Op-Ed – Catalyst

The UAE, a Pioneer in Women’s Empowerment – But the Struggle Is Far from Over

May 4, 2021May 6, 20215 min read Aakanksha Mathur

Through a developmental lens, the UAE’s forward-thinking leadership subverts orientalist depictions of the Middle East, bound by the West’s artificially constructed binary between the "rational" West (us) versus the "irrational" East (them).

The Ethics of Randomized Experiments in International Development

May 2, 2021May 1, 20216 min read Sofia Mikton

While RCTs certainly can be useful tools for informing development research, researchers should take more time to consider the ethical concerns associated with such experiments and ask whether an RCT is always the best way to learn something.

Vaccine Passports

April 30, 2021April 29, 20217 min read Maeve Williams

Vaccine passports will exacerbate existing inequalities caused by globalization: allowing the rich to accelerate a return to their accustomed freedom of movement while the poor are physically and economically restricted, with limited access to the COVID-19 vaccine

The Global Community’s Response to Japan’s Fukushima Water Release Plan

April 28, 2021April 27, 20216 min read Ruolan Ma

The Japanese government plans to release the tritium-tainted water into the Pacific Ocean in small amounts over the next 30 years. However, the plan has received an overflowing of criticism from Japanese citizens and those abroad.

Canada’s Trivial Attack on International Travel During the COVID-19 Pandemic

April 26, 2021April 25, 20217 min read Santhindu Wijesooriya

While the nation has implemented various restrictions targeting the spread of the virus from within, from the very beginning, restricting travel has been one of Canada’s main focuses in tackling this deadly disease.

Bolsonaro and Brazil’s Health Crisis

April 12, 2021April 11, 20217 min read Ariana Castillon

According to a Lowy Institute study, Brazil has had the worst response to the pandemic out of 98 countries. This comes as no surprise to anyone that has been tracking the pandemic in Latin America, as Jair Bolsanaro, Brazil’s sitting … Continue reading

The Myth of the Oriental Beauty: The History of the Hypersexualization of Asian Women

April 9, 2021April 8, 20214 min read Ruolan Ma

After nearly 200 years, Asian women are still not being given the respect and dignity that they deserve, all because of a sick and incorrect stereotype. When will the world stop seeing Asian women through this hypersexualizing and dehumanizing filter?

The Consequences of Fast-Fashion in the Global South

April 3, 2021April 3, 20217 min read Juliana Malka

Today, eco-colonialism is a major consequence of fast fashion practices stemming from the fatal environmental and the social consequences.

Bill C-230: Confronting Environmental Racism in Canada

April 1, 2021April 1, 20216 min read Jemima Maycock

Environmental injustice and racial injustice tend to be recognized as separate issues, therefore Bill C-230, which puts them in conversion with one another, is crucial. However, this bill is only our starting point and there is a long ways to go.

Genocide As A “Cultural Norm”: U.S. Selective Intervention in Global Humanitarian Crises

March 24, 2021April 30, 20216 min read Aakanksha Mathur

The contradiction in both declaring the violence against Uyghur Muslims in China as genocide and then defending limited US involvement because of different “cultural norms” is a stark reminder of the Janus-faced developmental diplomacy that forefronts US interests and provides yet another convenient facade for non-interventionist policy.