A Letter to Kerry on Afghanistan
Dear Secretary Kerry: The women of Afghanistan need your help. As head of the diplomatic service of the United States, you have the power to shape US bilateral relations with Afghanistan and therefore direct US involvement in the country. Your recent participation in Afghan peace talks shows that Afghanistan is a top priority; I […]
Syria’s Frontlines: Creative Resistance as a Tool to Challenge the Official Discourse
The Syrian uprising is not merely an armed struggle between regime forces and different opposition groups, as the mainstream media and politicians describe it. When looking closer at the uprising, something becomes clear; there is also a cultural struggle with words as the primary weapon in music, literature, humor, slogans and theatre that is taking place […]
The Salary Man Lifestyle: A Japanese Work Ethic or Unjust Labor Laws?
In November 2007, third-generation Toyota employee Kenichi Uchino collapsed at work at 4 a.m. after putting in more than 80 hours of overtime for six months. The 30-year-old’s widow, Hiroko, later told reporters that her husband had been overworked by the company, training employees and writing reports that caused him to work overtime hours officially […]
The Road Ahead: Scotland and the Contentious Question of Independence
“Go back to England and tell them there that Scotland’s daughters and her sons are yours no more. Tell them Scotland is free.” Mel Gibson’s portrayal of Sir William Wallace is legendary in cinema circles; and for the casual observer of modern British politics, this very quote might come to mind when a politician […]
The Question of Catalonian Independence: More than a Soccer Game?
Most people would be forgiven for thinking that the peak of the Catalonian campaign for independence from Spain is the infamous El Clasico soccer derby, Real Madrid vs. FC Barcelona. FC Barcelona recently won 2-1 against Real Madrid on its home turf, the Camp Nuo stadium. On March 13th, 2013, El Clasico will come to […]
Discrimination Against Minorities in Pakistan: a Look at the UDHR
December 10th, 1948 was a momentous day for human rights. The still-young United Nations (UN) unanimously, with eight abstentions, passed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). The UDHR is a 30-article guideline that promotes “universal respect for, and observance of, human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without distinction of race, sex, language, or […]
Making Oppression Backfire
Although Turkey, Egypt, Brazil, and Syria may not at first glance seem to have much in common politically, over the last few months they have been united by a current that has been growing stronger for decades. Most visibly manifested through mass protests, the phenomenon of nonviolent social change is much more than that, proven […]
Growing Gender Gap Gripes Globe
The uncompromising reign of the patriarchy in most societies has unquestionably imposed detrimental effects on women, including political, economic and social discrepancies. Gender has only recently been interpreted as a social construct, independent and separate from the biological difference of sex. According to the World Health Organization, “’sex’ refers to the biological and physiological characteristics […]
Justice Albie Sachs: Reflections of Social Transformation
*This piece was original posted in the Social Enterprise Institute Newsletter.* To say the social transformations occurring in South Africa are sweeping would be an understatement. Only 19 years ago, the beautiful country was plagued with laws that incarcerated progressive leaders and suppressed any notion of majority rule in every industry. Today, new-found harmony amongst […]
Lebanon vs. Jordan: Refugees and Instability
The Middle East has experienced some of the worst refugee crises in modern world history. The repeated floods of refugees, from Palestinians to Iraqis to Syrians, have heavily impacted both Lebanon and Jordan in particular. In many ways, these states have addressed refugees in a similar institutional manner, yet Lebanon has experienced turmoil and violent […]