Institute of Current World Affairs @icwa.org · 04/09/2026Mahli Knutson interviews several generations of New Guangzhou'ers, including a grandmother who provides for her family as a fruit seller and a woman who grew up in the city who showcases family traditions to spark younger generations' appreciation for China's tea tradition. 010
Institute of Current World Affairs @icwa.org · 31/08/2026Mahli Knutson visits a “handshake building” or “kissing building” in Guangzhou, China to see how some newcomers to the city live. The apartments are built so close together they appear to “kiss” & residents in neighboring buildings can reportedly reach out from their unit windows to shake hands. 010
Institute of Current World Affairs @icwa.org · 26/08/2026Inaugural Blakemore-ICWA fellow Julia Walton at her launch dinner in Washington, DC. Julia will spend a year examining youth civic participation in Japan amid demographic change. 110
Institute of Current World Affairs @icwa.org · 06/08/2026Mahli Knutson visits Clifford International School in Guangzhou to research international education & global citizenship in China: 1) Twelfth grade students present their final project 2) Huaqiao New Village, a residential area for overseas Chinese 3) a student fashion exhibit 4) a Clifford teacher. 000
Institute of Current World Affairs @icwa.org · 22/07/2026Newly launched fellow Diana Kruzman @dkruzman.bsky.social reporting from the Dead Sea. 011
Institute of Current World Affairs @icwa.org · 09/07/2026Mahli Knutson shares photos from the Clifford Estate, a gated residential neighborhood in Guangzhou, China, northwest of Hong Kong. 000
Institute of Current World Affairs @icwa.org · 01/07/2026Launching fellow Mahli Knutson stops in Shanghai en route to her base in Guangzhou, China. 010
Institute of Current World Affairs @icwa.org · 24/06/2026Is Palantir CEO Alex Karp's purchase of property in northern Norway a security threat? Or just an uncomfortable reminder to local politicians of the deep-burrowing global influence of a handful of American billionaires? @brettvsimpson.bsky.social reports: www.icwa.org/palantir-nor... 001
Institute of Current World Affairs @icwa.org · 18/06/2026Could LLMs help preserve and advance fading Indigenous languages? From Arctic Norway, ICWA fellow @brettvsimpson.bsky.social reports about Sámi activists using Anthropic’s Claude chatbot to speak their language: www.icwa.org/palantir-nor... 010
Institute of Current World Affairs @icwa.org · 12/06/2026NY-based ICWA alumni @aronouzil.bsky.social, @joshualevkowitz.bsky.social, Katherine Kono, Ezra Fieser and @scotterich.bsky.social help send off new fellow @dkruzman.bsky.social to Lebanon. Diana will be examining how the Lebanese are adapting to multiple crises. 020
Institute of Current World Affairs @icwa.org · 08/06/2026Former Philippines President Duterte's war on drugs illustrated the Filipino proverb, "It’s easy to be human, it’s hard to be humane," capturing the sense of division between our morals & how we live. The ICC trial might widen the gap once more, Sabrina Ochoa reports: www.icwa.org/philippines-... 010
Institute of Current World Affairs @icwa.org · 05/06/2026More photos from Rowland Robinson's trip up the Amazon River: 1) A pink river dolphin in the wild. 2) Interior of the Amazonia Opera House, built during the rubber boom of the late 1800s. 3) A curious Tucan at the Zoological Parc of Mangal das Garças. 4) Rowland in a hammock on the ferry boat. 010
Institute of Current World Affairs @icwa.org · 25/05/2026As former Philippines President Duterte instructed police officers to carry out deadly anti-drug operations across the country, religious ministers and their lay partners were often the first line of defense and response for targeted communities, Sabrina Ochoa reports: www.icwa.org/philippines-... 000
Institute of Current World Affairs @icwa.org · 12/05/2026We are delighted to announce the Blakemore-ICWA Fellowship, a new partnership between ICWA & the Blakemore Foundation. Julia Walton, the first Blakemore-ICWA Fellow, will spend a year examining youth civic participation in Japan amid demographic change. For more info: www.icwa.org/blakemore-ic... 022
Institute of Current World Affairs @icwa.org · 07/05/2026Sabrina Ochoa visited the Masungi Georeserve in Rizal, Philippines, a forest conservation park showcasing some of the most biodiverse habitat in the country. 100
Institute of Current World Affairs @icwa.org · 30/04/2026Former Philippines President Duterte has exposed a moral gap in the Catholic country between the pomp & circumstance of popular religious devotion & widespread support for Duterte's war on drugs that resulted in thousands of extrajudicial killings, Sabrina Ochoa reports: www.icwa.org/philippines-... 000
Institute of Current World Affairs @icwa.org · 29/04/2026ONE MORE DAY TO APPLY: Nuclear disarmament remains one of the most critical priorities of our day, with incalculable stakes. Are you a young professional interested in disarmament? Letters of interest for the Rydell-Frisa Disarmament Education Fellowship due by April 30: www.icwa.org/icwa-fellows... 000
Institute of Current World Affairs @icwa.org · 16/04/2026TWO MORE WEEKS TO APPLY: The Rydell-Frisa Disarmament Education Fellowship is open to young professionals with a strong interest in disarmament. The fellow will conduct in-depth research in one or more countries, with professional mentoring. Letters are due by April 30: www.icwa.org/icwa-fellows... 000
Institute of Current World Affairs @icwa.org · 10/04/2026A NATO exercise in Norway last month served for both practice & propaganda at a very difficult time for the military alliance, @brettvsimpson.bsky.social reported from the scene: www.icwa.org/nato-arctic-... 001
Institute of Current World Affairs @icwa.org · 01/04/2026LAST MONTH TO APPLY: We are now accepting letters of interest for The Rydell-Frisa Disarmament Education Fellowship, an immersive two-year independent writing fellowship focusing on global nuclear disarmament. Letters of interest are due by April 30: www.icwa.org/icwa-fellows... 101
Institute of Current World Affairs @icwa.org · 16/03/2026Douglas Lyon takes us to Ganvié, Benin, where the Tofinu people live in houses on stilts and commute by boat. The village’s main industries besides tourism are fishing & fish farming: compass.icwa.org/p/the-venice... 000
Institute of Current World Affairs @icwa.org · 12/03/2026Matthew Wheeler (Thailand 2002-2004) & @steventagle.com (Greece 2021-2023) meet up in Bangkok to trade fellowship stories, discuss how the city has changed & Matt’s work researching Southeast Asian security issues for @crisisgroup.org. Steven wears his trusty ICWA cap whenever he travels. 021
Institute of Current World Affairs @icwa.org · 26/02/2026Alumni and friends: We'd love to see you and your ICWA gear out in the wild! 🌎 Send us photos with your ICWA tote bags, caps, ties, scarves, pens, pins, or other swag, and we'll share them on our social media accounts. 🧭 Here's a photo contributing editor Robert Coalson sent from Cancun, Mexico. 000
Institute of Current World Affairs @icwa.org · 12/02/2026Nuclear disarmament remains one of the most critical priorities of our day, with incalculable stakes. Are you a young professional with a strong interest in disarmament? The Rydell-Frisa Disarmament Education Fellowship is now open. Letters of interest due by April 30: www.icwa.org/icwa-fellows... 001
Institute of Current World Affairs @icwa.org · 09/02/2026Prioritizing public health policies such as low-barrier housing, treatment & harm reduction leads to greater public safety, reduced crime, public nuisance & drug use, Rowland Robinson reports at the Maine Governor's Opioid Response Seminar @janetmillsforme.bsky.social: youtu.be/FI4zYSQS_tY?... 011
Institute of Current World Affairs @icwa.org · 03/02/2026The Rydell-Frisa Disarmament Education Fellowship is now open to outstanding young professionals with a strong interest in disarmament. The fellow will conduct in-depth research in one or more countries, with professional mentoring. Letters are due by April 30, 2026: www.icwa.org/icwa-fellows... 000
Institute of Current World Affairs @icwa.org · 21/01/2026Nepal borders, flags and cables - photography by Jennifer Katzka on Compass: compass.icwa.org/p/nepal-bord... 000
Institute of Current World Affairs @icwa.org · 12/01/2026"Riding the escalators from the Central to Mid-Levels districts & staring up at the towering office buildings & residential complexes, I was struck by the city’s vertical orientation." Former fellow @steventagle.com shares photos from a 2013 trip to Hong Kong on Compass: compass.icwa.org/p/hong-kong 030
Institute of Current World Affairs @icwa.org · 23/12/2025A @hls.harvard.edu & @upenn.edu grad specializing in intl law & human rights, Sabrina Ochoa will study the impact of the International Criminal Court’s prosecution of crimes against humanity during the Philippines’ “war on drugs,” focusing on the victims of atrocity crimes. 030
Institute of Current World Affairs @icwa.org · 23/12/2025A @nyu.edu graduate and recent Fulbright research fellow in Kyrgyzstan, journalist Diana Kruzman @dkruzman.bsky.social will investigate how communities in Lebanon adapt & even thrive after breakdown, & she’ll report on wider developments in the Middle East. 130
Institute of Current World Affairs @icwa.org · 23/12/2025A graduate of Middlebury College with a master’s degree from @harvard.edu Kennedy School, Mahli Knutson will spend two years in China examining changes in family life and their impact on the concept of childhood, public systems such as orphanage care & decisions families make about childrearing. 120
Institute of Current World Affairs @icwa.org · 23/12/2025We’re delighted to announce the appointment of three outstanding new fellows who will begin their fellowships next year: Mahli Knutson, Diana Kruzman @dkruzman.bsky.social and Sabrina Ochoa www.icwa.org/icwa-2026-fe... 142
Institute of Current World Affairs @icwa.org · 19/12/2025Last days of the Soviet Union - photography by Jennifer Katzka on Compass: compass.icwa.org/p/last-days-... 031
Institute of Current World Affairs @icwa.org · 12/12/2025Portugal - photography by Jennifer Katzka on Compass: compass.icwa.org/p/portugal 020
Institute of Current World Affairs @icwa.org · 09/12/2025The institute is thrilled to announce the 2026-2028 Rydell-Frisa Disarmament Fellowship, which will examine the state of global nuclear disarmament education, with immersion in a country or region to be determined next year. We are very grateful to Randy Rydell and Beth Frisa for making it possible. 111
Institute of Current World Affairs @icwa.org · 19/11/2025Rowland visited a harm reduction welcome center in Rio’s Maré favela, near the recent police mega operation that killed 132. Even during smaller raids, which happen as often as 3x a month in this favela alone, schools, clinics & transportation services shut down, creating fear & disrupting life. 030
Institute of Current World Affairs @icwa.org · 17/11/2025A big thank you to all the fellows, supporters and friends who joined us last weekend to celebrate ICWA’s 100th anniversary! We look forward to building on your ideas and excitement as we move into the institute’s next century. 010
Institute of Current World Affairs @icwa.org · 13/11/2025Tomorrow, for ICWA's 100th, Deanna Donovan, William Knowland, @brettvsimpson.bsky.social & James Workman will discuss what we must do to adapt to climate change. Open to the public. Register to join us on Nov 14 at House of Sweden in DC @swedeninusa.bsky.social: www.eventbrite.com/e/the-world-... 100
Institute of Current World Affairs @icwa.org · 11/11/2025For ICWA's 100th anniversary, alumni @brynbarnardart.bsky.social, Kenneth Cavander, Jean-Benoît Nadeau & Roger Reynolds will discuss how art can bridge national & economic divides. Open to the public. Register to join us on Nov 14 at @swedeninusa.bsky.social in DC: www.eventbrite.com/e/the-world-... 120
Institute of Current World Affairs @icwa.org · 09/11/2025For ICWA's centenary, ICWA alumni Joseph Battat, Bacete Bwogo, William Foote & Joel Millman will discuss tariffs & anti-migration policies dominating the international agenda. Open to the public. Register to join us on Nov 14 at @swedeninusa.bsky.social in DC: www.eventbrite.com/e/the-world-... 101
Institute of Current World Affairs @icwa.org · 05/11/2025Join us at @hrc.org in Washington, DC on Nov 13, when returning David Mixner LGBTQ+ Fellow Edric Huang will deliver his end-of-fellowship talk about the role of LGBTQ+ rights in Taiwan’s democracy & what the movement says about the country. Register here: www.eventbrite.com/e/lgbtq-righ... 100
Institute of Current World Affairs @icwa.org · 28/10/2025Join us at @hrc.org in Washington, DC on Nov 13, when returning David Mixner LGBTQ+ Fellow Edric Huang will deliver his end-of-fellowship talk about the role of LGBTQ+ rights in Taiwan’s democracy & what the movement says about the country. Register here: www.eventbrite.com/e/lgbtq-righ... 131
Institute of Current World Affairs @icwa.org · 17/10/2025Executive director Greg Feifer @gregoryfeifer.bsky.social visits Peter Bird Martin Fellow Brett Simpson @brettvsimpson.bsky.social in Tromsø, Norway. 010
Institute of Current World Affairs @icwa.org · 20/08/2025A local Rowland befriended fries churros out of the back of a car at a children's event at an evangelical church in Brazil. 000
Institute of Current World Affairs @icwa.org · 11/08/2025While visiting the beach town of Cumbuco in northern Brazil, Rowland met empty nesters @mudarorumoviagens, who have been on the road for 9 months in their VW Kombi, driving up the coast from São Paulo. "When will you make your way back to São Paulo?" Rowland asked. "Who knows," they said. 000
Institute of Current World Affairs @icwa.org · 05/08/2025Rowland Robinson with his Forro dance school group at a collective birthday party during the "Fiesta Junina." Forro is the typical dance style from northeastern Brazil that is performed frequently throughout June & July to celebrate the Catholic saints. 010
Institute of Current World Affairs @icwa.org · 31/07/2025Rowland Robinson shares some photos from his new base in Brazil. In May, he accompanied non-profit workers to Cracolandia or "Crackland," a region of São Paulo known for its high incidence of drug use. In the video, he dances with folks living on the street--you can spot him by his patagonia! 000
Institute of Current World Affairs @icwa.org · 21/07/2025Edric Huang walked in the parade with Nagoya University designated associate professor Euan McKay, who has formed support networks for LGBTQ+ faculty across Japan & conducted research on LGBTQ+ university students’ experiences. 000
Institute of Current World Affairs @icwa.org · 21/07/2025This year, Nagoya Rainbow Pride attracted over 50,000 visitors & 1,200 parade participants. Nagoya is the capital of Aichi Prefecture, the first Japanese prefecture to recognize same-sex couples & their children as a family with its “Familyship Oath System” in early 2024. 100
Institute of Current World Affairs @icwa.org · 07/07/2025Tens of thousands of people—including Edric Huang—attended this April rally to recall KMT legislators. Booths lined both sides of the street for people to sign petitions in their home districts. So far, 31 petitions to recall Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators have reached the final stage. 000