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 […]
Reasons for Hope: Investigations of Extreme Injustice and Poverty in Mumbai with Katherine Boo
During Welcome Week, as a part of this year’s freshman collective reading assignment, Pulitzer Prize winner, author and journalist Katherine Boo spoke to our new students about her book, “Behind the Beautiful Forevers.” This non-fiction investigational piece is set in Mumbai. Amongst rusted tin shacks in the Annawadi slum, overshadowed by luxury hotels and some […]
Prisoner of Conscience: The Story of Mam Sonando and the Future of Journalists in Cambodia
On May 16th, 2012 the Cambodian government conducted a raid of Kratie Province, located in northeast Cambodia. Hundreds of police officers and soldiers bombarded the province, armed with weapons and the help of a military helicopter. Hundreds of Kratie residents were displaced from their land during this government-supported raid, which the government defended by claiming […]
Jamaica: Trying to be Better.
Flying over Jamaica is a little bit like watching advertisements for your dream vacation. The beauty is literally breathtaking. Yes, there are resorts. Yes, the water is spectacular. And yes, the food is phenomenal. But those are just perks. And unfairly, those perks aren’t available to most of the population. The beauty of Jamaica, though, […]
Rethinking Democratization: Authoritarian Reformism in Post-Revolutionary Egypt
On February 11, 2011, President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt resigned after almost thirty years in office. The culmination of eighteen days of protest and demonstration across Egypt, this resignation brought an end to an age of authoritarianism and inspired hope for a new era of democracy, egalitarianism, and economic prosperity. Parliamentary elections were scheduled for […]
Is Greece’s Economic Future Destined for Failure?
The current situation in the Eurozone and its reception throughout the world remains twofold: while many people claim that the European economy is gaining momentum, skepticism largely dominates the Greek economy, which has carried heavy financial burden and wavers on the verge of collapse. Therefore, it is no surprise that when most people think about […]
H&M: Fashion’s Human Rights Faux Pas
In the midst of a thick smog and blistering heat, they stand in huddled masses on overcrowded trucks. The young women, in groups of around 20 or 30, are on their way to a new day at work in the Kandal province, only a short trip from the heart of Phnom Penh. Noticeably in pain, […]
Women, India and Change
A country bound by culture, belief, religion and hope for a new tomorrow has recently become a symbol of misogyny. For several decades, women in Indian society have experienced a number of atrocities, some of which go unrecorded, while others are recorded but never publicly acknowledged. History narrates stories of early marriages, which sometimes involved […]