Gérer internet… sans les médias? (Manning the internet…without media?)
The following article by Essential Edge French-language editor, Daniel Wermus, explores the role of the internet - and journalism.
En 2003 et 2005, le Sommet mondial sur la société de l’information (SMSI) donnait l’élan aux...
Putting UNRWA back on the Map
With the civil war in Syria stalemated in its fourth year and more than 164,000 Syrians dead, the public has begun to be anesthetized to what is really at stake. That changed briefly Thursday...
How bad language leads to poor humanitarian outcomes
Nicholas van Praag of Keystone's Groundtruth programme writes about the importance of language when dealing with the people one is trying to help.
When someone as eloquent as Robert Chambers chides you on your use of language,...
Sri Lanka’s Killing Fields, North Africa and the role of quality media
Since starting out as a foreign correspondent during the late 1970s in Paris, Swiss-American writer and journalist Edward Girardet would often make a point of coming to Geneva to report on peace talks, wars...
The PCDN Network – More than just information
For anyone - UN or NGO aid worker, policy analyst, researcher, journalist, donor, private sector - serious about being effective, the Peace and Collaborative Development Network (PCDN) is more than just an information tool,...
Switzerland’s Immigration Vote: Nationalism, racism or fear.
A version of this was first published by Le News, the free English-language weekly for the Lake Geneva region. This includes the cartoon by award-winning American artist Jeff Danziger - excellent cartoons on his website...
Career suicide by Gmail–a cautionary tale
This piece by journalist and author William T. Dowell was first published by The Essential Edge 12 November, 2012.
Washington, DC -- For most Washington insiders, the most surprising aspect of General David Petraeus' spectacular...
Snow White and Rose Red Recipe
Cranberries and Camembert: Culinary Tales from an Expatriate's Kitchen in France - and across the Swiss border.
This column by Amelia Alexander explores the art of cooking from the American point of view in France and...
ON SECOND THOUGHT: The Tweet That Kills
This piece written by William T. Dowell was published by The Essential Edge 22 July,2012.
Geneva -- “Good morning, Shooters! Happy Friday! Weekend plans?” America’s National Rifle Association hastily erased this tweet from their...
Geneva in danger of losing international presence
ZANZIBAR CAFE: A Column by Edward Girardet
This piece by journalist and author Edward Girardet was first published by the Essential Edge on 9 June, 2013.
The extraordinary lack of interest and imagination among Swiss politicians for the...
Frontpage Planetary Concerns : International Geneva is losing its impact.
The following is an editorial written by Essential Edge French editor Daniel Wermus, a Swiss journalist and media specialist based in Geneva. A French version of the article below is also available on this site.
Geneva...
The spies among us
Ed Snowden, the whistleblower who revealed the US National Security Agency’s efforts to track virtually all of America’s phone calls as well as secretly penetrate the Internet servers of major companies, says that Switzerland's...
KOFI ANNAN – A Spokesperson’s Memoir
This piece written by William Dowell and Edward Girardet was published by The Essential Edge 18 April, 2013.
Geneva -- Kofi Annan was regarded by many of his colleagues and peers as one of the...
Is War with Iran Inevitable?
This piece was written William T. Dowell and published by The Essential Edge 3 October, 2012.
Geneva -- With US elections fast approaching, the drums of war are beating along the Potomac for a pre-emptive...
Which Way for the U.S. in the Middle East?
Recent events underscore what is really at stake in the upcoming US presidential elections, and, more to the point, they raise serious doubts as to whether Republican candidate Mitt Romney is really up for...
Curiosity on Mars!
This piece written by William T. Dowell was first published by The Essential Edge on 5 August, 2012.
Geneva -- To get an idea of the true significance of Curiosity’s successful landing on Mars you...
Who are the real losers after this weekend’s inconclusive Syria talks?
The inconclusive declaration that followed the talks on Syria here in Geneva over the weekend seems certain to further diminish the credibility of Kofi Annan and the United Nations itself, but the real losers...
Facing realities in Afghanistan – The road to recovery goes through the countryside
This piece by journalist and author Edward Girardet was first published by The Essential Edge 4 December, 2011.
ZANZIBAR CAFE - Edward Girardet
Geneva -- The first Bonn conference on Afghanistan in December, 2001 to help put...
Afghanistan – And the war goes on…
This piece by journalist and author Edward Girardet, who was in India at the time of Osama bin Laden's killing, was published by The Essential Edge 13 June, 2011.
New Delhi -- The killing of Osama...
Aid Agencies Must Listen to the People They Are Helping
This piece by contributor Nick van Praag was first published by The Essential Edge on 31 March, 2011.
Washington, DC -- We spend $10bn a year on humanitarian emergencies, but most projects are run without...
Saying Goodbye to the Pharaoh
Forced retirement is a frequently traumatic, ever-present danger in politics, writes William Dowell. In ancient Egypt, the pharaoh ran a ritual foot race, part of the jubilee Heb Sed, to demonstrate his fitness to...
Hors la Loi (Outlaw): France’s experience a half-century ago and today’s terror
This piece written by journalist and author William T. Dowell was published by The Essential Edge 10 October, 2010.
Hors la loi (Outlaw), the film by French-born director Rachid Bouchareb that created a scandal at...
The Global Fund Fights HIV/AIDS in El Salvador
Carla, in her late 40s, is a big-boned woman locked in a man’s body, a sweet-natured figure on the streets of San Salvador, a fact of life which nearly got her killed. If it...
Pakistan, water and the “third pole”
The worsening floods in Pakistan may only be the first event in a series of crises that are likely to become a global trend, a consequence of what scientists are beginning to refer to...
The Implications of Pakistan’s Flood
Pakistan’s flood underscores a basic paradox in humanitarian operations, writes William Dowell. The single organization that has the most helicopters and logistics capacity to provide immediate relief is the US military, yet because the...
Remembering Mr. Swatch
William Dowell explores the life of Nicolas Hayek, founder of Swatch and saviour of the Swiss watch industry.
Geneva -- Nicolas Hayek, who died of heart failure at the age of 82 on June 28,...
Afghanistan: The Pretend Game
This piece by journalist and author Edward Girardet was published by The Essential Edge 20 August, 2009.
The sad reality of the Afghan elections is that the results really do not matter. Seventeen million Afghans...
Beijing Bubble: Travel Notes from China
This piece by journalist and author William T. Dowell was first published by The Essential Edge on 31 May, 2009.
BEIJING -- “I’m here for the hip hop,” says Jamel, an African American from Washington...
Charlie Wilson and Afghanistan’s Unwinnable Wars
This piece by journalist and author Edward Girardet was published by The Essential Edge 27 February, 2008.
The United States is sending an additional 3,000 troops to Afghanistan in a bid to improve a steadily...
On Remembering Christophe
This piece by Edward Girardet was published by The Esssential Edge 22 December, 2007.
CESSY -- Christophe de Ponfilly, the 55-year-old French film-maker, writer, and Afghan aficionado died on Tuesday, 16 May, 2006 by his...
