openDemocracy

openDemocracy is an ezine and forum space covering current world politics and culture. It offers features, news, analysis and opinion from academics, politicians and journalists. Everyone from Kofi Anan to Francis Fukuyama has contributed. openDemocracy promises to get ‘beyond and behind the headlines,' and its tagline, ‘freethinking for the world' gives you some idea of how it sees itself. The writing is engaging and stimulating. It is also impressively varied.

One of the most interesting areas of the site is Our Kingdom, ‘a conversation on the future of United Kingdom,' which, in a time of devolution, competing nationalisms, and a tension between a vague fragmentary federalism and an increasingly quaint notion of union, is vital stuff. Another interesting section is 50.50, a series of articles, blogs and podcasts on gender equality.

Members of the site get access to the discussion boards and its free to register. The forum is an important part of the site, openDemocracy is very keen to encourage debate. There is a link on the site to the new Quarterly journal. An individual subscription costs £32 a year.