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Updates & New Resources

Introducing the Topic

Updates & New Resources

This page is designed to provide teachers and students with weekly links to helpful articles, podcasts, and videos on current issues in Global Politics, along with updates to the site. We have consciously tried to limit the number of resources in each area. Quality over quantity is the aim.

Not all articles may be accessible; consult your school librarian for login access or access via school library databases. 

This page also highlights the site's weekly updates, with a link to the relevant page. 

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Instead of having to visit this site deliberately, you can catch the weekly updates on your social media feed. Please subscribe, follow or add yourself to one of the glopointhinking social media feeds below.

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January 2026 Onward

With a new calendar year comes an opportunity to continue to re-think and re-visit the best way to share updates to the site and current issues resources, such as articles, videos and podcasts.

To better streamline updates and resources, I will retire additions to this page and add three new pages linked to this main page.

·      Content Updates

·      New Resources

·      Coming to the Site

CONTENT UPDATES

Some weeks, I make minor changes to the site; at the same time, I may also be developing something more significant that evolves over several weeks (or even months). I have included a section that might be best phrased as “minor” updates. This might be a small update (an adjustment or reworking) to an activity, reading, or assessment. I will also include a section highlighting some of the more “major” updates or additions to the site.

What I want you to be able to do is, if you’ve copied a reading or an activity, see that a small update or adjustment has been made – you can decide whether to update your version or leave it as is. Alternatively, I want to point you to significant revisions or completely new sections of the site.

NEW RESOURCES

The new resources are typically articles, podcasts, or videos that may be helpful to you and/or your students. They could serve as useful background for a piece of prescribed content, a concept, or a case study. They may also be a valuable “current issue” type of resource.

I will also include a “related prescribed content” column. This is not meant to be comprehensive (i.e., every piece of prescribed content to which the resource might be linked). Instead, I’ll highlight the prescribed content I think is most relevant. In cases where the resource is particularly substantive, I’ll note that it will be (or has been) added to the relevant section of the site as an activity/reading for students, with related guiding/reflection questions or an inquiry activity.

In almost all cases, I will push these resources out via social media feeds, as I will also do when major updates have been completed. Periodically, I’ll send an email to those on my email list to point out these new resources. This will most likely be done in conjunction with the completion of a major update.

COMING TO THE SITE

Finally, I am adding a new piece called: “Coming to the Site.” I considered calling this “what I’m working on” or “coming soon,” but it is a long list, and I am definitely not working on all of it at the same time, nor can I promise it will be coming “soon.” So, “Coming to the Site” it is.

In essence, this is a combination of additions you have requested and my “to do” list. This will be a space for you to track where things you are interested in seeing added are in my priority list, and also give you a sense of what I’m working on (now, and in the future). It will also allow you to see that I haven’t forgotten about what you’ve requested. Do note that I may move things up or down the list based on requests or other factors.

I won’t delete the resources and updates listed below any time soon.

December 2025: Weeks 3 & 4

Content Update

Over my holiday break, I am working on a new section of the site for the Extended Essay. Once sections are ready for publication, I will begin to share them here. 

Resources

Topic/Link: Nicholas Kristof's Opinion Essay called “In Which I Try Valiantly to Cheer You Up”

Most Relevant Prescribed Content Link(s): Paper 3 (question 2b) & the HL component of the Engagement Project

Source: The New York Times (paid access)


Topic/Link: Into the Void: How Trump Killed International Law

Most Relevant Prescribed Content Link(s): Global governance and international law

Source: The Guardian (free access)

This resource has also been added to the International Law section of the site.


Topic/Link: CFRs Annual Conflicts to Watch

Prescribed Content Link(s): Types of conflict

Source: Council on Foreign Relations (free access)


Topic/Link: When Treaties Work

Prescribed Content Link(s): 

  • Global governance and international law
  • Participation of IGOs and non-state actors in global governance
  • Cooperation and competition between political actors
  • Treaties, collective security, strategic alliances, economic cooperation

Source: Global Dispatches Podcast - Free


The Economist's 2025 Photo Essay is now available (subscription required). 

Consider using one of Harvard's Project Zero thinking routines with the photo essay, if your school has a subscription. 


Topic/Link: The Trump administration is undermining American soft power, this week in The Economist

Prescribed Content Link(s): Hard, soft and smart power
Source: The Economist
Free/Subscription: Subscription required

This resource has also been added to the Definitions and Types of Power section of the site.

December 2025: Week 2

Workshops

See the next round of virtual Keys to Success workshops above. 

I will also be leading a face-to-face workshop in Delhi at the end of February.

Content Update

I am currently working on a new section of the site for the Extended Essay. Once sections are ready for publication, I will begin to share them here. 

Resources

Topic/Link: Income Inequality Has Been Transformed Globally
Prescribed Content Link(s):
• Contested meanings: Inequality
• Pathways towards development and sustainability
Source: The New York Times
Free/Subscription: Subscription required


Topic/Link: Why economists are at war over inequality
Prescribed Content Link(s):
• Contested meanings: Inequality
• Pathways towards development and sustainability
Source: The Economist
Free/Subscription: Subscription required

These resources have also been added to the Inequality section of the site.

December 2025: Week 1

Content Update

This week, I conducted a full update and review of the site's legitimacy section. The reading has been changed with new discussion questions and a comprehension quiz.

As well, I added a sample Paper 2 to the assessment section of the Development and Sustainability study.

Resources

Topic/Link: Benjamin Netanyahu asks Israeli president for pardon to end corruption case

Prescribed Content Link(s): Legitimacy

Source: The Financial Times (FT)

Free/Subscription: Free (see FT in schools for a free subscription)

Topic/Link: In Chad, inside camps for Sudan’s refugees

Prescribed Content Link(s): 

  • Responses to violations of rights and perceived injustices
  • Marginalized, vulnerable and most affected groups and individuals
  • Development of world norms in rights and justice, including “Responsibility to protect” (R2P)

Source: The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC)

Free/Subscription: Free

This resource has also been added to: Protecting and Monitoring Rights and shared via social media.

November 2025: Week 4

Content Updates

This week, I conducted a full update and review of the site's legitimacy section. The reading has been changed with new discussion questions and a comprehension quiz.

I also added a sample Paper 2 to the Assessment section of the Development and Sustainability section. 

Resources

This resource has also been added to: Interdependence and Global Governance and shared via social media.

November 2025: Week 3

Content Update

My work on the site the last two weeks has been focused on a rather significant update to the Paper 3 guidance. Please check it out and let me know if you have any questions. 

Article

Jason Hickel's work is featured on a number of pages on the site. I think his most compelling research is related to whether extreme poverty really plunged since the 1980s. This week he has added to this research in an article on substack (linked above). Furthermore, at the end of the article there is a link to the “Global Inequality Project.” These are two good resources for our Thematic Study of Development and Sustainability.

November 2025: Week 1

Content Update

This week's update includes a new section called Research Questions for Political Issues. This section offers guidance and advice on developing effective research questions related to political issues. In both the Engagement Project and the inquiries that are part of the higher level extension, students, with the support of their teachers, need to develop concise, narrowed, debatable research questions. The guidance in this section aims to help students understand what political issues are and develop good questions related to them.

This is the first of several updates that will be connected to Paper 3 and the HL extension.

Video and Article

This week, I've been focusing on the civil war in Sudan during my classes. This video by TLDR provides an excellent overview on the conflict and the latest on what has been happening in Sudan. I also used this article from The Economist (subscription needed) with my students. 

October 2025: Week 4

Content Update

I am undertaking a significant update to the Paper 3 guidance, based on the preparation I have been doing for the three “Keys to Success” workshops I will be conducting in October, November, and December. I hope to have all of the revisions in place by the end of next week. 

Podcast and Article

On the podcast “The Gray Area,” Sean Illig speaks with a author Ingrid Robeyns about her recent book Limitarianism: The Case Against Extreme Wealth. It was an engaging discussion on inequality that may offer insights for those of you preparing to teach a case study or topics related to the Development and Sustainability Thematic Study. 

Additionally, Nicholas Kristof of the New York Times reports once again on the human rights violations occurring in the Darfur region of Sudan. Kristof has been doing groundbreaking (and daring) reporting on this area since 2003. In this article, he once again highlights how the Darfuri people continue to be targeted. 

October 2025: Week 2

Content Update

The Introduction to Theory topic has been completely overhauled, with signficant additions. The Guide includes prescribed content on: “the use and applicability of theories and models to political issues” and “bias and limitations of theories and models.” This topic has been redesigned with these two pieces of prescribed content in mind. 

I have also made minor adjustments to the four IR theories discussed on the site with a new concluding activity added to the end of the feminism section to bring the work on theory together. 

Articles

This article from the New York Times on Humanitarian Aid has some good connections to our Development and Sustainability Thematic Study as well as Rights and Justice.

October 2025: Week 1

Content Update

I am working on a significant update related to using IR theory. This is in the works and will be available in the next week or two. In the meantime, it is worth reminding everyone of the value the subject reports have. As I explain here, the subject reports can be as important as the guide when teaching students how to approach the assessments. While they aren't as important this year, given they are focused on the old guide, most of the advice related to Papers 1 and 2 and much of the Engagement Activity, is still relevant for the new guide. 

If you haven't had a chance to read the latest subject report that was released last month, log on to the Programme Resource Centre via your MyIB account and review it today. 

Articles

I am working with the Financial Times, to identify one article every week or two that would be of relevance to Global Politics teachers. Last week, I selected this article related to sovereignty and developed five guiding questions using IB command terms. All teachers and students can subscribe to the Financial Times for free. 

September 2025: Week 4

Content Update

This week, I made some changes to the “Framing Global Politics” section. It includes a new “activating” exercise to get students thinking about actors and stakeholders. The explanation has been clarified, there is a new definitions handout and the activity has been refined. Let me know if you have any suggestions.

Articles/Visuals

As the UN hits 80, here are two resources that you might find useful to include in the UN section of your course or simply discuss as a current issue. 

  • A less than optimistic article from The Economist (subscription required)
  • A nice visual from the Crisis Group of the ten challenges the UN faces in the coming year.

September 2025: Week 3

Content Update

I have just completed a significant update to the Engagement Project section of the site. It has been reorganized with a significant amount of new advice added. Please review it before marking your drafts. Be sure to give your students access to the site, as all the Engagement Project advice is intended for them as well.

Podcast

Check out an excellent podcast on “The President's Inbox” called The Case for a Realist Foreign Policy, With Stephen WaltThe Case for a Realist Foreign Policy, With Stephen Walt. Steve Walt outlines both realism and liberal institutionalism very well. It might even be worth having our students listen to!The Case for a Realist Foreign Policy, With Stephen Walt

September 2025: Week 2

Content Update

This week I was in Cardiff meeting with the Principal Examiners for all four components. In the coming weeks, I'll compile the guidance we worked on and share expectation clarifications, particularly for Paper 3 and the Engagement Project.

Article

This week the Council on Foreign Relations published this collection of perspectives on the state of the United Nations at 80. It would be great for developing a compare and contrast practice question for Paper 1. 

September 2025: Week 1

Content Update

This week the “What Are Your Politics?” section of the site has been revised and updated. I made some changes to the reading, updated an activity and added a video on the horseshoe theory of the political spectrum.

Article

This is an interesting article from Jason Hickel on Dependency Theory and the case of China. Hickel's has some strong opinions but I have found his writing in the area of development interesting and compelling. This article is worth a read. 

August 2025: Week 4

Content Update

This week we have new content from the IB. They have added four assessed Engagement Project samples to the Programme Resource Centre (PRC) on MyIB. One word of caution, these seem to be old Engagement Activities that have been assessed with the new Engagement Project assessment expectations in mind (with the exception of the recommedations section). 

This means, for example, that the Explanation & Justification and Evaluation & Reflection components of the reports are likely to reflect what we saw from students in the old guide. Still, it is nice to have four sample recommendation sections. Note that they are on separate pages with separate word counts. 

The “What is Global Politics?” section of the site has been significantly redesigned. I think it flows better, has more guidance for teachers and provides more options to teachers for introducing the topic of politics at the start of the programme. I hope you find it useful.

Podcast

My podcast suggestion this week is a fascinating discussion on the Ezra Klein Show on what constitutes genocide. Well worth checking out, with numerous links to Rights and Justice, as well as Peace and Conflict.

August 2025: Week 3

Content Update

Paper 3, Practice Paper #2 is now complete. The stimulus with questions, markscheme and three student samples have all been posted to the Paper 3 in Practice section of the site. In the coming weeks, I'll be focusing on Paper 2 with both advice and annotated student samples. 

As well, with the school year starting for many schools (I've already had my first class), I'll be highlighting, adding to, and modifying some of the introductory materials on the site.

Article: Women's Power Index

Last week, the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) explained and published the Women's Power Index. Getting students to choose two diverse countries and explore (and question) the indicators that are used to determine indices is something students seem to enjoy doing. It also helps them understand better the extent to which states are meeting development and human rights goals.

August 2025: Week 2

Content Update

Here is the third and final student sample for a Paper 3 that was posted a while back (Scroll to Paper 3: Sample #3) and expand the “student samples” section. 

The markscheme to be completed this week and share with you as part of next week's update. 

Thanks to Joe Loader and Rob Gulston at Tanglin Trust School in Singapore for collaborating on the Paper. 

Podcast

The week Global Dispatches came out with an interesting conversation on the “Demise of NGOs.” You can check it out at their YouTube channel, your favourite podcatcher or their website. 

August 2025: Week 1

Content Update

Here is a second student sample for a Paper 3 that was posted a while back (Scroll to Paper 3: Sample #2) and expand the “student samples” section. The third and final student sample will be posted next week with the markscheme to be completed the following week. Thanks to Joe Loader and Rob Gulston at Tanglin Trust School in Singapore for collaborating on the Paper. 

Podcast

If you didn't catch the Foreign Affairs Interview with Robert Keohane a couple of weeks back, here is a link to it. It is a really interesting interview that looks back on Keohane and Nye's seminal work, “Interdependence” as well as Nye's contributions to the field of international relations. 

July 2025: Week 3

Content Update

Here is a student sample for a Paper 3 that was posted a while back (Scroll to Paper 3: Sample #2) and expand the “student samples” section. More student samples to come in the ensuing weeks. Thanks to Joe Loader and Rob Gulston at Tanglin Trust School in Singapore for collaborating on the Paper. 

Article

The Council on Foreign Relations has recently updated this excellent “in-brief” on the efficacy of sanctions on Russia. 

July 2025: Week 2

Content Update

Over the course of the last two months I have developed two Paper 1s that can be accessed in the assessment portion of the Rights and Justice Thematic Study. Included as part of both Papers are marked student samples and full suggested markschemes. I finalized these updates this week by adding a markscheme to the second Paper 1. 

In the coming weeks I'll be adding student samples and a markscheme to one of the Paper 3s developed in collaboration with colleagues from Tanglin Trust School in Singapore.

Video

This YouTube Short from the Council on Foreign Relations offered some interesting insight into the application of international law in Gaza. 

July 2025: Week 1

Content Update

This week I have added a second student sample with comments for the latest Rights and Justice Paper 1.

Article

This article from The Economist will be an excellent addition to your resources on inequality. Inequality is a central concept in the Development and Sustainability Thematic Study. Slums, Swimming Pools and Latin America’s Inequality explores the Gini coefficient and tax and welfare systems in Latin America.

As always, if you don't have an Economist subscription, many school libraries have database subscriptions that include The Economist. Reach out to your school teacher-librarian for more information. 

June 2025: Week 4

Content Update

This week I have added a student sample with comments for the Paper 1 I posted last week. 

Article

Nicholas Kristof wrote a good article in the New York Times on starvation and poverty called “This Problem is Easy to Solve.” He explores both causes and solutions to hunger and malnutrition. The solutions will be helpful for students on their Paper 3s, and of course, the rest of the article is quite relevant to our Development and Sustainability Thematic Study. 

June 2025: Week 3

Content Update

This week I have added another Paper 1 to use with the Rights and Justice Thematic Study. There will be a markscheme and student samples to follow in the coming week. 

Article

New York Times columnist David Wallace-Wells wrote a piece this week called Protest is Underrated. If your school has a NY TImes subscription or your have a newspaper database through your library, students may find this a useful read when exploring several topics in the Peace and Conflict Thematic Study, particularly “violent and non-violent state and non-state actors.”

June 2025: Week 2

Content Update

The markscheme for the Rights and Justice Paper 1 is now available here.

Podcasts

The Foreign Affairs Interview has a very good podcast called Sudan's Intractable War. It provides an overview of the causes of the conflict as well as an assessment of the current situation.

June 2025: Week 1

Content Update

This week I added a student sample for the Paper 1 I posted last week. I'll aim to create a markscheme this week. 

Podcasts

There was a very interesting interview on the Rachman Review podcast this week with former United States National Security Advisor to Joe Biden, Jake Sullivan. A frank and insightful conversation that helped me understand the inner workings of diplomacy during conflict a little better. 

May 2025: Week 4

Content Update

This week you'll find a new Rights & Justice with thanks to InThinking subscriber Alanna Cryer. A markscheme and student samples still to come. 

Podcasts

With a Rights and Justice Paper 1, I also have a Rights and Justice podcast suggestion called: A rallying cry to extend human rights to our data-generating digital selves.

May 2025: Week 3

Content Update

Our second Paper 3 is now fully updated with the stimulus, questions, markscheme and three student samples. You can check it out here. 

Podcasts

This week on the Ezra Klein Show, Ezra interviewed Rebecca Winthrop, the author of a new book called The Disengaged Teen. While not entirely politics related, it was a fascinating discussion on teen engagement and the future of education. 

May 2025: Week 2

Content Update

This week I have added a second marked student sample for Paper 3: Sample 3. I will add one more next week papers in the next couple of weeks

Podcasts

CBC's Frontburner had a facsinating discussion with Dr. Agnès Callamard the Secretary General for Amnesty International. The interview covers the research that Amnesty does before making public denunciations, international law, the ICC, definition and determination of genocide, etc. 

May 2025: Week 1

Content Update

This week I have added a marked student sample for Paper 3: Sample 3. Expect more marked papers in the next couple of weeks

Articles

If you have access to a school library database or an Atlantic subscription, check out this article on meritocracy. Meritocracy is notion I touch on as part the sections on justice and development. This article adds further insights into the discussion. 

April 2025: Week 4

Content Update

This week I have added a markscheme for Paper 3: Sample 3. The first marked and annotated student sample will come out next week. 

Articles

I came across this interesting article from The Economist on the Benefits of Plastic. It is a relevant article when looking at environmental sustainability in our Development and Sustainability Thematic Study. The article looks at some of the environmental gains from plastic, which may challenge some of our assumptions. It also looks at the costs of poorly managed plastics and would make for an excellent formative activity for a Paper 1, Question 3 - compare and contrast. 

April 2025: Week 3

Content Update

I have added a third Paper 3 this week. You can access it Paper 3 in Practice. I will add student samples and a markscheme as part of my regular updates during the next month. 

Articles

As I note in my Teacher Introduction to Global Politics section, Foreign Affairs articles should be used judiciously. However, in the September/October 2024 edition, there was a reasonably short and accessible article that you may want to use parts of with your students. It is called China’s Soft Sell of Autocracy Is Working and it explores well China's use of soft power. If you don't have a subscription, many Foreign Affairs articles are available through academic journal databases that many school libraries can access. 

April 2025: Week 2

Content Update

Clarified and reorganized instructions for the Framing Global Politics lesson. 

Articles

This week, The Economist has another good development article, this time on the development differences between Haiti and the Dominican Republic. 

April 2025: Week 1

Content Update

This week we have added another Paper 3 in the “Paper 3 in Practice” section. A markscheme and student samples to follow in due course. 

Articles

If you are looking for a case on a successful development story, The Economist, published this article called, “The success of Ivory Coast is Africa’s best-kept secret: How has it managed to outshine its peers?” It was an interesting article and could be a good place for students to start when considering what development is and the role of not only economic development but also political, social, institutional and environmental development. 

March 2025: Week 4

Content Update

I have added Paper 2 student samples to the Rights and Justice Thematic study. Both are reasonably strong essays that are well structured, offer nuanced answers to the prompt and focus well on the question that was asked. 

Articles

When teaching Development and Sustainability, one of the topics we often look at is the role of “GOs” or Governmental Organizations that provide international aid. With the recent shutdown of USAID, the largest national government organization that supports international aid has been shuttered. As Nicholas Kristof writes, the impacts are significant. His article is demonstrative of the significant role national foreign aid departments can play in the development process.

March 2025: Week 3

Content Update

For those in need of an IB prescribed Global Politics Course Outline for the purposes of authorization, I have completed and uploaded a sample version. Of course, it will need to be adapted to suit your context, however, this outline should give you are good start. 

Articles

The New York Times published an excellent article on the notion of “Zero Sum” called: Welcome to the Zero-Sum Era. Now How Do We Get Out? I have added it to the section on Realism as well. 

March 2025: Week 2

Content Update

It is the time of year where many Global Politics teachers introduce the Engagement Project. With that in mind, I have added a page with an Engagement Project Timeline that teachers may wish to follow. It is similar to what many colleagues have shared that they follow so may be of some help with your planning. 

Podcasts

Is “Liberal-Realism” a contradiction in terms? Maybe not. Check out this podcast where Charles A. Kupchan, a senior fellow at CFR and a professor of international affairs at Georgetown University explores the idea. 

February 2025: Week 4

Content Update

This week, I added the final sample for Paper 3, which I developed. As with the last two weeks, scroll to the bottom of the "Paper 3: Sample 1" section of the Paper 3 in Practice page.

Videos

I added a conversation with John Mearsheimer and Jeff Sachs, who discussed realism in the context of China and Russia. You can find the clip in the realism section of the site. I have also linked it here, for anyone who wants to take a quick look. The most relevant section runs from 13:35 - 21:45. 

February 2025: Week 3

Content Update

I have added a second sample student response for Paper 3, which I posted a few weeks ago. Scroll to the bottom of the "Paper 3: Sample 1" section of the Paper 3 in Practice page.

Podcasts

The New York Times "The Daily" podcast discussed "The Demise of U.S.A.I.D. and American Soft Power." The section with Stephanie Nolan (author of the heartwrenching 28 Stories of AIDS in Africa) was particularly good and relevant to our course. On Spotify, her section runs from 9m 38s to 17m 30s. 

February 2025: Week 2

Content Update

I have added the first of four marked student samples of the Paper 3 I posted a few weeks back. Scroll to the bottom of the "Paper 3: Sample 1" section of the Paper 3 in Practice page.

Videos

I added this excellent three minute video to the "What Are Your Politics" section. Jonathan Haidt identifies the foundational moral differences between the left and right and the role they play in balancing one another.

Podcasts

There are three great interviews in this edition of The Foreign Desk about the conflict between M23 (backed by Rwanda) and the DRC. It includes an interview with Michaela Wrong, author of the excellent book "Do Not Disturb."

February 2025: Week 1

Articles

A short primer from the Council on Foreign Relations on the background to the fall of Goma in the DRC to the M23 rebels backed by Rwanda. 

This recent article by Nicholas Kristof looks at global population trends and what it may mean for development in Africa.

Economic Sanctions Mini-Simulation

As we look for more ways to help our students consider policy recommendations, activities like this mini-simulation on economic sanctions may help them explore various alternatives.

January 2025: Week 4

Content Update

This week, I added a markscheme for the Peace and Conflict Paper 1. Check out the Paper and the markscheme at the link below. A reminder that students cannot see the Papers or the markschemes, so use the Paper 1s I've created with this in mind. 

 

Assessment

Possible Paper 1Peace and ConflictCauses of Violence and ConflictSource A: From the 2024 Positive Peace Report: Changes in Positive Peace Index Indicators between 2013 & 2022

Articles

For those with access to school newspaper databases through your libraries (or a Wall Street Journal subscription), this article argues that great power politics is back (or, as John Mearsheimer would likely argue, it never left us)!

January 2025: Week 3

Content Update

This week, I added a markscheme to the Paper 3 I posted last week. Check it out at the link below.

 

Paper 3 in Practice

Introduction to Using Paper 3sThis section is dedicated to providing Paper 3s that teachers can use in the classroom during the two years of the programme. As this section is developed and supplemented,...

Articles

Recently, the Council of Foreign Relations shared a list of 10 elections to watch in 2025. As teachers and students consider possible cases and examples to inquire into, this list could be a helpful start.

Podcasts

With Israel's cabinet recently approving a peace agreement between Hamas and Israel, I thought I would share a recent Global Dispatches podcast with Tjada D'Oyen McKenna of Mercy Corps. During the first 10-15 minutes of the discussion, she highlights the challenges of getting aid into Gaza and the impact of the conflict in the region. 

January 2025: Week 2

Content Update

 This week, I uploaded a Paper 3 that you may be interested in using in your classroom. I will add a markscheme next week, and student samples the following week. 

 

Paper 3 in Practice

Introduction to Using Paper 3sThis section is dedicated to providing Paper 3s that teachers can use in the classroom during the two years of the programme. As this section is developed and supplemented,...

In case you missed it last week, please use the link below to access a Paper 1 that you can use in your Development and Sustainability classes. I have included a markscheme and will add student samples shortly. 

 

Paper 1: Development and Sustainability

Paper 1: Development and SustainabilityTeachers are encouraged to use this Paper as soon as they feel they have sufficiently discussed the material needed to address the four questions. The unit does...

Articles

  • The Council on Foreign Relations provided this good overview of how ten key relationships impact the Middle East and North African region.
  • The CFR's annual "Ten Conflicts to Watch" in 2025 is now out.

Podcasts

Timothy Snyder, on CBC's Frontburner, talks about fascism and authoritarianism.

December 2024: Week 3

Articles

The Council on Foreign Relations updated three articles that you may find useful if your students are exploring the situation in Syria. 

  1. Will Iran Become More Dangerous After Assad’s Ouster in Syria?
  2. After Fall of Assad Dynasty, Syria’s Risky New Moment

This article on the regional dynamics of the Middle East and North Africa will provide students with a good overview of the situation around the region.

Finally, this article by Nicholas Kristof on fistula offers insights related to gender equality, institutional and social development issues and the role NGOs can play in supporting development.


Note that there won't be a Weekly News Update next week, but I will be kicking off 2025 with a Paper 3 you may want to consider using with your students. 

December 2024: Week 2

Content Update

Note that there will be no weekly update during the last week of December

This week, I edited and added to the reading on IR theory and the environment. I have also added four guiding questions with suggested answers. 

 

Economic Sustainability

Introduction to Economic SustainabilityThis topic will discuss the balance between economic growth and sustainability by considering perspectives like regrowth and regenerative development, which focus...


December 2024: Week 1

Articles

Videos

With the toppling of the Assad regime in Syria, you may be interested in exploring the Frontline documentary,  The Jihadist, from the "Global Politics in Action" section of the "Forms of Violent Conflict" topic in the Peace and Conflict Thematic Study. The documentary is based on an interview with the leader of Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) Abu Mohammad al-Jolani. For a more recent interview, consider this 10 minute CNN interview.

This backgrounder video on the evolution of sovereignty was added to the " Defining Sovereignty" topic in the sovereignty section of the site.


November 2024: Week 4

Articles

Here is an article from The Economistthat looks at the impact the ICC's arrest warrant may have on both Binyamin Netanyahu and The Court itself.
Key Curriculum Links:
  • Development of world norms in rights and justice
  • Global governance and international law

Videos

Multilateralism vs. Many-lateralism? Check out this YouTube short from the Council on Foreign Relations that introduces the idea.

Additional Resources

This week, I revised the guidance for Paper 3. I divided it into two pages, one for the inquiries and one for the Paper. I edited and added to both pages, which will hopefully provide clearer guidance. 

In the next month or so, I'll create a Paper 3 and share student samples. I know folks are looking for more Papers to work from, so this is a priority.




November 2024: Week 2

Articles

Note that there will be no "weekly news" update next week.

With the United States election in the books, this article from the New York Times explores several reasons why his message may have resonated with Americans. 

Key Curriculum Links

  • Sources of state legitimacy, including government legitimacy

Sadly, another impending famine could be used as a case. Here is a link to the Guardian article explaining the impact conflict is having on food insecurity in Myanmar.

Key Curriculum Links

  • GPC of Poverty
  • Contested meanings: poverty
  • Marginalized, vulnerable and most affected groups and individuals

Videos

On The Frontlines of Sudan's Civil War, a 'Catastrophic Situation'

A powerful documentary on the situation in Sudan.

Key Curriculum Links

  • Marginalized, vulnerable and most affected groups and individuals
  • Conflict, including latent and overt
  • Violent and non-violent state and non-state actors

Additional Resources

This week, I added a second student sample for the Paper 1 on Power. It includes comments and suggested marks on what a top end response might look like.




November 2024: Week 1

Articles

This week, we have the United States election. With one of the world's largest economies and militaries, US leadership matters to the rest of the world. In the lead-up to Tuesday's election, you may want to review this quick primer on the American Electoral College and share it with your students. 

Key Curriculum Links

  • Sources of state legitimacy, including government legitimacy

Videos

Classical Liberalism

Liberalism can be one of the most difficult topics for students to understand (and perhaps for us to teach). In this video, Emily Chamlee-Wright provides a nice overview of classical liberalism that students might find beneficial. 

Key Curriculum Links

  • Theories, models and analytical frameworks in global politics

Additional Resources

This week, I added a student sample for the Paper 1 on Power. It includes comments and suggested marks on what a mid-range response might look like.




October 2024: Week 4

Articles

This week, we saw a sharp escalation in Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Here is a good article from Foreign Policy Magazine on why it matters. 

Key Curriculum Links

  • Parties to conflict
  • Violent and non-violent state and non-state actors
  • Justifications of violence in conflict
  • Parties to conflict
  • Violent and non-violent state and non-state actors

Videos

Why Turkey seeks to become first NATO member in BRICS

Key Curriculum Links

  • Participation of IGOs and non-state actors in global governance
  • Cooperation and competition between political actors
  • Treaties, collective security, strategic alliances, economic cooperation
  • Global interactions and networks

Podcasts & Other Resources

This week, I added a markscheme for Paper 1 on Power. As with all markschemes they can be rather general but they do highlight some broad things to look for. I have also included some general tips related to each question. For a thorough list of "how to" items, check out my Paper 1 advice.


October 2024: Week 3

Articles

Sovereignty: Has the sovereignty question of the Chagos Islands been resolved, or did it just get more complicated? Check out this article from The Economist for a perspective on this question: Britain has agreed to cede the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.

Videos

Is Regional Upheaval Disrupting the International Order? This is Fareed Zakaria's take on the question.

Podcasts & Other Resources

This overview of articles from the Council on Foreign Relations is related to the old guide, but many are relevant to the new guide. The CFR is one of the best sources for our course, and this webpage collates all of the articles they have written that might be relevant to the topics covered in IB Global Politics. 


October 2024: Week 2 

Articles

Nick Kristof of the New York Times reported from the Chadian-Darfur (Sudan) border and wrote five compelling articles on Sudan's famine and human rights violations. Here is a link to all of his recent articles.

Videos

Al Jazeera's "Start Here" global issues series published a new 15-minute video on International Law, "What's the Point of International Law?"

Podcasts

This is a link to the home page of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's five-part podcast on the UDHR called "Brave New Worlds."

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