Archives

Our archives are a repository of original thinking that chronicles two decades of research, analysis, and policy innovation. This collection brings together articles written by SFG’s founders and research analysts between 2005 and 2025, preserving the ideas, and insights that shaped our intellectual journey. These writings reflect the evolution of our thinking as we engaged with some of the world’s most pressing challenges and opportunities.

The archive offers a rich body of material for researchers, policymakers, students, journalists, and anyone interested in understanding complex global issues through a long-term strategic lens. The articles explore a wide spectrum of subjects, including peace and conflict, water diplomacy, international relations, technology, environmental sustainability, governance, security, and the changing dynamics of regional and global cooperation. They also place regional developments within broader international and geopolitical contexts.

Many of these articles anticipated trends and policy challenges that later became central to international discourse. Others document the development of concepts and frameworks that informed SFG’s subsequent research, dialogues, and publications. Together, they provide not only historical context but also enduring perspectives that continue to resonate in a rapidly changing world.

Beyond serving as a research resource, this archive offers a window into the intellectual history of SFG. It traces how our ideas evolved over time, how new policy concepts emerged through sustained inquiry, and how our engagement expanded from regional concerns to global challenges. Readers can follow the progression of our work across changing geopolitical landscapes and appreciate our evidence-based approaches to peace, security, and international cooperation.

Whether you are revisiting landmark analyses, exploring the origins of key policy ideas, or discovering our work for the first time, we hope these archives provide valuable insights, stimulate informed debate, and inspire fresh thinking about the future.

The Indo-US Nuclear deal: Are two countries gaining or is the world losing out?

As of October 3rd 2008 the 123 civilian nuclear cooperation between India and the United States had completed its 3 year long journey across the globe and been ratified by not only the parliament in both countries, but also been given its blessings by the international community. On October 10th External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice signed the agreement at a ceremony in the State Department, operationalising the deal which is now legally binding on both sides.
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Blue Gold: Somalian Pirates in the Gulf of Aden

  • By Gitanjali Bakshi
For many of us the term pirateconjures up images of 17th century buccaneers, coursing through the waters of the Caribbean, in search of lost treasure it holds within it, an element of make believe; of unscrupulous bearded men with eye patches, wooden legs and talking parrots.
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Asif Zardari: King, Pawn or Joker ?

Much has been written about the 12th President of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari; people have been confused over what to make of him. He's been described as a wily politician, Mr. 10 percent ,a Nelson Mandela in the making; people have also talked about his meteoric rise in Pakistani politics since the death of his wife Benazir Bhutto last December.
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India and Sri Lanka: The Tamil Connection in a Post-Conflict Sri Lanka

  • By Brian Orland
In Sri Lanka, the majority Buddhists have backed a consensus to militarily defeat the minority Tamil's twenty-five year old insurgency. This time the Sri Lankan state may have finally amassed enough military strength and political will to flush the insurgents out of their northern Sri Lankan jungle hide-outs. A quarter century long insurgency may end very soon
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Are We Cruel, Stupid or Just Shameless?

  • By Sundeep Waslekar
The bright graduates of business schools have proved me wrong. Writing in Part 18 of this series in August 2007, I had warned of a worldwide economic collapse by 2010. The MBAs have ensured it already in October 2008.
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Arctic Cold War

  • By Ilmas Futehally
The impact of climate change is here to stay. One dramatic example is that for the first time in at least 125,000 years (or the beginning of the last Ice Age), ships can travel around the North Pole. The opening up of the North-west and North-east passages in the Arctic region is witness to this.
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