Monday Briefing | March 26
Emma Gonzalez, a survivor of the school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, along with students and speakers at the March For Our Lives rally in Washington on March 24, 2018. | Photo courtesy Shawn Thew/EPA
Stories to Follow
March For Our Lives: On Saturday, students led hundreds of thousands in more than 800 marches across the United States not only to urge Congress to pass broader gun controls but also to propel a broader political awakening among teenagers in the United States. One of the greatest challenges the students will face is remaining organized and voter participation among young people, who often vote at lower rates. Similar protests also took place in around the world, including in Israel, New Zealand, Australia, the U.K., Japan, Belgium, India, France, and Chile.
Syrian Government Forces Close to Gaining Full Control of Eastern Ghouta: Bashar al-Assad’s forces have nearly overtaken the last rebel-held area near the capital, Damascus, where two out of three rebel groups surrendered on Saturday. Backed by Russian fighter jets, the army sieged the area beginning on February 18 with a heavy offensive that killed 1,500 and wounded more than 5,000. Around 5,200 Syrians have been evacuated, and rebels, as part of the deal, have been bused with their families into exile in the northern province of Idlib, where their safety is far from assured.
British Journalist Expelled from Egypt During Media-Crackdown: Times of London journalist Bel Trew was arrested in Cairo on February 20. Threatened with military trial on undisclosed charges, and forced to board a plane the next day with just the clothes on her back, Trew wrote in the Times on Saturday. Trew had been based in Egypt for more than seven years and was one of the most established foreign correspondents in the country. Her expulsion illustrates the government’s mounting repression of the press in the lead up to Egypt’s presidential election next week.
Happening This Week
Anti-Pluralism: The Populist Threat to Liberal Democracy | Tuesday, Mar 27, 8-9:15 AM, Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Relations, 170 E 64th St
The Great Recession, institutional dysfunction, a growing divide between urban and rural prospects, and failed efforts to effectively address immigration have paved the way for a populist backlash that disrupts the postwar bargain between political elites and citizens. Does the recent rise of populism represent a corrective to unfair policies or is it a threat to liberal democracy itself? What should our political leaders do to respond to this crisis? A number of student tickets are available (contact events@cceia.org) and the event will be live streamed.
The UN and the Future of Multilateralism in the New World | Wednesday, Mar 28, 7-8:30 PM, NYU, 19 University Pl
The relationship between the United States and the countries of Europe has been a cornerstone of the liberal world order established during the Bretton Woods conference and the wake of World War II. However, it is increasingly apparent that the relationship is under strain and that other countries and regions have potentially conflicting visions regarding how the regulation of international society should be achieved, specifically concerning the legacy of the Bretton Woods Institutions and the future of the United Nations and multilateralism. The NYU Program in International Relations is partnering with LeMonde Diplomatique to offer this discussion on the future of transatlantic relations and the maintenance of the liberal world order in the coming decade. RSVP here.
The Orchid Show | Until April 22, New York Botanical Garden, 2900 Southern Blvd, Bronx
For the 16th year, The Orchid Show has been installed at the Botanical Garden. Thousands of orchids crafted by Daniel Ost are on display in the Enid Haupt Conservatory, where “each living sculpture celebrates the complex beauty of these stunning flowers, highlighting individual orchids attached in such a way that each flower and form can be seen and appreciated.” More information here.
In Your Free Time
Next weekend marks the end of the outdoor skating season in New York City. Most of the rinks across the city will be shutting down as the spring brings warmer climes to the city. Lasker Rink in Harlem, LeFrak Center in Prospect Park, and the rink at Rockefeller Center are just a few of the great places you can lace up boots and learn to glide.
This week’s Monday Briefing is brought to you by Stephanie Sugars.
