The Red Folder

Archived from July 22, 2024.

Key stories for the week, brought to you by Lindsey Zhao and the Red Folder team.

Reading for the sake of reading sucks. Telling yourself to read to win a round is nice but ineffective. This condensed news brief helps you understand current domestic and international issues, analyze the news, and gives you opportunities to read more.

Publishing since January 2024.

International Stories

4 key international stories for the week:

1) Labour international policy: Rowan Seipp

It was evident by 4 pm on July 5th that Keir Starmer would become the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. The former lawyer had come a long way from his roots in Surrey. As people across Britain celebrated the end of conservative rule, the rest of the world braced for the significant shift in British leadership, especially concerning the EU, and Ukraine.

The Conservatives' downfall began with the disastrous BREXIT referendum, which forced two Prime Ministers (David Cameron and Theresa May) to resign in disgrace. The BREXIT referendum was essentially a vote on the question should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union or leave the European Union?’ 51.89% of voters voted to leave the EU. The UK left the EU on 31 January 2020. The move isolated the UK from the rest of the continent. The Conservative's hallmark became Britain's downfall, a new report, by Cambridge Econometrics commissioned by City Hall also shows that London's economy has shrunk by more than 30 billion pounds. Facing an unprecedented financial disaster the British goverment the Labour goverment was split on how to respond with some PM’s in favor of an uneasy alliance with the tories while the Labour backbenchers violently opposing the vote. Starmer was always rather moderate however his new post as Prime Minister means he is now forced to choose. Despite his parties opposition to the BREXIT vote its clear that Keir Starmer has no intention to rejoin the European Union. In fact he publicly stated that the UK will not rejoin either the EU, the single market or the customs union within his lifetime. That means that from a European perspective EU and UK relations will remain the same.

While some might describe the political tensions in the United Kingdom as “warlike” their is an actual war burning through eastern Europe. Since 2022 the world has been up in arms about the conflict in Ukraine. While many international leaders have made it clear that Putins illegitatment invasion should stop, a surge of right wing leaders around the world have pushed back against Ukraine funding and support. However the conservatives were largely different. Despite popularity swings the conservatives have still remained in support of Ukraine funding. The U.K., the second-largest provider of military assistance, has committed $4.6 billion to Ukraine. This is a pattern continued by a new labour government. A Starmer based foreign policy plan involves ramping up support for the embattled eastern European nation.

While political tension remains high, a new embattled Labour government is now faced with pressing political concerns. How Labour leaders like Keir Starmer choose to respond to them will change the course of British history for the next decade and possibly beyond.

2) Race to Go Green: the Paris Olympics and Sustainability Boyana Nikolova

The Olympic games don’t actually have that eco-friendly of a record, despite what their international prestige may lead you to believe. For example, the 1992 winter Olympics in Albertville, France were planned with such disregard for sustainability that locals outright described the games as an “environmental catastrophe” for the nearby countryside. 32 years later, France has resolved to set the story straight.

The 2024 Paris Olympics are expected to be the greenest in the history of the games and for once, much of the credit can be given to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) or the supreme authority that oversees most of the games’ planning.

The IOC has pledged to use 100% renewable energy sources, taking steps such as powering all venues, as well as the Athlete’s village, with solar and geothermal energy. According to the IOC, these alternative energy sources will account for over 14,000 tons of carbon emissions being saved, all contributing to their goal to host the first ever fully carbon-neutral games. Despite this, renewable energy alone won’t be enough for the committee’s ambitious goal and France is well aware.

That’s why additional measures, specifically focused on preparing Paris as a city, have been taken. Public transport services are temporarily being expanded by 15% for the summer, both for accommodating the influx of tourists and encouraging them to rely on a more sustainable mode of transport during their stay. The increase in staff and vehicle capacity will also serve to prevent overcrowding in city streets, which has been a long-term source of local worry. Just one week ago, Parisian officials also announced fare changes, altered bus routes, specific station closures, and traffic perimeters that would supplement these efforts, minimizing traffic-related emissions. This includes the soon-to-be implementation of “Limited Traffic Zones” that will regulate where cars are permitted to drive for the next 4-5 weeks with the goal of preventing congestion.

Beyond this, other measures have been in the works years before the summer even started. This January, France finalized a plan that would effectively eliminate the use of diesel for most regional train lines in Paris. For example, all trains on the Paris-Granville line will now be powered with B100 biofuel, a natural energy source that is entirely derived from animal waste, algaes, and other plant material. The result: 6.5 million liters of diesel will be spared, equating to an estimated 12,000 saved tons of CO2. As campaigns like this one spread to more train lines in Paris, the city will safely be able to welcome over 16 million expected visitors without also having to expect more emissions and air pollution.

Lamentably, it’s important to recognize that the Olympics haven’t always been this sustainable. Transportation has historically been a point of vulnerability for host cities, not to mention a never-ending source of scandals for the IOC. In 2016, after Brazil dedicated over $11 billion to transport infrastructure, including a brand new subway line, their investment still fell short of its promises. Slums existing on the outskirts of Rio were robbed of valuable development projects that could have improved inside conditions while some were cleared without warning, risking major human rights violations. Even then, emissions were irrationally high. The city generated over 40,000 net tons of CO2 solely from the newly-added transport infrastructure for the Olympics. While most of these emissions were offset by external projects financed by the IOC, environmental activists still accused Rio of “green-washing” the city while only worsening air pollution for locals. At the end of the games, Brazil had lost a grand total of $2 billion through hosting, a substantial amount being owed to its unsustainable and rashly-implemented transport systems.

It’s not an exaggeration to say that the IOC’s reputation with transportation has only soured over the years, Brazil being only one example of many. In almost every case, sustainability has been fatally overlooked. The Paris Olympics’ commitment to productive urban planning and environmentally-conscious transport solutions are both unprecedented and revolutionary as they set an unforeseen standard for hosts in the future. Of course, activists are looking for more than just reforms in transportation and the IOC is aware. Whether it has been doubling the amount of plant-based food options at the event or the production of 100% recycled mattresses for athletes, hundreds of similar micro-actions have been undertaken by the IOC with the ultimate goal of saving the planet and maybe, some of their reputation.

Now, in true Parisian fashion, even the Olympic medals have gotten a makeover. Apart from each containing 18 grams of original iron from the Eiffel Tower, they will be sourced using 100% recycled gold and silver, while the bronze medals will be made with alloy scraps left over from coin mints across the country. It goes to show that from public transport to the medals themselves, this year’s Olympics have taught both athletes and environmental policymakers to go for the gold. Especially if it’s sourced sustainably.

'Dirty' Past of the Olympics, Foreign Policy

Climate Contribution Projects, Sustainability Magazine

Other Concerns, Impakter

Forbes Magazine

World Economic Forum

3) Rwanda: Death to Dictatorship Anthony Babu

The odds were stacked against them.

800,000 lost. Hundreds of thousands more traumatized. The Rwandan genocide could be the worst event in human history. Such utter and absolute obliteration of a country would doom that country forever. And yet, Rwanda is a remarkable story of progress.

In a country divided into the Hutu and Tutsi ethnic groups, with the Hutus representing 85% of the total population, all it took was one assassination attempt on a Hutu leader to launch the country into a genocidal frenzy (though some researchers believe the genocide was planned well in advance).

The Rwandan genocide, lasting just 100 days, was marked by sexual violence, mass executions, and death surrounding the country. And yet, the international community largely stood idly by, even though world leaders were well aware of the Rwandan apocalypse unfolding before their eyes.

In the end, however, resistance would triumph. The Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), a Tutsi militant group which had long engaged in civil war with the Hutu Rwandan government, took back the country in a targeted offensive. Its commander, Paul Kagame, then took control of the country.

Under the leadership of Kagame since the end of the genocide, Rwanda has become an African powerhouse. In the past twenty years, life expectancy has doubled and child mortality has fallen two thirds. Kagame’s focus on accountability has turned Rwanda into one of the least corrupt African countries.

Indeed, with this development has come immense power. Rwanda has used its new advantages to connect with the Western world, garnering broad approval. These ties led to the proposal of a plan for the UK to deport migrants en masse to Rwanda, indicative of how close Rwanda has come to the West.

Indeed, Rwanda yields power in its own continent as well. Rwanda supports their interests in the Democratic Republic of the Congo by funding the M23 rebels, who have waged war in the DRC against the government to support Rwanda’s interests.

However, this power has come with a dangerous tradeoff. Rwanda operates as a one-party state, with Kagame having absolute control over the country’s politics. As a result, in recent elections, Kagame supposedly won 99% of the vote according to elected officials.

This leaves Rwandans without the ability to opt for a change in governance if the regime does not fulfill their demands. And it’s certain that the regime hasn’t fulfilled those demands in the slightest. Over 40% of the country’s budget comes from aid, and the country is as poor as wartorn Sahel countries like Mali and Niger. Yet, Kagame trudges on.

This dissatisfaction has already manifested itself politically. Opposition members have been killed, persecuted, and threatened. Extrajudicial killings and surveillance are becoming accepted facets of life in the country. Ethnic tensions have also continued to boil over, with angry mobs attacking refugees while the government watches from the sidelines.

Ultimately, Rwanda remains in limbo. Above genocide, but below desirable standards. However, just because the status quo is better than one of the worst genocides in human history does not mean the international community should accept Rwanda’s new norm of authoritarianism and fear.

Even with constitutionally extended term limits, Kagame runs out of time in office next decade. Rwanda escaped hell in 1994, and they can escape purgatory in 2034. The chance must not be squandered.