Fascism first emerged in Italy in 1919 and the National Fascist Party (PNF) was founded in 1921. It spread in various forms to many other countries and over different continents; its German mutation caused WWII and was defeated after millions of deaths. However, to what extent was Fascism really defeated? Contemporary political events show that anti-democratic ideologies hardly disappear, and ideological networks – even if composed only by a scant minority – can survive as karst rivers, that continue irrigating parts of the society and re-emerge on the surface at specific critical junctures.

While international donors have invested increasingly in the production of gender data in low- and middle-income countries, these investments only translate into impact in the lives of women and girls if this data is used and used effectively. However, little is known about whether and under what conditions gender data informs policy-making in low- and middle-income settings.

Żanna Słoniowska is a Ukrainian-born Polish novelist, acclaimed author of “The House with the Stained-Glass Window”, which tells the story of the Maidan revolutions through four generations, has won multiple prizes and is translated into ten languages.

China under Xi Jinping is keen on narratives and story telling. But the stories that the country has told have raised questions about what the counternarratives are by other partners associated with it internationally. Of these, the Sino British story is amongst the longest established, the best documented, and the most complex and rich in terms of its contents, at least amongst Western countries.

Building world order is not the monopoly of any civilisation, region or nation.

Some of the foundational principles and institutions of world order that we have today were developed – both independently and through mutual contact – by multiple societies, in similar if not same forms at different stages of history. These include anarchic and hierarchic inter-state systems, republicanism, freedom of seas, open trade, human rights, nationalism, humanitarian law, Great Power cooperation, and realpolitik and moral statecraft.

Since 1942, the UK-US relationship has been founded on intelligence-sharing, a military alliance, shared values, and the United States’ commitment to maintain European security. As the postwar order comes under increasing strain, we welcome to the RAI the US Embassy London’s Deputy Chief of Mission Matthew Palmer, a career member of the US Senior Foreign Service. He will offer his reflections about the current state of the Special Relationship between the US and UK, foreign policy challenges, and opportunities that lie ahead, followed by a question-and-answer session.