects of competing hegemonies in the Indo-Pacific' on Wednesday May 24, 2023 2-4pm UK time (BST) 6:30-8:30 India Time (IST) Chair Humphrey Hawksley, Author & former BBC Asia correspondent Panellists Dr Peter Harris, Associate Professor of Political Science, Colorado State University James Rogers, Co-founder and Director of Research, the Council on Geostrategy Dr Jason Kelly, Senior Lecturer, Dept of Politics and International Relations, Cardiff University Carisa Nietsche, Associate Fellow, Transatlantic Security Program, Center for a New American Security Closing remarks by Barry Gardiner MP, Chair of TDF The Participants will discuss will be discussing the effects of competing hegemonies in the Indo-Pacific. They will analyze the implications of the face-off between China and the United States and how it will affect the current world order. By understanding the effects of these two hegemons on the region, we can better understand the dynamics of the Indo-Pacific and its potential implications for global geopolitics.
China & the US: Effects of competing hegemonies in the Indo-Pacific
Penpa Tsering, Sikyong of the Central Tibetan Administration, says that #Tibetans are still oppressed, and their culture and way of life are dying a slow demise due to China's #Sinicization of the region. Participating in a webinar organised on April 24 2023 by The Democracy Forum (THF) titled Seventy-two years of #Chinese colonial rule in Tibet he and other participants draw attention to China's policy of forcing a state hegemony on Tibet's indigenous population, resulting in the denial of their religious freedom and displacement of their cultural identity. The #Sikyong urged the international community not to recognize Tibet as part of China and not to repeat that Tibet is part of the PRC, as this removes reasons for China to come to the negotiating table with Tibet. The TDF President, Lord Bruce, cited a recent Freedom in the World Report, which identified Tibet as the least free country on Earth. Chris Law MP, Co-Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Tibet, lamented the loss of young children to ‘education’ boarding camps and urged the world to call China out on this. Dr Martin Mills, Director of the Scottish Centre for Himalayan Research at the University of Aberdeen, spoke of Tibetans’ diminished capacity for political agency, and Dibyesh Anand, Head of the School of Social Sciences and Professor of International Relations at the University of Westminster, underscored the difference between Chinese colonialism in Tibet and certain previous forms of colonialism, where some citizens could feel a measure of solidarity with the colonial power, in that we are not only dealing with colonial occupation, but colonial occupation by an authoritarian state. Music Cataclysmic Molten Core Song 1 of 3 Beneath the Surface Song 2 of 3 Future 201809 27 Song 3 of 3 ARTIST Peter Dolgov Jingle Punks LICENSES YouTube Audio Librar
Seventy-two years of Chinese colonial rule in Tibet
Monday, April 24, 2023 2-4 pm UK time 6:30-8:30 India time The Democracy Forum invites you to a webinar on the 72 years of Chinese colonial rule in Tibet. A panel of experts will speak about the Tibetan people, their struggle for indolence from the oppressive Chinese rule.
72 years of Chinese colonial rule in Tibet
The Democracy Forum Chair Barry Gardiner said that China, like every other country, is both pursuing investment and taking advantage of any defaults through exploitation. You can form alliances but don’t mistake them for friendship, he warned. Be realistic that every country acts in its own interests, though it should be the public interest, not private interests, as seen in Sri Lanka and Pakistan. #TheDemocracyForum #beltandroad #cpecproject #cpec Music Epic Battle And War Music Song 1 of 3 Beneath the Surface Song 2 of 3 Future 201809 27 Song 3 of 3 ARTIST Bobby Cole Peter Dolgov LICENSES YouTube Audio Library
China in South Asia: Don't mistake alliance for friendship
China has been investing billions of dollars in Pakistan, but the debt is starting to become a problem. Pakistan is now in a difficult situation, with no easy way out. Can China continue to bail Pakistan out, or will the debt ruin the country? ask Pakistani was physicist and writer Pervez Hoodbhoy. Hoodbhoy points out that the ‘great expectations’ that CPEC would transform Pakistan’s economy, with $62.5 billion of Chinese investments in infrastructure and electricity generation bringing a new era to Pakistan’s development. Yet Pakistan is in a state of default, seeking $1.1 bn in IMF bailouts. Hoodbhoy contended that the planned development had not worked because infrastructure alone is insufficient; it must be accompanied by human capital, good governance and transparency. Where was the investment used, what were the terms of the agreement, the interest rates, he asked? Much was in the hands of the Pakistan army, which insisted on being the controlling authority of CPEC. There is no evidence of new industries sprouting up and local employment has been small. And while, to counter this, 30,000 Pakistan students were sent to China, they did not acquire the skills necessary for employability in science and engineering. Hoodbhoy also highlighted China’s ‘invisible’ presence in Gwadar, and Pakistan army machine guns along CPEC highways, a source of resentment for the Baloch people, who feel colonised by Punjab. As for the Chinese, they are very sequestered, with little local interaction. CPEC hasn’t delivered on its promises, and Pakistan has a $30 bn loan to pay, interest unknown. Looking to the future, Hoodbhoy did not envisage Chinese influence in Pakistan growing to the extent once surmised.
China in South Asia: Pakistan trapped in $30 billion debt
China's relationship with Afghanistan is a particularly thorny issue. In this video, we'll examine the background to China's involvement in Afghanistan and how it's affected relations between the two countries. China has been a key player in the recent Afghan conflict and has been accused of meddling in the affairs of a sovereign nation. Afghanistan is one of the countries that has been the most difficult for Beijing to crack, posing a challenge to Beijing's efforts to expand its influence in the region. Beijing is locked in a tough negotiation with Kabul over a $4.5 billion package for a new road, hospital and other projects in Afghanistan, which the United States is eager to see signed before President Trump visits early next year. There is little sign that the two sides are close to a deal and Afghan officials have voiced repeated complaints that they have not been consulted enough. Afghanistan has long been one of China's closest allies in South and Central Asia. Beijing has long been supportive of the Taliban and has opposed NATO-led military operations in Afghanistan.Dr C. Christine Fair, Professor of Security Studies at Georgetown University’s Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, focused on China’s role and interests in Afghanistan which, she said, date back to the Soviet invasion of the country, when China, along with other powers, were backing the mujahideen. China was supportive of its own Uyghur population going to fight the Soviets, although negative externalities ensued, with the Uyghurs returning home battle-hardened and ‘part of the landscape of jihad’ whose narrative was that they could take on a superpower. By circa 1990, China had realised the implications of its policies, and by the mid-90s it had launched the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, focused on countering Islamic terrorism. This was also when China really began to figure out its policy regarding the Taliban, whom it was asking to stop supporting ETIM and Uyghur separatists. When 9/11 happened, China quickly re-optimised its strategy, backing what would be the internationally supported government in Afghanistan while continuing its support for the Taliban, though Beijing came under criticism for being a free rider under the US-NATO security umbrella. By 2007 China was the single most important actor in Afghanistan, on the brink of signing an MoU with al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden, who never criticised China for its brutality against Uyghurs and other Muslims. With the rise of Xi, China became more interested in Afghanistan via the BRI project, said Fair, who also underscored an important but overlooked aspect of CPEC, the agricultural sector. In the long term, she argued, Pakistan’s precious water resources are being used up by the Chinese with no obvious long-term benefit to Pakistan. Ultimately, she suspected that the biggest obstacle to China’s ability to profit from Afghanistan’s huge resources is instability in Afghanistan, since the main way Islamic State Khorasan Province is trying to distinguish itself from the Taliban is by levelling its sights at China, making Afghanistan a very hard nut for Beijing to crack.
China in South Asia: Afghanistan a hard nut for Beijing to crack
In this video, we'll explore how China's growth may not exceed India's in the upcoming years. As China becomes more prosperous, they're investing more and more money overseas. However, India's population and economy are both growing rapidly, meaning that China's growth may not exceed India's in the coming years. This video will provide you with insight into the future of Chinese-Indian relations, and help you make informed decisions about your investments. We'll see how China's growing presence might shape the politics, security, and economy of South Asia. It's an important video for anyone interested in the region, and in global politics in general.Sounding a note of cautious optimism about China’s ability to turn investment into exploitation was Dr Christopher Clary, Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University at Albany, State University of New York. While Clary had no illusions about China’s benign intentions, it is difficult, he said, to both generate economic power and use that power to achieve political ends. In highlighting the changing situation impacting China’s reach, he raised three key points. Firstly, the BRI emerged in a specific global and economic context, which is now ending, with China going into a period of having less money as it faces a property investment bubble, higher labour costs, an ageing population and imperfect welfare state, with implications for labour participation and consequent limitations on what China can produce economically. China’s growth, therefore, may not exceed what India, Bangladesh or others can achieve, and a possible long period of accelerated Indian growth means India may have more money to invest abroad, creating an alternative to Chinese investment. Secondly, said Clary, large outside economic, social or political pressure on any society generates antibodies to that pressure, and China will not be immune to problems caused by the poor behaviour or lack of integration of its expatriate populations in, for example, Pakistan. And thirdly, he saw real limitations that emerge from Chinese investments overseas, since multipolarity will give troublesome regimes options that they lacked in prior decades.
China in South Asia: China's growth may not exceed India
Chinese involvement in South Asia’s security complex is a growing reality, evolving and multi-dimensional, argued Dr Frédéric Grare, Senior Policy Fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, who stressed the importance of considering China's relationship with the different countries in South Asia on their own terms, as not every country in the region feels the same way about China’s willingness to impose its hegemony over the region. Grare identified three tiers in Beijing’s approach to its security relationship with South Asia: the stability of its territory (with Afghanistan being a typical example); its rivalry with India and relationships with India’s neighbours. including Pakistan, which is by no longer the sole client of China in South Asia; and how China’s relationship with India affects India’s relationship with the US, and vice-versa. If we look at the way China has been pursuing its objectives in South Asia, said Grare, it runs the gamut of activities, from overt war (in 1962), to war by proxy (for instance in support for Pakistan and the separatist movement in the Northeast), and its role as the first supplier of weapons to Bangladesh. Grare also spoke of China’s ‘weaponsiation’ of every sector of activity. including influence in connectivity and the environment. This plays out through the dependency question – examples are the Maldives, the 99-year lease on Hambantota Port in Sri Lanka – and subsequent repercussions for India and the entire neigbourhood. Is China pursuing debt-trap diplomacy? wondered Grare. Not in the sense that it is deliberately trying to put countries into debt in order to better control them – there are, after all, issues of local responsibility, such as mismanagement of the economy. However, this does not mean China is not trying to play opportunistically on countries’ debts, and this is where coercion can start. #DebtTrapDiplomacy #SouthAsia
China’s ‘weaponising’ of every sector of activity
As many nations experience China’s increased engagement in their economies and societies, The Democracy Forum (TDF) shone a spotlight on China’s role as a primary source of development finance in South Asia, at a virtual seminar titled ‘China in South Asia: Investment or exploitation?’ TDF President Lord Bruce called on the participants of the webinar t consider if China is following a broadly positive programme of investment in public infrastructure to spread the benefits of economic growth or, conversely, if it is pursuing a process which may amount to colonialism by default. He spoke of the steady accumulation of Chinese foreign direct investment, citing an article in the Economist, which concluded that the world now owes China’s eight largest state-owned banks at least $1.6trm – equivalent to 2% of global GDP. Vis-à-vis investment versus exploitation, Lord Bruce highlighted that China is currently pursuing a ratio of loans to grants in the order of 31:1 priced at relatively high interest rates, although around 36% of all loan programmes started under the Belt and Road Initiative since 2013 have encountered ‘implementation problems’. He also touched on Chinese loans and arms supplies to Bangladesh and the diplomatic leverage Beijing might expect to exert from this relationship, as well as Sri Lanka’s accumulated loan obligations to China, which have reached 20% of its total public external debt, and how China is Pakistan’s biggest bilateral creditor, holding $30bn of its total debt, with Pakistan additionally hobbled by the contractual obligations it has accumulated under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Music Beneath the Surface Song 1 of 2 Future 201809 27 Song 2 of 2 ARTIST Peter Dolgov South London HiFi ALBUM LICENSES YouTube Audio Library
China in South Asia: Coloniser or Driver of Economic Growth?
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