The Securitization of Love Jihad

The concept of ‘love jihad’ has typically been studied within the context of feminism, nationalism, or religion. However, a singular approach fails to recognize the interconnected impact that each of these has on the development of India’s security policies. This article analyzes how the archetype of the dangerous Muslim male is used to shape India’s securitization strategies. This paper argues that these policies reflect Hindu paranoia of decreasing dominance vis à vis Muslims. This will be explored within three contexts. First, it explores how the perceived threat of an increasing Muslim population shapes state-level and national policies. Second, it explores how the threat of love jihad has shaped India’s policies with its borders and neighboring countries. Third, it examines the international impact of the securitization of love jihad. This paper will demonstrate that at the foundation of these policies is a fear of Muslims strategizing to increase their population via intermarriage and migration. The perceived threat of love jihad has been increasingly utilized as a Hindutva campaign tactic to promote fear and create support for increased securitization policies both domestically and internationally.

INDIGO Impact Bond Insights

This report is part of the GO Lab-supported International Network for Data on Impact and Government Outcomes (INDIGO). This report reflects on the general landscape of impact bond projects across the world. The first section analyses the countries leading the way with impact bonds in a number of categories and it also examines the distribution of projects across different policy sectors. The second section provides an overview of international impact bonds - projects where at least one of the outcome payers is located in a different country to the location of service delivery. It presents key statistics on international impact bonds, and analyses their distribution across policy areas and geographies. The last section features the projects of the Life Chances Fund. This report uses data as of 01 July 2021.

From the Quarrel of Monotheism to the Babel–Bibel Controversy

The chapter ponders the massive international impact of Renan’s views on Semitic monotheism. This impact, spread across linguistic, religious, and political borders, enduringly echoed the idea of Semitic monotheism. At the same time, it triggered a series of polemical responses that questioned the very legitimacy of the idea. The chapter also reviews new developments among German historians of religion in the last decades of the nineteenth century on the approach of biblical monotheism. In particular, we focus on another major scholarly affair, which took place at turn of the century, around a scholarly school that sought to discredit the idea of the Israelite origins of monotheism. These developments must be understood in the context of the growing racial anti-Semitism. The significant role of Jewish scholars in both affairs, in which the status of ancient Israelite monotheism was questioned, will also be surveyed.

Bridging the language gap for simulation resources

With increasing use of open access platforms, simulation-based resources are being shared across geographical borders. There are benefits to designing resources with language and content which is understandable and applicable to learners in different countries. This report aims to assess the differences between scenarios from different groups and explore whether common terms can be used to make internationally relevant simulation resources in future. In collaboration between two groups producing Free Open Access Medical Education simulation resources in the UK and USA, we present observations of terms used in our simulation resources. The content within a series of simulation scenarios from both groups was reviewed, with notable differences in language collected. There are areas of overlap between the terms used in the UK and USA. Semantic, cultural and system differences were found which could prevent scenarios from being transferred between countries. The differences we describe highlight that language choice is important if simulation producers are intent on developing scenarios with international impact. There is work to be done to ensure that resources can be used internationally—embracing linguistics has the potential to aid this process, with the use of simplified language and feedback from local communities being key steps.