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Friends of Europe | Newsletter

#CriticalThinking - "geography has made us neighbours"

John F. Kennedy once said: "Geography has made us neighbors. History has made us friends. Economics has made us partners, and necessity has made us allies." Although the US president was addressing his country's northerly neighbour, this week's #CriticalThinking explores these same notions of history, economics, partnership and alliances in other geographies around the world, including China, Lebanon and Iran, Ukraine and the Western Balkans.

People walking across a plaza with a grid pattern

Friends of Europe | Webpage

Renewed Social Contract

The social contract is a tacit agreement among members of a society – the state, citizens, as well as private and civil society sectors – that defines their mutual relationships, shared values and expectations of each other. Europe’s 20th-century social contract introduced ground-breaking concepts, such as welfarism and the social protection net, which were intended for the betterment of society. However, it has not kept pace with macro trends.

Friends of Europe | Annual report

Joint letter from President and Secretary-General

We saw glimpses of the best aspects of humanity in 2021. Faced with the ongoing challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccines developed in record time offered much needed relief. Solidarity took many forms within and between communities, from remarkable volunteer efforts to the approval of the European Union’s largest stimulus package ever.

A screenshot of apps on a phone with Twitter in the center

United Nations University – MERIT & Maastricht University | Master's thesis (abstract)

Driving Youth Voter Turnout: A Framing Analysis of 2018 United States Midterm Election Campaigns on Twitter

In the 2018 United States midterm elections, voter turnout among the youth voter age group (18- to 29-year olds) increased 79 percent on the previous midterms in 2014, nearing a turnout rate more commonly seen during presidential election years (Misra, 2019). Identified as one of the most popular online social media platforms among youth voters during the 2018 election cycle, this research undertakes a framing analysis of six Twitter accounts.

An image of an old street in England with small businesses on the first floor and apartments above

Christie & Co | Press release

Christie & Co launches Business Outlook 2019 report

While international investment continues to thrive and the impending Brexit deadline likely to bring economic clarity, the future of business looks to be bright, according to the latest annual report by specialist business property adviser, Christie & Co. The report reflects on the themes, activity and challenges of the previous year and forecasts what 2019 might bring across the industries in which Christie & Co operates.