Usually, Shrinking Civic Spaces seem like the perfect seminar topic to discuss on the ground — to visit said spaces and meet people in person. IFLRY was all set to do that, but then Covid-19 hit. The pandemic forced the…
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.…
What our Colonial Past Teaches us about Privilege
This article is probably one of the most challenging ones I have ever written. The killing of George Floyd at the end of May made me speechless. Seeing pictures of a man, desperately begging for help, fighting for his life,…
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Behind Black Lives Matter Sits the Ghosts of Apartheid
More than sixty years ago, the Selma Race Riots in Alabama shone a spotlight on appalling racial inequality across the US and in other Western countries. It is a damning indictment of our times that, more than six decades later,…
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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…
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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…
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‘Where are you really from?’ – The Impact of Racism on Mental Health
While the social, economic and political effects of racism have been studied broadly, the psychological impact of racism has received less attention. In this article, I would like to raise awareness of the impact of racism on mental health. A…
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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…
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How Poor Countries Pay for the EU’s Agricultural Policy
EU agricultural subsidies are not just expensive and distort the internal market, they also have far-reaching effects on developing countries. How do African farmers feel about the fact that the EU subsidises its farmers and exports their products to Africa?…
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Poverty and Climate Change
Last week, it was World Environment Day. On the occasion, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) held a virtual panel discussion on the question: “Is Poverty Necessary in the World to Mitigate Climate Change?”. My immediate reaction was…