Aakanksha Mathur - Catalyst

The Vaccine Dilemma

August 19, 2021November 10, 2021 Aakanksha Mathur

While there is no doubt that getting vaccinated was the right thing to do, living in a world where vaccine diplomacy and vaccine passports are just around the corner, one cannot help but feel a new sort of discrimination when it comes to the selection of approved vaccines to alleviate restrictions. Moreover, the fact that the approved vaccines only contain western made vaccines despite there being others, like Sinopharm, that received WHO approval is greatly concerning.

The Flaws in Climate Change Accountability

August 9, 2021 Aakanksha Mathur

The disproportionality in the effects of climate change on the developed and developing world is often regurgitated and self-evident. Little, however, is said about how the countries that self endow themselves as key stakeholders in global policy construction and summits to reduce climate change.

The UAE, a Pioneer in Women’s Empowerment – But the Struggle Is Far from Over

May 4, 2021November 10, 2021 Aakanksha Mathur

Through a developmental lens, the UAE’s forward-thinking leadership subverts orientalist depictions of the Middle East, bound by the West’s artificially constructed binary between the "rational" West (us) versus the "irrational" East (them).

Genocide As A “Cultural Norm”: U.S. Selective Intervention in Global Humanitarian Crises

March 24, 2021November 10, 2021 Aakanksha Mathur

The contradiction in both declaring the violence against Uyghur Muslims in China as genocide and then defending limited US involvement because of different “cultural norms” is a stark reminder of the Janus-faced developmental diplomacy that forefronts US interests and provides yet another convenient facade for non-interventionist policy.

A “Developing Nation” Forever? Why India’s Flawed Judiciary System Is Impairing Its Development Trajectory

February 17, 2021November 10, 2021 Aakanksha Mathur

India, the largest democracy in the world, is globally regarded as an economic force to be reckoned with; however, many rulings and loopholes in the judiciary system imply an uneven, and arguably stagnant, development in terms of women’s rights and safety in India.

TikTok and Democracy? The Implications of the US’ Proposed TikTok Ban

October 28, 2020November 10, 2021 Aakanksha Mathur

Ironically, the very presidency that critiques China's authoritarian leadership is the same one attempting to violate their fundamental right to self-expression.