Reina Patel

CFR Staff

Reina Patel

Research Associate, Africa Studies

Reina Patel is a research associate for Africa studies at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). Before joining CFR, she worked as a legal writing specialist at Hudson, an immigration law firm. She holds a BA in political science and French from Barnard College of Columbia University.

West Africa

ECOWAS Split Spells Trouble for Democracy in West Africa

Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have left the most important West African regional bloc due to escalating tensions over their democratic decline, leaving room for Russia to assert itself in the region.

In Brief by Ebenezer Obadare and Reina Patel February 2, 2024 Africa Program
United States

A California Bill Could Outlaw Caste Discrimination. Other States Should Follow Suit.

California is set to become the first state to ban discrimination on the basis of caste, giving the United States a window of opportunity to be a leading example on the issue across the world.

Blog Post by Reina Patel October 4, 2023 Renewing America
Tanzania

Maasai Evictions Highlight Conflict Between “Preservation” and Citizenship

The regional court’s ruling in favor of the Tanzanian government has serious implications for indigenous citizenship rights and the state of democracy in the country.

Blog Post by Reina Patel October 13, 2022 Africa in Transition
Immigration and Migration

Uproar Over Britain’s Rwanda Asylum Plan Overlooks Nagging Issues in Illegal Migration

Support for immigration in the West must be balanced with concern about governance in African countries.

Blog Post by Ebenezer Obadare and Reina Patel June 29, 2022 Africa in Transition

China

Religion in China

A significant proportion of China’s population claims to follow a religion. However, the government continues to toughen oversight, increase persecution of some religions, and attempt to co-opt state-sanctioned religious organizations.

Backgrounder by CFR.org Editors May 15, 2024

Japan

The U.S.-Japan Alliance

The alliance with Japan has been the cornerstone of U.S. security policy in East Asia for decades. Now, Japan’s role in global security is growing as challenges from China and North Korea mount.

Backgrounder by CFR.org Editors May 3, 2024

United States

How U.S. Water Infrastructure Works

The sprawling U.S. water system is central to the nation’s economy, but chronic underinvestment, increasing demand, and the consequences of climate change have revealed the system’s weaknesses.

Backgrounder by James McBride and Noah Berman May 2, 2024 Renewing America

Top Stories on CFR