Karina Piser, Author at Institute of Current World Affairs

Karina Piser is a journalist who serves as impact analyst at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in Paris. As a Paris-based ICWA fellow from 2017 to 2019, she examined Islam, secularism and national identity in France. She went on to work as a freelance journalist covering social issues and human rights for The Atlantic, The Washington Post, Foreign Policy, The New York Times and other publications. She has received reporting grants from the Social Science Research Council (Abe Fellowship for Journalists), the Economic Hardship Reporting Project, Save the Children and the Food & Environment Reporting Network. She also worked as an editor at World Politics Review. Karina holds a master’s degree in international security, human rights and humanitarian action from Sciences Po in Paris and a bachelor’s from the University of California, Davis.

ICWA Dispatches by Karina Piser

From Paris to Brussels, a rightward lurch on immigration
Do centrists really think they can beat the far right by imitating it?
Paris from center to periphery
A summer stroll provides a window into the striking inequality of today’s cities.
France’s far right eyes the prize
In the south, the National Rally hopes local elections next year will pave the way to national victory.
The battle for a ‘French Islam’
In an ideologically charged tug-of-war, divergent figures jockey over who best represents France’s Muslims.
Denmark’s far right has already won on immigration
The Danish People’s Party may be losing support, but its policies have crept into the mainstream.

Publications by Karina Piser

The Nation: Karina Piser on walking while trans
New York police are accused of routinely using legislation dubbed the Walking While Trans ban to target trans women of color.
Washington Post: Karina Piser on France and #MeToo
A backlash against French author Gabriel Matzneff, who wrote about his sexual encounters with children, suggests that France is finally reckoning with its attitude toward sexual liberation.
FRANCE 24: Karina Piser on the headscarf
Newly returned ICWA fellow Karina Piser (France, 2017-2019) appears on France 24’s program The 51% to discuss the ongoing debate over the French ban on the Muslim headscarf in public spaces. She says that the issue is so divisive, it’s unlikely to be resolved soon.
Foreign Policy: Karina Piser on Marine Le Pen’s Plan
France's far right party, the National Rally, has turned its attention to aggressively campaigning in local elections, Karina Piser (France, 2017-2019) reports for Foreign Policy. "As the National Rally seeks to shed its image as a political pariah and settle into the mainstream, municipal elections have emerged as an indispensable strategy," she writes. "Although the strategy has yet to translate into national gains, the party has decided that chipping away at local offices will be critical to its long-term success."
Washington Post: Karina Piser on Macron’s lurch to the right
France's new restrictions on asylum seekers have alarmed human rights groups, Karina Piser (France, 2017-2019) reports for The Washington Post. Is the move “tactical,” to defuse the far...