Mediterranean Youth and Refugees on the Move for Erasmus+ Virtual Exchange

  It is revolutionary: an innovative possibility to share different views, learn from each other, and better understand different perspectives, a young Erasmus+ Virtual Exchange participant explained.   Since 1987, when the Erasmus project started, 9 million people have taken part in it, according to data collected by the European Commission. It might be considered … Continued

A profile of Child Marriage in the Caucasus

Child Marriage is still an ever-present issue throughout the world, and is most widely known and understood in Africa and the Middle East by the general public, but in Europe and the wider Western countries knowledge of child marriage in the Caucasus is limited. There is a lack of information and awareness of the causes … Continued

Why Turkey and the EU should Make a Fresh Start

Turkey has always been, is, and will likely remain one of the most vital countries for the European Union. According to Richard Coudenhove, Turkey has always been an integral part of Europe’s history. Over centuries, relations between the two were characterized by cooperation and convergence— for instance, the deep economic, cultural, artistic, and societal exchanges … Continued

The Qatar Conundrum

If one expects President Donald J. Trump to work to alleviate global tensions, one will undoubtedly be routinely disappointed.  Perhaps the largest international challenge facing the American leader and former reality star, outside of the Korean peninsula, is the tiny Gulf state of Qatar. In early summer, a collection of regional powers, spearheaded by Saudi … Continued

Extract of a Speech given to the “Israel-Palestine, moving towards needs-based solutions” Conference by Steven Aiello

Steven Aiello, Director of the Debate for Peace program, gave this speech at the EP-med-PATRIR (European Platform for Middle East Dialogue) “Israel-Palestine, moving towards needs-based solutions” conference. In 2011, I was studying conflict resolution in a graduate program at the Interdisciplinary Center in Israel. The most lasting lessons I learned that year came not from … Continued

Serbia’s Lasting Divisions

The Balkan region has experienced an immense amount of change in the last three decades, with borders that have shifted and ethnic disparities distributed throughout different countries. But to the naked eye, it can seem to the outsider that the borders and countries are stable, with ethnic tensions being a mere question of the past. … Continued

Why is Turkey such an important ally to the UK?

  Turkey is one of the most geographically strategic countries in the world—a potentially lethal bridge between continents. İstanbul is the only city in the world that connects two continents. The city, which is located in both Asia and Europe, has been the capital city for many civilizations; for thousands of years throughout its history. … Continued

Fire in the Hole; Egypt and the fight for press freedom

On all the roads leading out of Midan el-Tahrir, people marched home, jubilant, exhausted, revived. Fresh paint glinted along Mohamed Mahmoud Street, where the dead were commemorated in lively murals, and along Sixth October Bridge, cars caught in the gridlock sat under piles of teenagers waving flags. Many of those who had been in Tahrir … Continued

The Dichotomy of Tunisia

For those looking to study the impact and the challenges of revolution, one should perhaps begin to pay greater attention to Tunisia. The nation that spawned the Arab Awakening in 2011 has become a complex experiment about the expansion of liberty, highlighting the duality of personal autonomy and the risks associated with it. While the … Continued

Editorial Note – November 2016

Welcome to the November 2016 issue of Asfar’s e-journal! This is my first issue since taking on the senior editor role, and what I have tried to achieve in this edition is a combination of thought-provoking, timely, and interesting articles produced by our loyal writers and editors – who I would like to thank for … Continued

All writers' views in articles are their own and do not necessarily represent the opinion of the AsfarEurope team.

Published by AsfarEurope in London, UK - ISSN 2055-7957 (Online)