The George Washington University’s Student-Run International Affairs Blog
The Compass
Japan’s Navy: Its Steady Future Into the Ishiba Administration
With the new Ishiba administration in Japan starting to take hold, it is about time to talk about Japan's maritime capabilities. Tensions between Japan and China only seem to be increasing, one part being an incident where China flew a plane into Japanese airspace. Japan itself navigated the Taiwan Strait for the first time, proclaiming the need for freedom of navigation within international waters. Under Shigeru Ishiba, Japan's navy does not seem set to expand, but rather to improve, and to increase its range of actions by revising the Status of Forces Agreement with the US. While ministers he has appointed, such as Foreign Minister Iwaya and Defense Minister Gen, are both former defense ministers, they both may clash with Ishiba's own vision, showing a steady, yet possibly uncertain future for Japan's Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF) and its maritime capabilities.
British Energy: Independence and Decreasing Of Reliance In A Globalized World Society
This brief examines the UK’s move towards energy independence in response to the Russian-Ukrainian war. Once a net energy exporter, the UK is now focused on reducing foreign oil reliance. The British Energy Security Strategy, launched by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, emphasizes renewable energy investments and job creation. Current Prime Minister Keir Starmer continues this focus on offshore wind, hydrogen, and nuclear power. The shift aims to enhance national security, stimulate economic growth, and support the UK’s climate commitments, positioning it as a leader in global climate action.
Reducing Child Marriage in Malawi
Child marriage is a violation of human rights that occurs worldwide. According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, an estimated 640 million women today were married as children. Child marriage can occur in countries with high poverty, deeply set cultural practices, and social expectations in which young girls face with no other alternative. Malawi is a country in Eastern and Southern Africa, a region that is home to 50 million child brides. The United Nations Population Fund of Malawi states that 47% women are married before the age of 18 in the country. The work of civil society has pressured the government to pass laws such as the Marriage Act of Malawi in 2017 which protects young girls from underage marriage. The country displays hope in preventing child marriage within the country through intervention that other countries can display in efforts to solve this major human rights violation.