Fado, Dictatorship, and Nostalgia: The Centenary of the Life of Amália Rodrigues
Fado has become a national symbol for many Portuguese people, and Amália herself has become the face of this iconic genre.
Category: Culture & Media
Liberté, égalité, fraternité?
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
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
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
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
When it comes to a collective crisis like this, behaviour tends to be related to notions of collectivism and individualism.
Education in Bangladesh During COVID-19
The reopening of educational institutions was delayed to September; 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
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
In this interview, I take you to Japan: an economic powerhouse, stable democracy, and a country known for its increasing reliance on migrant workers.
The Power of Art in the Face of Revolution
Wrapped in banners and posters with messages directed towards the state, the military and the world, the building looks like a box bursting at the seams with the dissenting voice of the country demanding to be heard. Paintings, professional and amateur, have turned every free space into a declaration of defiance.