Ivana Karastoeva

Ivana Karastoeva

Hello! My name is Ivana Karastoeva, I am a Spring admit at USC majoring in Global Studies. I am originally from Bulgaria, the poorest and most corrupt country in the European Union. For this reason, I am interested in investigating Eastern European affairs and the region’s interactions with the rest of the world. Bulgaria also has a vast Roma population that is heavily oppressed and marginalized. Seeing this treatment firsthand, I wish to also report on the disparities faced by stateless nations like the Romani, Uyghur Muslims, and Rohingya, just to name a few. In my free time I love hiking, reading, and going on adventures.

Climate Finance and the Responsibility of Developed Nations

After 30 years of pleading, the 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) closed out on Nov. 20, with a historic agreement that establishes a Loss and Damage Fund for countries most affected by climate disasters.  While this monumental achievement ...

A Game of Chess or Checkers: China’s Perplexing Involvement in the Western Balkans

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent war, a sixth wave of EU enlargement swiftly, but unsurprisingly, gained traction. As of July 2022, North Macedonia and Albania have begun long-awaited accession negotiations after 19 years of candidacy status and ...

Fighting Fire With Fire: EU Action Plan Aims to Tackle Roma Marginalization

In July 2019, heads of government all throughout Europe gathered at the sixth annual Western Balkans Summit and adopted the Declaration on Roma Integration in the EU enlargement process. Through it, they commited themselves to the concrete improvement of the ...