The UN General Assembly’s Fourth Committee adopted a resolution on Western Sahara that renewed debate over the Sahrawi people’s right to self-determination. The vote resulted in 152 votes in favor, 2 against, and 7 abstentions as international support for Morocco’s autonomy increased. In this exclusive interview for CounterPunch, Stephen Zunes, a professor of politics and international studies, discusses the UN vote and the future of Western Sahara. Zunes looks at the political challenges posed by Morocco’s claims to the territory. He also talks about UN peacekeeping and the role of U.S. foreign policy. Further, he describes how international solidarity can support Sahrawi self-determination. More

For everyone who has worked in and around North Korea, Kathi Zellweger has been a role model. As the director of international operations at the Catholic charity Caritas, she oversaw food aid to North Korea in the 1990s when it was overwhelmed by famine. Later, she worked in Pyongyang for the Swiss government on various development projects. When that assignment ended, she continued to remain engaged through an NGO she founded to provide the supplies needed for cataract operations in North Korea. Throughout this challenging work, she remained unfailingly dedicated. Even as other international organizations withdrew from North Korea and the government there put restrictions on those that remained, Zellweger still focused on helping the most vulnerable people. More

This is no time to look away. Danger signs are flashing on all fronts, from the bellicose threats against Cuba to the flaming tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. The return of the Democrats will change the tone but not the tenor of our perilous situation. The marketing of liberal wars usually comes in humanitarian guises like the so-called right to protect. But these virtuous claims must be put to the test. That’s what we are here to do. It’s what we’ve done for more than three decades now, even when people have said that we can’t go on. Even when the accounts are low and the prospects bleak. Can’t go on? We must go on. What choice do we have? More