The Aesthetics of Humanitarianism: How Visibility has Replaced Justice
Written by Lia Moskov In the twenty-first century, suffering doesn't just need to exist to bring about a global response, but needs to be become visible and emotionally recognisable in order to maintain attention. This transformation has reshaped the idea of modern humanitarianism by turning compassion into something dependent on performance and visibility. Although humanitarian narratives present suffering as ‘universally important’, it’s clear that public attention towards
May 315 min read
Global Politics Without Villains: Why Harm Doesn’t Always Require Malice
Written by Lia Moskov Who is responsible when no one intends harm, yet suffering persists? We are quick to search for villains in international politics, or rather simply anyone to blame. What if this instinct blinds us to a more uncomfortable reality: that some of the most damaging outcomes emerge without anyone acting in bad faith? What happens when harm is caused without intention? Who, or what, do we then blame? International politics is often portrayed as a struggle bet
Jan 234 min read
The Nations We’re Not Allowed to Imagine: The Political Apprehension Behind Self-Declared States
Written by Lia Moskov Why do governments fear self-declared states? A state is only real because enough people agree to pretend it is. In the late 1960s, the global stage witnessed the emergence of Rose Island, a 400-square-meter man-made platform built off the coast of Rimini, Italy, in international waters. It declared itself an independent state and sovereign nation in 1968, under the name: the "Republic of Rose Island,” and Italy quite literally blew it up. This case stud
Nov 21, 20254 min read
How ‘enemies of mankind’ shaped International Law
Written by Lia Moskov Did pirates “found” international law, or did states simply invent international law against them? Before the International Criminal Court, before the Hague, before the very idea of human rights tribunals, there were pirates swinging from the gallows. Branded ‘enemies of all mankind,’ they were the first case study for what it meant to have laws that belonged not to any single nation, but to the world. Their very existence brought the question, “What hap
Nov 21, 20253 min read
