By Clare Corbould, Deakin University (The Conversation) – Omar El Akkad does not want you to look away. An award-winning journalist and novelist, El Akkad was born in Egypt, lived as a teenager in Qatar and Canada, and migrated as an adult to the US, where he now lives with his family in the Pacific […]
Iran’s Nature is under Threat – here’s how better environmental Stewardship can save it
By Shooka Bidarian, United Nations University and Mark Maslin, UCL (The Conversation) – From arid deserts and alpine meadows to dense wetlands and temperate forests, Iran’s natural landscapes give rise to rich native wildlife. This country is home to over 8,000 species of plants, nearly 500 bird species and 194 mammals. The UN has listed […]
After 4 years of Repressive Taliban Rule, Afghans are Suffering in Silence. Is the World still Watching?
By Niamatullah Ibrahimi, The University of Melbourne; Arif Saba, Deakin University, and Safiullah Taye, Australian Catholic University (The Conversation) – On August 15 2021, Afghanistan’s democratic republic collapsed. As the last US and NATO troops departed the country, the Taliban swept back into power and the Afghan people braced for an uncertain future. Despite promises […]
Israel must allow independent Investigations of Palestinian Journalist Killings – and let international Media into Gaza
By Peter Greste, Macquarie University (The Conversation) – The New York-based media freedom organisation, the Committee to Protect Journalists, is scrupulous with its words. So, when the organisation described the killing of six Palestinian journalists in an Israeli air strike as “murder”, the word was a carefully considered choice. The CPJ defines “murder” as the […]
Beyond Recognition: Is a Palestinian State even Possible Anymore?
By Martin Kear, University of Sydney (The Conversation) – Australia will recognise a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly meeting in September, joining the United Kingdom, Canada and France in taking the historic step. Recognising a Palestinian state is at one level symbolic – it signals a growing global consensus behind the rights of […]
How Israel’s Self-Image changed from Self-Reliance to Aggressive Militarism
By Yaron Peleg, University of Cambridge (The Conversation) – When the Zionist movement began to gather pace a century ago, many Jewish supporters wanted not just to create a political state for themselves, but to initiate a cultural revolution that would forge a new kind of Jewishness. Proud, self-reliant and resilient, the “new Jew” was […]
As Netanyahu moves toward full Takeover of Gaza, Israel faces a Crisis of international Credibility
By Amin Saikal, The University of Western Australia For all its claims of being a democracy that adheres to international law and the rules of war, Israel’s global reputation is in tatters. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s latest plan for a full military takeover of Gaza, along with the expanding starvation crisis in the strip and […]
Wildfire Season is starting Weeks earlier in California – a new Study shows how Climate Change is driving the Expansion
By Gavin D. Madakumbura, University of California, Los Angeles and Alex Hall, University of California, Los Angeles (The Conversation) – Fire season is expanding in California, with an earlier start to wildfire activity in most of the state. In parts of the northern mountains, the season is now starting more than 10 weeks earlier than […]
Flames to Floods: How Europe’s Devastating Wildfires are fuelling its next Climate Crisis
By Ioanna Stamataki, University of Greenwich (The Conversation) – In recent years, I have all too often found myself passing over an active wildfire when flying from London to my family home in Greece during the summer months. The sky glows an eerie, apocalyptic red, and the scent of smoke fills the cabin. Silence falls […]