
Dear readers,
Would it surprise you to know that in October 2011, just a few months ago, The Political Bouillon was still a floating idea – an idea that had yet to find a name, a platform and participants wiling to make it go a long way? At our first (very small) meeting, I put forth the unusual, perhaps a little crazy, initiative I had been considering for a while: that of creating a journal of political analysis linking the two English Universities of Montreal. What could university students possibly have to say about domestic and international politics that had not already been said? Everything. We love politics, we read it, we discuss it, we strive for more information and draw our energy from the animated discussions about politics we have both in and outside of the classrooms. Our ideas are fresh, our analysis compelling and we might just be able to see the in-betweens of what the academic world has not bothered to search for.
I would not dare to be so proud of The Political Bouillon today if I wasn’t reminded every minute and with such clarity of the success of our accomplishments.
Today, on May 1st 2012, after no more than six months of existence, our journal has hosted over 130 articles, videos, photo-essays and cartoons on political events, we have reached several hundred readers, have conducted interviews with professors and experts in the fields of Political Economy, Middle-Eastern Politics and American Foreign Policy, and opened a French section. We have hosted an article by the Nobel Prize for Peace, Prof. Mohan Munasinghe and have even captured the attention of scholars and the media. Most importantly however, The Political Bouillon achieved the unachievable: bridging the gap between two neighbouring universities, McGill and Concordia, thus also extending its readership beyond our expectations.
Over this summer, our writers will continue to impress you with their impeccable style, deeply-dug and thoroughly researched information. Expect some great pieces, as always. Expect even more: we have just agreed to collaborate with The State Magazine – the journal of Political analysis of the University of Western Australia – and we will make sure to provide you with some of the sharpest texts written by Australian students.
Understanding the world we dwell in, understanding every corner of it and being aware of its every scratch is essential to all of us, individually and as a society. In this regard, The Political Bouillon hopes it can inform you, interest you and provide the platform of discussion and exchange of ideas students from McGill and Concordia have been longing for.
I wish our readers a very happy summer and take my hat off to the incredible amount of time and effort every single member of The Political Bouillon has put in this project over the course of this year. A huge thank you to: Clara Bonnor, Nikita Pillai, Vanessa Pagé, Caitlin Macdonald, Lorenzo Garcia-Andrade Llamas, Alexander Gardinier, Alexandre Moon, Meagan Potier, Samuel Thompson, Naomi Braude, Mathieu Taschereau, Jordano Nudo, Alyssa Wilcox, Nicole Georges, Alana Jesse, Ana Roy, Elizabeth Hudler, Arielle Piat-Sauvé, Jonathan Newburgh, Michael Sokolnicki, Michael Morgenthau, Joey Shea, Mathieu Santerre, Cody Levine, Jaïs Mehaji, William Debost, Marisa Corona, Jackie Rood, Rebecca Yu, Mathieu Eidinger, Damian Budka, Rayah Desnan, James Vaccaro and to all the writers who have recently joined our team.
– I. S.
Thanks for all the good work Isabelle! It was a pleasure working with you this year!