While philosophers often construct universalist narratives without deeply engaging archival sources, and social historians meticulously catalog diaries, newspapers, and eyewitness accounts without theorizing ideological coherence, Carl Wilén integrates social movement theory with selective archival material, tracing both ideas and actions in the Haitian Revolution while situating them in structural, legal, and economic contexts. In Blog Post 55, Claudia B. Villegas Ramos reflects on the lecture by Carl Wilén (Lund University), "The Haitian Revolution and the Concept of the Legal Form: Capitalism, Slavery and the Universality Paradigm".

In Fall 2025, The Center hosted Distinguished Speaker Hiroshi Motomura’s presentation “Borders and Belonging: What Is Fair Immigration Policy in the Year 2025?” Motomura shared insights from his latest book, Borders and Belonging: Toward a Fair Immigration Policy (Oxford 2025). As a leading scholar in immigration and citizenship law at UCLA, Motomura offered a nuanced exploration of what fair immigration policy could look like in today’s complex political climate, addressing questions about national borders, belonging, and the future of immigration in the United States and globally. In this post, Claudia B. Villegas Ramos reflects on Motomura’s presentation.

In Blog Post 53, "Politics, Tradition, and Practice of Law and Rural Development: Observations from Fieldwork", Mekonnen Ayano observes that Ethiopia has moved through more political and economic experiments in a few decades than many countries experience in a century. The military (socialist) government that ousted Haile Selassie’s monarchy in 1974 collapsed in 1991, followed by the "Washington Consensus” structural adjustment programs that promised economic growth, industrialization, peace, and prosperity. However, as in many “post-socialist” societies, those promises remain largely unfulfilled, leaving the country caught between the drive for legal standardization and the persistence of local variation. 

Despite decades of climate agreements, from Kyoto in 1997 to Paris in 2015, global emissions have continued to rise, increasing by more than 50 percent since 1990. Governments have relied on technological measures, recycling efforts, and market approaches that fail to address the root of the problem. Industries like construction and manufacturing remain among the biggest polluters, while the global economy runs on the logic of endless growth. In Blog Post 54, Claudia B. Villegas Ramos reflects on the thought-provoking talk by Dario Azzellini, "Sustainability and socio-ecological transformation: Why put work at the center of a Just Transition."

Tariff. A word that has become ubiquitous over the past few years yet remains mysterious to many. In President Trump’s second term, however, the word “tariff” seems to be in the news constantly – even as a verb. President Trump has imposed tariffs in 2025 by using an authority – the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) – that has never before been invoked by a President to impose tariffs – and arguably does not authorize the President to do so. In Blog Post 56, Meredith Kolsky Lewis offers insight on the legality of President Trump’s Liberation Day Tariffs.