On December 17, 2022, Julia (pseudonym) received an admission offer from Stanford University with full financial aid. “I was overwhelmed with joy,” she told me. “My parents don’t have to pay for my education!” Julia lives in Syria, a ...
Names are more than just labels—they are steeped in histories and tangled in identities. When a name changes, where does its history go? Does it disappear in the shadow of its past, buried in the grave of its former identity? Or does it stay, trail...
A few months ago, Asaad al-Shaibani was a jihadist. Now, he is Syria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and a fierce champion of the free market. “We need the help of the international community to support us in this new experiment,” al-Shaibani tol...
Museums are often seen as celebrations of culture and collective memory, but their colonialist histories and racist practices are seldom discussed. A wave of movements to “decolonize museums” has gained traction in recent years, sweeping through ...
Museums are often seen as celebrations of culture and collective memory, but their colonialist histories and racist practices are seldom discussed. A wave of movements to “decolonize museums” has gained traction in recent years, sweeping through ...
Canadian politics have been weird lately. Always overshadowed by the circus to the south, Canadian politics tend to be tame, even boring. But 2020 had other plans for Canada, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau suspending Parliament for more than five...
Canadian politics have been weird lately. Always overshadowed by the circus to the south, Canadian politics tend to be tame, even boring. But 2020 had other plans for Canada, with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau suspending Parliament for more than five...
The German government’s historical record of integrating Muslim migrants is less than stellar. The 867,000 mostly Turkish-Muslim “guest workers” who arrived in Germany during the post-World War II economic boom were originally only permitted to...
The German government’s historical record of integrating Muslim migrants is less than stellar. The 867,000 mostly Turkish-Muslim “guest workers” who arrived in Germany during the post-World War II economic boom were originally only permitted to...
Unlikely as it may seem in our current moment of political paralysis, consider the following thought experiment: A rare tide of reason sweeps across the United Nations at next year’s Convention on Climate Change’s Conference of the Parties. Deleg...
Unlikely as it may seem in our current moment of political paralysis, consider the following thought experiment: A rare tide of reason sweeps across the United Nations at next year’s Convention on Climate Change’s Conference of the Parties. Deleg...
Before his chance encounter with a Dutch reporter in 2014, Ivorian cocoa farmer N’Da Alphonse was unaware of the fate of the beans he harvested and sold, beyond their eventual use as a food additive somewhere far away from his village. When the rep...
Before his chance encounter with a Dutch reporter in 2014, Ivorian cocoa farmer N’Da Alphonse was unaware of the fate of the beans he harvested and sold, beyond their eventual use as a food additive somewhere far away from his village. When the rep...
In 1997, Rodney Reed was convicted of murder, ending a lengthy investigation into the death of a young woman named Stacey Stites. But to Reed, the case was never really closed; he strongly avows his innocence. Almost 23 years later, the public seems ...
In 1997, Rodney Reed was convicted of murder, ending a lengthy investigation into the death of a young woman named Stacey Stites. But to Reed, the case was never really closed; he strongly avows his innocence. Almost 23 years later, the public seems ...
In 2006, pharmaceutical giant Pfizer launched a $258 million advertising campaign for Lipitor, a high cholesterol treatment. One ad showed Dr. Robert Jarvik M.D. expertly rowing across a lake. Yet unbeknownst to most viewers, Pfizer used a body doubl...
In 2006, pharmaceutical giant Pfizer launched a $258 million advertising campaign for Lipitor, a high cholesterol treatment. One ad showed Dr. Robert Jarvik M.D. expertly rowing across a lake. Yet unbeknownst to most viewers, Pfizer used a body doubl...
From the taxi cabs, tuk-tuks (miniature three-wheeled vehicles), and vendor stands crowding the busy streets of Cairo blares a genre of music featuring heavy synthesizers, rapid-tempo beats, and trap influences. It’s known as “Mahraganat,” the ...
From the taxi cabs, tuk-tuks (miniature three-wheeled vehicles), and vendor stands crowding the busy streets of Cairo blares a genre of music featuring heavy synthesizers, rapid-tempo beats, and trap influences. It’s known as “Mahraganat,” the ...
Shamima Begum, a British citizen born to Bangladeshi parents, recently lost the first stage of her appeal to retain British citizenship. The decision was celebrated by many in the UK as the delivery of justice. In 2015, at 15 years old, Begum left th...
Shamima Begum, a British citizen born to Bangladeshi parents, recently lost the first stage of her appeal to retain British citizenship. The decision was celebrated by many in the UK as the delivery of justice. In 2015, at 15 years old, Begum left th...
Decades ago, few would have placed bets on the survival of the kakapo. Indigenous to New Zealand, kakapos are a rare flightless, nocturnal, and unusually large breed of parrot. They might be the world’s oldest living bird, and were once so abundant...
Decades ago, few would have placed bets on the survival of the kakapo. Indigenous to New Zealand, kakapos are a rare flightless, nocturnal, and unusually large breed of parrot. They might be the world’s oldest living bird, and were once so abundant...
In recent years, life for citizens in the small Kingdom of Lesotho has changed significantly. The rains of farming season arrive increasingly later, turning once-lush gardens into patches of dust. With 90 percent of rural water sources already dried ...
In recent years, life for citizens in the small Kingdom of Lesotho has changed significantly. The rains of farming season arrive increasingly later, turning once-lush gardens into patches of dust. With 90 percent of rural water sources already dried ...
Positionality statement from the author: As an American at a privileged institution, I am aware of my responsibility to be an educated and informed citizen of the histories and cultures of the diverse array of peoples in this country, including indig...
Positionality statement from the author: As an American at a privileged institution, I am aware of my responsibility to be an educated and informed citizen of the histories and cultures of the diverse array of peoples in this country, including indig...