Latest posts by Guest Contributor
Weathering Russian xenophobia in everyday life
In recent months, there has been more talk about "Russophobia" — anti-Russian sentiment. What they face is nothing compared to what national minorities face in Russia.
How young people around the world experience AI, in their own words
“AI is more present in our daily lives than we think, and that policymakers should’ve acted to regulate the industry from very early on.”
A Russian girl drew anti-war picture. Now she is in a children's shelter and her dad is under arrest
One year ago, a fifth-grade student, Masha Moskaleva, drew an anti-war picture. Now, her father faces up to three years in prison and Masha may be sent to an orphanage.
Respect her for who she is
'Transwomen are another manifestation of womanhood, with all its contradictions, challenges and complexities.'
After two long years, mas has come again in Trinidad and Tobago
[T]here is a fluorescence of joy and creativity like when dawn pierces a long and unnatural dark, splitting an entire horizon with a radiance that awakens.
How one Hindu devotee is using Trinidad & Tobago Carnival's ‘Jab Jab’ character to invoke sacred, feminine power
[S]he is bringing a diasporic consciousness of Jab Jab mas as descended from India [...] defying indenture-descended, male religious prerogative over when and how she can be Indian, woman and Hindu.
Man accused of setting fire to military draft office in Transnistria faces 30 years in jail
Unlike many other similar human rights violations in Transnistria, the incident with the arrest of Alexander Dimov and his alleged record prison term did not cause a wide public reaction
The future of mass surveillance in Serbia
Serbian government withdraws – for the second time – draft law governing the work of police with provisions enabling invasions of privacy, after civil society outcry and international pressure.
Soca star Patrice Roberts’ tribute to calypsonian ‘Penguin’ is woman power’s new take on Trinidad and Tobago’s ‘Soft Man’
Roberts’ decolonial declaration of being human on African, female terms is defined through her contemporary engagement with sexuality, gender, intimacy, pleasure, and violence.
The main effort of Russian propaganda language is to give the impression that there is still no war
What does Russian propaganda do? It replaces the associations of words so that we perceive the world as better and safer, as a world in which there is no war
Rights organization OVD-Info gives an overview of repression in Russia in 2022
In 2022 in Russia, there were more than 21,000 arrests and at least 370 defendants in criminal cases for anti-war statements and speeches. More than 200,000 Internet resources have been blocked including 11 sentences in cases of state treason.
Simple, seldom and sad — the weight of anniversaries
" ... the thing I have with Old Year’s Day comes from a childhood enchantment, a simple act that infused a sense that magical things were possible."
It's the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, but in Trinidad & Tobago, ‘barriers remain in place’
'Hardly a day goes by that we are not reminded of our disadvantaged position in society [...] from access to early intervention, assessments and therapies, to education and everything else.'
Can Jamaica efficiently make the much-needed transition to renewable energy?
“The land of wood and water” has an ambitious target of increasing its renewable energy penetration (solar, wind and hydro) to 30 percent by 2030 — so how is Jamaica progressing?
Illegal wildlife poisoning depletes Balkan biodiversity, yet only 1% of cases reach court
A recent study shows that the illegal use of poisoning to target "undesirable" animals continues to go unnoticed and unpunished in the Balkans, even though it depletes biodiversity and threatens public health.
Memories of ‘mas’-making: Creating giants of Trinidad and Tobago Carnival
"As darkness falls, he will inhabit the mantel and rise twenty feet into the sodium-lit air [...] Passing traffic will slow and pedestrians will watch; some will stop and take photographs."
‘I chase bad men!’ How the late Andrew Jennings changed investigative sport journalism
He had a way of stripping any matter down to its bare bones, its true essence. It was how he worked and how he lived.
The best of both worlds? Guyana wants to be a low-carbon oil producer
The South American nation believes it is time to make its citizens rich, and thinks it can do so while keeping the forests intact and pursuing a prolific oil industry.
Myanmar actress Mya Hnin Ye Lwin on her decision to join the anti-junta resistance
"The hardships we face each day are nothing compared to the lives of those who gave up life and limb and those who have been imprisoned."
Can LGBTQ+ rights activism be the key to reversing retrogressive policies in the Middle East?
"From Egypt to Turkey to Iran, governments are pushing back against LGBTQ+ inclusion, even resorting to social media and mobile phones to track and target the community."
As Ebrahim Raisi begins his presidential role, oppression is set to soar in Iran
Iran's former Chief Justice and head of the regime's judiciary apparatus won the presidential election on June 19 in a landslide victory.
