News

Eight decades after the Spanish Civil War, is Spain’s slow exhumation of its traumatic past a signal that it is ready to build “a culture of memory?

The search for persons disappeared during the Spanish Civil War, a search backed by the United Nations and overshadowed by political debate, has resulted in the exhumation of just 800 mass graves over the last two decades, out of a total of [...]Read the full article

Bolivia's contraband markets: an unsustainable lifeline in a country where informality abounds

8 April 2024

Bolivia’s contraband markets: an unsustainable lifeline in a country where informality abounds

Bolivia’s urban contraband markets are a reflection of the country’s economic, social and historical reality. Operating on the margins of legality, they provide a vital lifeline for many families and reveal a complex relationship between [...]Read the full article

Azerbaijan's crackdown on the opposition and independent media continues unabated

4 April 2024

Human rights

Azerbaijan’s crackdown on the opposition and independent media continues unabated

The wave of repression that began in the summer of 2023 has continued following the February 2024 presidential election. For the last 20 years, Azerbaijan has steadily slipped down the international rankings for democratic principles and freedom [...]Read the full article

Reducing inequalities and amplifying women's voices: feminist diplomacy as an effective response to crises?

2 April 2024

Reducing inequalities and amplifying women’s voices: feminist diplomacy as an effective response to crises?

‘Feminist foreign policy’ is an evolving concept aimed at improving women’s rights around the world through diplomatic relations. Its scope can range from funding development projects aimed at fostering gender equality to increasing women’s [...]Read the full article

Kenya's ambitious affordable housing project faces major legal obstacles as opposition grows

28 March 2024

Kenya’s ambitious affordable housing project faces major legal obstacles as opposition grows

“A multi-faceted approach is necessary to address the housing needs of urban workers and the urban poor effectively.”Read the full article

Peasants fight for land access to acquire food sovereignty worldwide

22 March 2024

Human rights

Peasants fight for land access to acquire food sovereignty worldwide

“We know there is no future for this capitalist food system. It has to die but it is not yet dead. In this process, food sovereignty activists act as collective midwives that are giving birth to a new [...]Read the full article

In North Macedonia, textile workers mobilise in the face of impunity for employers and the violation of their rights

18 March 2024

In North Macedonia, textile workers mobilise in the face of impunity for employers and the violation of their rights

“In North Macedonia, hundreds of factories make clothes and shoes for Europe’s big brands. It is no secret how harsh the working conditions are in these factories, but the widespread violations of the labour law have long gone [...]Read the full article

Solar power is improving the lives of millions of refugees

11 March 2024

Solar power is improving the lives of millions of refugees

Solar is the energy of choice in refugee camps around the world that are turning to clean energy, whether at the initiative of UN agencies, humanitarian groups or governments.Read the full article

“Our lives are very worthless” – garment and textile workers decry rights violations one year after Turkey's devastating earthquakes

6 March 2024

“Our lives are very worthless” – garment and textile workers decry rights violations one year after Turkey’s devastating earthquakes

“As these flashpoints become increasingly the norm, [global] companies should be using their agility to deal with these crises in a way that improves supply chain resiliency and workers’ ability to make a living safely. When there is a dent to [...]Read the full article

Exporting labour to earn foreign currency: Egypt's new economic strategy

29 February 2024

Exporting labour to earn foreign currency: Egypt’s new economic strategy

The Egyptian government is launching a plan to “export Egyptians abroad” in order to increase remittances from Egyptian expatriates, which have become the country’s number one source of foreign [...]Read the full article

Training is the key to a different agricultural model

26 February 2024

Training is the key to a different agricultural model

One of the keys to moving towards a food system that is less dependent on fossil fuels and pesticides is farmer education and training. Challenging the prevailing narrative is part of the process: “Of all the monopolies in industrial agriculture, [...]Read the full article

Why can't the Balkans' rail network get back on track?

19 February 2024

Why can’t the Balkans’ rail network get back on track?

A robust railway network is seen as part of Europe’s decarbonisation strategy. But the railways in the Balkans have been long neglected and the modernisation process is slow.Read the full article

“An age of cultural decline” coupled with an unusual boom – the curious impact of Hong Kong's national security law on its book industry

16 February 2024

Human rights

“An age of cultural decline” coupled with an unusual boom – the curious impact of Hong Kong’s national security law on its book industry

The year 2020 marked an inflection point for Hong Kong’s book sector, when the Chinese government imposed a sweeping national security law on the city, partly to crush the 2019 protest movement that challenged Chinese President Xi Jinping. [...]Read the full article

Anime and manga creators: dream workers pushed to the limit?

15 February 2024

Culture

Anime and manga creators: dream workers pushed to the limit?

Anime is on the rise. Translated manga are flooding into new markets, attracting readers from all over the world. But despite their remarkable popularity and sales, the inner workings of these dream factories are unknown, especially when it [...]Read the full article

The economic odyssey of promising Greek wrestling star Nikoleta Barba

12 February 2024

Culture

The economic odyssey of promising Greek wrestling star Nikoleta Barba

Until the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greek athletes had world-class funding, trainers and facilities. This golden age ended when the economic crisis broke out and the Greek government cut funding to sport. What does this mean for promising [...]Read the full article

Mining in the 21st century Hispanosphere and beyond: transition, resistance and empowerment

5 February 2024

Mining in the 21st century Hispanosphere and beyond: transition, resistance and empowerment

The global digital and energy transition is increasing the demand for minerals. At the same time, resistance against projects is rising, support networks are being woven and initiatives to guarantee the rights of communities and decent working [...]Read the full article

The emptying out of rural areas and the accompanying brain drain are fuelling inequality in the EU's most depopulated regions

29 January 2024

The emptying out of rural areas and the accompanying brain drain are fuelling inequality in the EU’s most depopulated regions

Europe is ageing. Fewer and fewer Europeans are being born, and while younger generations increasingly concentrate in large cities, much of the remaining territory is falling behind in development. Long an existential problem in Eastern Europe, [...]Read the full article

Although beset with challenges, cotton growing has returned to Idlib

25 January 2024

Although beset with challenges, cotton growing has returned to Idlib

Twenty years ago, cotton growing employed almost 20 per cent of the Syrian population. Ravaged by the war, the sector is now being relaunched, particularly in the Idlib region, under the control of an autonomous government led by the Islamist [...]Read the full article

What role can artificial intelligence play in the social and professional integration of people with disabilities?

22 January 2024

What role can artificial intelligence play in the social and professional integration of people with disabilities?

A number of projects in the works could improve integration and create new career opportunities for people with disabilities.Read the full article

In India, some community health workers are trying to navigate climate change and menopause

18 January 2024

In India, some community health workers are trying to navigate climate change and menopause

Given how underresearched menopause is, we are yet to see what impact rising global temperatures will have on women, particularly for the 47 per cent of women participating in the global labourforce. But limited research and anecdotal feedback [...]Read the full article

The chlordecone health and racism scandal in the French Antilles: case dismissed, but the fight goes on

15 January 2024

The chlordecone health and racism scandal in the French Antilles: case dismissed, but the fight goes on

After a 16-year legal battle, a court has ruled to dismiss the case of chlordecone poisoning in the French Antilles. This pesticide, used in the banana plantations from 1972 to 1993, despite its proven toxicity, continues to claim lives. But, be [...]Read the full article

In Dar es Salaam, tree mapping is helping to build urban resilience and combat flooding

8 January 2024