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Articles: Politics

Swiss Up! - Canton Uri - Birthplace of Switzerland

Swiss Up!

Uri is a canton at the heart of Switzerland. Geographically as the link between the north of the alps and the south and historically as one of the first cantons of the early Swiss confederation. Bu...

Whats on at the UN? A giant teepee & a colouring competition

UN Roundup

This week Daniel Johnson from the UN takes us through some of the resolutions passed on the last Human Rights Council, which ended on Friday. Also, keep the kids busy with a colouring competitio...

Swiss Up! - Carla del Ponte, the fearless prosecutor

Swiss Up!

Carla del Ponte is one of the most famous Swiss people - if you are a war criminal. In her career as a prosecutor in Switzerland and internationally she fearlessly took on the powerful; the Ital...

Swiss Up! - A nation of renters not buyers

Swiss Up!

Less then half of people in Switzerland own their home. Most people are renters. There is no other European country with such a low rate of home owners. Why is this so? And why do most people...

Swiss Up! - The yodelling Swiss Amish

Swiss Up!

The Amish are a very particular religious community in the United States. They refuse the use modern technology and dress very traditionally. Interestingly a large minority of them have Swiss origi...

What's on at the UN? Child soldiers in the Kamuina Nsapu militia

UN Roundup

Image: UN peacekeepers patrolling Tshimbulu, Kasaï-Central on 20 February 2017 to promote dialogue in the region. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KamwinaNsapurebellion]

Swiss Up! - Military service

Swiss Up!

Switzerland still has general conscription. In principle all young men have to do military service. How long does it take, what are the alternatives and are dual citizens also drafted? ...

Swiss Up! - Drug policy

Swiss Up!

For a while in the early 90s Switzerland was looked up to by other countries for is progressive drug policy. What was it all about, what's left of it and what will happen if you get caught with...

Whats on at the UN? Extreme poverty in US and Ghana

UN Roundup

This week at the UN, Syria Constitutional Committee talks and the Human Rights Council resume for their second weeks.

McKay Interview: Former US Ambassador Hon. Charles C. Adams, jr(25 June 2018)

The McKay Interview

Michael McKay speaks to Charles Adams who served as a member of the National Finance Committee of the 2008 and 2012 Barack Obama presidential campaigns and was the US Ambassador to Finland. He'...

Swiss Up! - The Swiss neutrality

Swiss Up!

Switzerland is neutral. That is quite well known. But why is that so? What does it really mean? What historical events influenced it's neutrality, what are the pros and cons of it and what a...

Swiss Up! - Sects and Cults

Swiss Up!

Today Dario takes a look at the sects and cults in Switzerland. There are thought to be around 1000 different cults in the country, around 200 of which are thought to be problematic in some way. ...

Swiss Up! - How to become Swiss

Swiss Up!

How does one become Swiss? What agony and pain does one have to go through and what can you expect at the ceremony of naturalisation? Figure it all out in today's edition of Swiss Up!

What's on at the UN? Luminarium for Girls Education

UN Roundup

High Commissioner for the Human Rights Council Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein delivered a hard-hitting speech this morning. Rheal leBlanc explains what he said at the opening of this Human Rights Counci...

Swiss Up! - Gay rights in Switzerland

Swiss Up!

Currently ranking at number 22 out of 49 European countries, you'd think that Switzerland is fairly forward in terms of gay rights, but there's still a long way to go for equality. Did y...

Swiss Up! - Hidden giants of the Swiss economy

Swiss Up!

Every one knows Nestle and Swatch, but there are many Swiss companies that nobody knows and that are huge players in their niche. One of them is involved every time you get a Latte at a Starbuck...

Swiss Up! - The women's strike of 1991 - The biggest strike in Swiss history

Swiss Up!

In 1991 Swiss women went on strike to force the implementation of the constitutional article on gender equality. It was the biggest strike in Swiss history with hundreds of thousands of participant...

McKay Interview: Conservationist Linda Tucker (11 June 2018)

The McKay Interview

This week Michael McKay speaks to Linda Tucker, the founder of the Global White Lion Protection Trust and writes about leadership and conservation. www.lindatuckerfoundation.org

Whats on at the UN? "We're at breaking point" - UN Syria Coordinator

UN Roundup

Daniel Johnson from the UN gives us more details on the crisis in Syria as the UN Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Syria Crisis, Panos Moumtzis, says that they're “at ...

Swiss Up! - How does the Swiss democratic process work?

Swiss Up!

You probably know that the Swiss are called to vote on many different issues several times a year. But how exactly does it work? Who decides what get's voted on and what are the shortcomings of...

What's on at the UN? Plastic Soup Surfer - beat plastic pollution!

UN Roundup

Daniel Johnson joins us once again for a round-up of events and conferences from the Palais des Nations.

Fleur Heyworth explains Seven; seven powerful stories

Mid Morning Mix

On Thursdsay 14th June the Geneva Centre for Security Policy, together with many partners, brings SEVEN to the United Nations Assembley Hall, Geneva. Fleur Heyworth joins Katt Cullen o...

What's on at the UN? Guterres on disarmament push

UN Roundup

Photo: Official visit of the Secretary-General Antonio Guterres during his presentation on the agenda for disarmament at University Dufour in Geneva. 24 May 2018. UN Photo / Jean-Ma...

McKay Interview: Dr David Young, Oxford Analytica (28 May 2018)

The McKay Interview

Michael McKay's guest founded a company which describes its field of specialisation as providing just that: strategic analysis of world events. This company’s founding dates back 43 years...