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The Diplomatic Envoy

Author: Katherine Dorrer

2024March 2024OpinionU.S.
Katherine Dorrer

Should the U.S. Prioritize Cyber Defense in its Budget?

The exponential growth of digital technologies and the pervasive reach of the Internet have revolutionized global communication, commerce, and information exchange. In today’s interconnected world, where a substantial portion of daily activities occurs online, maintaining robust cyber security standards is not just advisable but imperative. The United States, faced with escalating cyber threats from foreign adversaries and the pervasive digitalization of critical infrastructure, must prioritize cybersecurity in its budget allocations to safeguard national security interests and ensure resilience in the face of evolving threats.

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September 2022International NewsEuropeMiddle EastConflict and Security
Katherine Dorrer

U.S. Allies Doubt Iran Nuclear Deal Revival is Imminent

With the latest effort to revive the Iranian nuclear deal, U.S. allies have stated that they have “serious doubts” that Iran and the U.S. will strike a deal, reports Reuters. President Biden promised to restore the nuclear agreement during his 2020 presidential campaign, yet negotiations appear to be delayed ahead of the 2022 midterm elections.

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Summer 2022Climate ChangeAnalysis2022Middle East
Katherine Dorrer

Water Scarcity and Armed Conflict Shaping Migration Patterns in the Middle East and North Africa

In the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), water scarcity, worsened by climate change, has contributed to a rise in global migration. Climate change, environmental degradation, and water stress drive extreme migration patterns throughout the MENA region. As climate change intensifies in states with weakened central government authority, armed groups, and extremist organizations exploit these challenges and weaponize water.

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April 2022Opinion2022
Katherine Dorrer

“Weather” or Not: The Crisis of Global Environmental Governance

In the third volume of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change assessment report, Climate Change 2022: Mitigation of Climate Change, climate scientists suggest that the world is at a now-or-never point of global warming, where extreme climate events are imminent. This report, released on April 4, suggests that difficulties regarding greenhouse gas emissions and fossil fuels are the product of socio-political issues, rather than technological shortcomings, as clean energy technologies have become more affordable and accessible.

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March 2022Opinion2022
Katherine Dorrer

As the Global West Prepares to Relax COVID Restrictions, is it Doing Enough to Combat Vaccine Inequality across Africa?

It has been two years since the World Health Organization’s designation of the COVID-19 outbreak as a pandemic. Since then, there have been 452,201,564 confirmed cases of COVID-19, along with 6,029,852 related deaths worldwide, reports WHO. As the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and local governments relax COVID-19 restrictions within the United States, the pandemic is still raging in developing nations, as both their economy and national morale struggle to regain normalcy. The COVID-19 pandemic has unfortunately highlighted the growing global divide in the distribution of vaccine doses, particularly exposing vaccine inequality across Africa. 

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2022Americas
Katherine Dorrer

Brazil Devastated by Mudslides and Floods

Brazil has suffered from numerous devasting mudslides and flash flooding this month, as the death toll rises to 217. Climate experts and meteorologists believe that the source of this influx of flash flooding and landslides has to do with the rapid urbanization in the Rio De Janeiro state, especially areas like the city of Petrópolis, where summer rains are not usually severe, as Al Jazeera reports.

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February 20222022International NewsAsia
Katherine Dorrer

Myanmar Marks One Year Since Military Takeover

February 1marked one year since Myanmar’s  military staged a coup to oust democratically elected leader Aung Sann Suu Kyi, less than a decade after its transition into a democratic nation. The U.N. Security Council released a statement regarding the one-year anniversary, calling for those still detained to abe released, including the country’s former president Win Myint, reports U.S. News. Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize winner and long-time supporter of democracy, remains detained as well. 

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2021Asia
Katherine Dorrer

Indonesia to Relocate Capital Due to Climate Change

On January 18, Indonesia’s parliament passed a bill to relocate the nation’s capital from Jakarta to the jungle island of Borneo, with the new city’s name to be Nusantara. The move, according to BBC News, will cost an estimated 466 trillion rupiah, or roughly $32.4 billion. The bill passed by approvals from eight factions, with one faction rejecting, according to Indonesian House Representative Puan Maharani.

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2021International News
Katherine Dorrer

Emergence of Omicron Variant Provokes Global Fears

On November 26, 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) distinguished the COVID-19 variant B.1.1.529, or Omicron. Although South Africa was the first nation to report the Omicron variant to WHO on November 24, scientists are unsure of where and when it originated. According to The Washington Post, the variant has been detected all over the world, including in the United States, UK, EU, Israel, Hong Kong, and Botswana.

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