Alternatives to Wikileaks
Wikileaks is widely known as a portal where whistleblowers can securely upload classified information. Recently a number of newspapers have created their own systems. The Guardian uses Securedrop. Source sûre was launched in February 2015 by Le Monde, La Libre Belgique, Le Soir de Bruxelles and is focussing specifically on Francophone nations.
1979 elections
Rewind to the 1979 elections #79 rewind from the Open University is tweeting stories from the 1979 campaign to examine how they correspond with current issues.
70th Anniversary of the United Nations (next year)
A new online exhibition is being created by the Dag Hammarskjöld Library which celebrates 70 key documents in the history of the UN.
British Political Speech Archive
A great resource developed by Swansea University. It lists all major speeches for Conservative, Labour and Liberal/Liberal Democrat Party leaders from 1895 onwards. Where possible transcripts are available. The site also offers guidance on studying political rhetoric.
What is the world’s most influential think tank?
Find out by checking the 2014 Global Go To Think Tank Index Report released by the University of Pennsylvania . It has rankings by region and specialism as well as an overview of current research trends. However the list is not uncontroversial. See this critique from Foreign Policy.
NATO Archives Online
The official website now contains early committee documents from 1949-1959, press releases from 1961 onwards and over 300 full text books. These provide insight into the history of the organisation, military and security alliances and the NATO perspective on international crises. A good example is post-war Berlin situation
What institutions do people trust?
The 2015 Edelman Trust Barometer surveyed 33,000 people in 27 countries on their trust in the institutions of government, media, business and NGOs. Its annual report for 2014 found that only 43% believe CEOs have credibility. However levels of trust in search engines and social media are rising.
U.S. Security-Related Agreements in Force 1955-2012
New from Rand: a database covering treaties relating to all aspects of military and defence matters. The site includes a zip file of data plus an 85 page report which analyses the content.
State of the Union 2015
Read the official White House transcript of President Obama’s speech. The Atlantic has some interesting analysis of the words used in all speeches since 1790
45% of British adults display antisemitic attitudes
According to the Annual Antisemitism Barometer issued by Campaign against Antisemitism, ‘45% of British adults display antisemitic attitudes’. The report is based on surveys of attitudes towards Judaism and the effect of these on the Jewish community. The Institute for Jewish Policy Research raises some questions about the findings. Its website has publications on current conditions in the Jewish […]

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