“In this world, nothing is softer or more yielding than water. Yet, dissolving the hard and inflexible, nothing surpasses it. The soft overcomes the hard, the gentle overcomes the rigid.” In his book Tao Te Ching, Lao Tzu reminds us that although water appears fragile, it can have a powerful
On July 3rd, 2023, Israel raided a refugee camp in Jenin to confiscate weapons and kill suspected terrorists. The operation was met with Palestinian resistance, which escalated into fierce gun fights leaving 12 Palestinians dead. Despite only lasting till July 5th, the raid forcibly displaced 3,000 Palestinians and caused severe
Background The Senegalese leader of the recently dissolved political party PASTEF, Ousmane Sonko, has been charged with theft and calling for insurrection after his arrest in Dakar on Friday. His lawyers were denied all communication with Sonko, apart from Me Cire Cledor Ly, who was able to petition for a
On February 24, 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine, starting a second brutal phase of the Ukrainian-Russian War that began in 2014. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has triggered multiple chain reactions: a growing refugee crisis, unprecedented sanctions on Russia’s economy, and a realignment of global partnerships, including a reinvigorated NATO. Another consequence
At the end of the 12th of August 2022, the U.S Congress passed the Inflation Reduction Act, signed by president Joseph R. Biden Jr on the following Tuesday. The bill is particularly consequential for the United States since it goes a long way toward improving health and quality of life
The recent news of the Taliban burning musical instruments in Afghanistan has sent shockwaves through the international community. Since taking power in 2021, the Taliban has imposed strict restrictions on various aspects of Afghan society, including music. On a fateful Saturday in western Herat province, thousands of dollars worth of
The past July hit the record of being the hottest month in the world. According to the CBC News article “July was the warmest month on record for most of the Maritimes” by Ryan Snoddon, the experts calculated the average temperature for the globe in July to be about 1.5 C° above
The Biden Administration has filed a lawsuit against Texas in response to the placement of a barrier in the Rio Grande River meant to deter immigrants along the U.S.-Mexico border. According to the Office of Texas Governor Greg Abbott, the bright-orange buoys floating in the river are part of a
Afghanistan is facing a major humanitarian crisis, with 28 million people in urgent need of assistance. The UN has reported that 4 million people, including 3.2 million children, are acutely malnourished. Millions of Afghans require humanitarian assistance to survive, with an increase of 16% in 2022 and a 54% increase
Cluster bombs are extremely dangerous weapons. Upon release from an aircraft, a cluster bomb opens in mid-air and disperses many smaller “bomblets” across acres of land. They are especially threatening to civilians compared with conventional explosives for two reasons. First, the bomblets are scattered, not targeted, so any civilians in
Northern Ireland has long been plagued by its turbulent history, entrenched in sectarian conflict. The roots of this strife can be traced back centuries, but it was in the late 20th century that the situation reached a boiling point. The conflict, often referred to as “The Troubles” erupted between the
For the last two years, starting in July 2021, the Poland – Belarus border has been the site of a human tragedy. Tens of thousands of refugees, mostly from North Africa and the Middle East, have been trapped on the border and in the forests and marshes surrounding it, lacking
Although the situation in Cyprus has not garnered the same level of attention as other intractable conflicts, it has persisted for decades and continues to affect the lives of Cypriots to this day. Because of the nature of this conflict, it is crucial to understand the long history of Cyprus
On Thursday, 20 July, the UN Secretary-General António Guterres launched a new policy brief called ‘The New Agenda for Peace’ encompassing his overall vision for global conflict resolution and categorising what he believes are the focal points of global peacebuilding. Guterres introduced the brief stating it ‘outlines an extensive and
Coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic and straight into a war has placed a significant burden on the world economy, but the responsibility impacted nations already struggling the most. Generations of third-world countries have been impoverished due to colonialism and the triple threat of the pandemic, the Ukraine-Russia War, and
There has been an increase in the number of Chinese ships in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the South China Sea throughout 2023. According to the Straits Times, the Philippine military reported seeing at least 47 ships on July 7th, compared to only 12 in February. A total
Since the widespread ideals of the Enlightenment in the 18th century, it is now common practice across the world to hold elections. These allow the citizens of a certain country to elect someone of their preference to be their president for a legally established period. Free and fair elections are
The all-out war for control of Sudan runs the risk of pulling other states in, turning it into a regional conflict. As always, civilians are the ones most affected by the war. Over 2,000 deaths have been reported thus far, and the U.N.H.C.R. reports that more than 1 million are
In April 2022, the UK government signed a memorandum of understanding MOU with Rwanda, allowing them to transfer asylum seekers arriving in the UK irregularly or since January 1, 2022, to Rwanda to process their asylum claim. This breach of the UK’s legal obligations could put asylum seekers in danger
The killing of 17 year old Nahel Merzouk, a teenager with Algerian and Moroccan parents, by a police officer in the Paris suburb of Nanterre has triggered riots across France and caused intense debate regarding racism in French policing. On June 27th 2023, Nahel was fatally shot at point-blank by
