Op-Ed – Catalyst

Canada’s Approach to the COVID-19 Vaccine

March 4, 2021March 3, 20216 min read Juliana Malka

The Canadian immunization rate is not as high as the United States' rate largely because of the challenges of vaccine quantity and distribution in Canada. This brings to question the efficiency of Canada’s inoculation strategies and priorities.

Rape as a Weapon of Genocide: Systematic Sexual Abuse Within China’s Internment Camps

March 2, 2021March 2, 20217 min read Jemima Maycock

If there is no meaningful action taken, China risks becoming another country on a list that remains too long to begin with. The costs of this failure will, most likely, be borne by first and foremost by Uighur women.

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.

The Tigray Crisis in Ethiopia: What You Need to Know

February 25, 2021February 25, 20214 min read Penni Tenzin

It has now been just over three months since the federal government’s military offence, but the Tigray crisis is far from over. With the lack of humanitarian aid, the future of the Tigrayan citizenry remains in the dark as they bear the brunt of the conflict.

Brexit: An Accident Waiting to Happen?

February 23, 2021February 23, 20216 min read Misbah Lalani

However, it is hard to paint a complete picture at the moment, as Brexit is still new. The prospect of new opportunities may eventually compensate for the present difficulties. It is possible that the Pacific trade bloc will provide opportunities to firms that have been affected in the short run by Brexit, and may even help industries grow. Britain’s efforts to improve their external relations provides hope that Brexit may turn out to be a good call after all.

Reorienting Discussions of Political and Economic Development in Sub-Saharan Africa

February 22, 2021February 22, 20217 min read Maeve Williams

Binary terms, such as Afro-optimism and Afro-pessimism, have been inverted and simplistic terminology has been discarded altogether - and rightly so. African nations deserve the complexity of language and diligence of examination which other nations have received for so long.

This Is the Turning Point

February 15, 2021February 22, 20215 min read Riyana Karim

Harris’ victory points to a larger social issue. Women continue to be dramatically underrepresented in high-ranking positions within politics (especially women of colour). Minority women’s political representation is dramatically lower than white women. This is because women of colour face the barriers associated with both sexism and racism working together and that remain persistent in the American polity.

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.

Revisiting Myanmar’s Humanitarian Crisis

January 20, 2021January 19, 20216 min read Ruolan Ma

By dodging her entrusted responsibility to protect innocent Rohingya civilians, Aung San Suu Kyi renders her promise to protect human rights a falsehood. While the brutal killing of Hindus and other chaos created by ARSA are condemnable and should not be ignored by the world, what many don’t see are the thousands of Rohingya who have lost their lives and homes in this endless battle, clear victims of crimes against humanity.

Canada’s Lost Indigenous Girls, a Nationwide Epidemic

January 13, 2021February 24, 20216 min read Riyana Karim

On June 3 of 2019, the report exposed that between 2014 and 2018, 23% of all missing and murdered women across Canada were Indigenous. This fact is especially concerning given that Indigenous women only account for about 4% of Canada’s female population. As the country continues to struggle with deep-seated racism and sexism against Indigenous women, it is imperative that the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women be taken more seriously.