Welcome to the McGill International Review: 2014-2015
United Nations Photo via Flickr
- The past year has proved eventful for the international community. The civil war in Syria rages on, with a new evil, Islamic State of Iraqi and al-Sham (ISIS), emerging from its swirling maelstrom to challenge the regional order. A public-health crisis continues to sweep West Africa, with estimates that half a million people could die without timely intervention. Trade deals are being negotiated, tensions between old rivals in East Asia continue to fester, and the threat posed by climate change comes closer every year. Yet, the world has in some ways never been more united. Culture and communication link people together as never before, with social media provided a platform for relationships, commerce and even revolution.
In this age of globalization, it helps to understand what is going on though. One way to figure it out is through the study of International Relations. Usually just called IR, this field aims to understand, systematize and even make predictions of future events from the intricate web of interactions, and how the relationships between sovereign states, non-state, supranational and transnational actors and institutions shape the world we live in.
The goal of the McGill International Review (MIR) is to provide a platform for forward- thinking, contentious and provocative student-led debate on international politics. As students, we are unburdened with institutional deadweight, able to look at things without layers of learned cynicism and narrow vision. Yet, we have much to learn and practice, making a platform for student publishing at McGill absolutely necessary.
On this note, I welcome you to the online edition of the McGill International Review. Feel free to comment, contribute and help make this a space for a truly open dialogue about the future of our world.
