The essence of a democratic process is the guarantee that citizens have free and easy access to public information. How can that be made possible and how can people learn to use that information critically? In earlier papers (Boef, et.al. 2008 and 2009), we discussed the relationship between public library, …

After several revolutions in the Arab world, the question raised what the Netherlands and in particular The Hague as city of Peace and Justice could do to help reforms in the Arab region. This dissertation outlines the various reasons which have led to several revolutions in the Arab world, also known …

Since 14 May 2010 Fidesz and KDNP form the Hungarian Parliament. Together, they gained 263 seats: a two-third majority. Viktor Orbán, who leads Fidesz, became the Prime Minister of Hungary. Orbán and his large majority triggered a so called 'national revolution'. Several controversial bills have been …

The stagnating integration of immigrant groups, the insufficient acceptance of Muslims and the lacking respect for them are assumed to constitute a breeding ground for radicalisation as well as a threat for democracy. Certain groups of Muslim youngsters are susceptible for radical ideas. They cherish …

It has been almost fifteen years since the brutal conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) started, and has been causing tremendous suffering for the Congolese civilians ever since; leaving millions of people dead, and causing another hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes, while …

Freedom of speech, plurality and self-regulation characterize the Dutch media system. With fading political parallelism, strong public service broadcasting and a fair level of professionalization the Dutch media system fits the model of Democratic Corporatist media system. Continuous debates on journalistic …

Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a traditional practice, which comprises all procedures that involve partial or total removal of the female genitalia, for non-medical reasons. This harmful practice is mostly prevalent in African countries. It is estimated that 100 to 140 million females worldwide …

The objective of this dissertation is to investigate how Czech historical events during the twentieth century influenced Czech society and politics in relation to Europe. During the twentieth century, the Czech Republic experienced highlights and downfalls. The founding fathers, Masaryk, Beneš, and Štefánik, …

Democratic deficit, mistrust and decreasing interest in European politics has forced European Union institutions to take action to bring Europe back to its citizens. The aim of this paper is to outline the impact of the European Union Youth policies on European integration. This will be accomplished …

I started this particular project with an internship at the European Commission in Beijing, China. Experiencing China's enormous growth myself in the last seven months it was clear to me that China will have an even greater impact on both the economic and political agendas of the Western world and its …