Education is a fundamental human right, and an important lever for achieving the global development targets set out in the 17 United Nations Sustainable Goals (UN SDGs). It therefore becomes imperative for government responses to socioeconomic issues, such as a…
Category: Covid-19
Is Free Trade the Main Cause of Unemployment? A Misleading Populist Belief in the Age of Automation and Artificial Intelligence.
A rising group of populist political organisations is decrying globalisation and free trade agreements as an absolute evil and a source of mass unemployment for their national or local economy. Arguably, an unfair trade deal policy can cause several employment…
Pandemic and People’s Liberties
There has been a wide range of government responses during the Covid-19 pandemic, some were very harsh, like the ones in China and India where movement of people was severely restricted, other responses, such as the ones in Taiwan and…
South Africa’s misguided COVID-19 pandemic response, as it charts fifth highest cases in the world….
South Africa, a country well-known for its transformative Constitution that contains the ‘Bill of Rights’, which protects the rights of the people inside the country and succinctly defines the role and limited powers of public institutions and office-bearers is now…
On Brussels: All Eyes on Poland
Find Luke‘s other articles On Brussels here. On 28 June, the EU got to enjoy a rare moment of optimism. Poland’s ultra-conservative head of state Andrzej Duda failed to secure an outright win in the first round of the country’s…
Corona Cancelled Exchange
“It’s not possible to return to the summer when you are 17. Celebrating graduation cannot be played on repeat.”, the Norwegian health minister said in a widely shared speech to our youth during corona, a speech in which he thanks…
Young People and Corona
”I’m a positive person always looking forward towards a brighter future.” – A student from Lebanon – The corona pandemic is not yet over and its effects will continue to be felt long after the number of cases has declined.…
Ready, Willing, and Able? Living in an Ableist Society
We all dream of perfect health, eternal youth, and endless strength. But while none of us can live up to that ideal — at least not for very long — such a dream is further away for some than for…
Continue reading Ready, Willing, and Able? Living in an Ableist Society
On Brussels: Europe Reopens, and Agonises over Israel
Find Luke‘s other articless On Brussels here. Europe is reopening. The world’s largest common market and borderless travel area is starting to return to pre-Covid times. There are hopes that the summer tourist trade could yet recover, kick-starting the economic…
Continue reading On Brussels: Europe Reopens, and Agonises over Israel
COVID-19 and Food Security in Poor and Developing Countries
Poor and developing countries faced the COVID-19 pandemic comparatively late but when it struck, it created multiple shocks. The global financial and trade system were put on pause. Commodity prices, especially oil prices, have fallen steeply. Demand for all kinds…
Continue reading COVID-19 and Food Security in Poor and Developing Countries