Editors’ Introduction
| Published date | 01 March 2023 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/00207020231180062 |
| Author | Asa McKercher,W. Andy Knight |
| Date | 01 March 2023 |
| Subject Matter | Introduction |
Editors’Introduction
This issue of International Journal is, in fact, a double issue, an effort on our part to
deal with a backlog of fantastic articles stemming from our publication of two
back-to-back special editions in 2022. Looking over its lengthy contents gives one
an appreciation for the breadth of scholarship being undertaken today, as well as the
range of issues confronting the international community.
First, Jaehwan Jung offers insights into global banking and the complex difficulties
of regulating this key sector of the global economy. We move, next, to a look at
Hezbollah, with Massaab Al-Aloosy tracing the insurgent group’s complex and key
relations with Iran. Complexities also abound in Selim Kurt and Göktürk
Tüysüzog
̆lu’s overview of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and its current status.
Conflict is also a central—if background—issue in Layton Mandle and Frederic
Pearson’s analysis of shifts in the international arms trade. Then, Sara Kahn-Nisser
gives readers insights into efforts to tackle torture and advance human rights in
tense conflict zones. Collectively, these five articles showcase our complex world
and the difficulties in promoting any sort of global governance.
As befits IJ’sstatusasCanada’s journal of global policy analysis, we have several
articles examining aspects of Canadian international affairs. Sarah Khazaeli offers up
an examinationof Canada’s Middle East policy by looking,first, at historical approaches
and then offering insights into more recent events. Also looking to history in order to
understand contemporary events—in this case, electoral interference—Marshall
Palmer provides an overview of American attempts to sway the Canadian federal elec-
tions of 1962and 1963. Patrick Perron then movesus to the final frontier, with a warning
about Canada’slack of preparedness to deal with increasing international competition in
outer space.There are parallels here with thenext piece, by Shaun Narine, whonotes that
as it looks to expand its presence in the Indo-Pacific region, Canada is ill-prepared to
confront local realities. Overall, these four articles provide important coverage of
issues confronting Canada as it seeks to navigate an increasingly fraught global
environment.
The last two articles draw from a common progressive worldview to offer valuable
insights into contemporary international affairs from a left-wing perspective. First,
James Collie explores the Canadian New Democratic Party’s stances on foreign
policy issues, and how the party’s social democratic values inform its positions.
Introduction
International Journal
2023, Vol. 78(1-2) 3–4
© The Author(s) 2023
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DOI: 10.1177/00207020231180062
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