Culture & Media – Catalyst

Ismailism: The Success of a Community through the Bounds of Religion

February 28, 2021February 27, 20217 min read Santhindu Wijesooriya

Embedded in the Aga Khan's position are catalysts for the success of the Isma’ili community, specifically, the use of faith-based power to give back to the group from which that authority is originally derived.

Fado, Dictatorship, and Nostalgia: The Centenary of the Life of Amália Rodrigues

January 26, 2021February 9, 20217 min read Adriana Gabriela Franco

Fado has become a national symbol for many Portuguese people, and Amália herself has become the face of this iconic genre.

Liberté, égalité, fraternité?

December 22, 2020February 24, 20216 min read Misbah Lalani

Reports of terrorist acts often plant biased rhetoric and paint the Muslim population as a whole in a violent and ruthless light. There is no undermining the severity of these attacks, however it is not uncommon for them to serve as a contribution to the common narrative depicting the Islamic religion as one with savage inclinations. Rather than painting the attacks as isolated anomalies, media outlets often use them to feed into an ever present mentality of bigotry, something that the Muslim community has had to work in one way or another, to prove themselves separate from.

Buddhism: At the Crossroads between Philosophy and Religion

December 7, 2020December 29, 20206 min read Santhindu Wijesooriya

The growing appeal of Buddhism in the West has had led to an effort to recategorize and reconsider much of this sizeable belief system. But is that even a possibility? Is Buddhism a religion? A philosophy? Or does it stand in its own class: an anomaly that encapsulates over 530 million people?

Dissociation, Dispossession, and Food in the Israel-Palestine conflict

November 21, 2020December 29, 20207 min read Adriana Gabriela Franco

Food is an often overlooked element in conversations of national identity. Food is tangible, it is known by most members of a nation regardless of socio-economic background, and it is “experienced everyday”. Food is incredibly important for both parties in this two-sided conflict, as it plays a strong role in the creation of identity for each group.

Challenging the International Response to the Refugee Crisis

November 11, 2020December 29, 20207 min read Melanie Baume

Thus far, the global response of most developed countries has been to funnel money into the international refugee support system, which provides humanitarian aid relief through the establishment of refugee camps. As these camps are short-term solutions, in most host countries, refugees lack the right to work or move freely. This might not have been a problem if the duration of their stay were short, however the conflicts from which refugees flee usually last indefinitely.

Confronting Mask Culture in China and Canada

November 9, 2020December 29, 20205 min read Ruolan Ma

When it comes to a collective crisis like this, behaviour tends to be related to notions of collectivism and individualism. One may say that the Canadian protests display greater support for individualism over collectivism. However, in reality, the difference stems from how people from different parts of the world view the idea of collectivism. For Chinese, fulfilling social obligation arises out of moral responsibility.

Education in Bangladesh During COVID-19

November 7, 2020December 29, 20203 min read Kibel Aker

While many lockdown restrictions were later lifted on May 31st, the reopening of educational institutions was delayed to September. During this time, the country opted to adopt remote learning. However, Bangladesh didn’t have the digital infrastructure to move their complete education system to an online platform as planned.

The Art of Resilience: One Year post-Thawra in Lebanon

October 26, 2020December 29, 20208 min read Adriana Gabriela Franco

Last year I published my first article about the Lebanese protests in October 2019. It seemed like Lebanon was on the brink of something marvelous, on the road to overthrowing a government system that had caused them more woes than wins. [...] Unfortunately, the situation got bleaker before it got better.

The Illiberalism of Japan’s Detention Policies: an Interview with Professor Takamura

May 13, 2020December 29, 20209 min read Joy Kwak

In this interview, I take you to Japan: an economic powerhouse, stable democracy, and a country known for its increasing reliance on migrant workers. Meanwhile, the Japanese government’s immigration laws and detainment practices also oppress and deprive the rights of many migrant workers, immigrants, illegal migrants and refugees – topics which are not commonly discussed in Japanese society for fear of governmental retaliation.