United States Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power and US Secretary of State John Kerry, September 2013. Allan Tannenbaum/Press Association. All rights reserved.On 18 August 2011, President Obama declared that “the future of Syria must be determined by its people”. But he immediately contravened this basic democratic principle by saying that Bashir al-Assad should…
Category: News
Reese Witherspoon Opens Up About Escaping An Abusive Relationship
THE GOOD NEWS: Witherspoon’s survival story could give hope to others stuck in abusive relationships. There are many reasons why people become stuck in abusive relationships. Victims are often trapped in an invisible cage of fear, violence, psychological manipulation, and financial control that prevents them from believing there’s hope on the other side. In…
To combat hate, we must celebrate diversity
Main prayer room at Baitul Futuh mosque, London. stevekeiretsu/Flickr. Some rights reserved.Britain is in a period of historic change. In the wake of three horrifying terrorist attacks over three months, tensions between communities are at an all time high. Yet the attacks have heightened a lingering sense of uncertainty over our national identity that has been…
Meet The Glasses-Wearing Gymnast Inspiring A Movement
We routinely see athletes at the highest level accomplish amazing feats. What we don’t regularly see them do? Wear glasses. While over 60% of the general population ages 18 to 34 requires glasses or contacts, professional athletes in the NHL, NBA, MLB, and NFL average between 16% and 30%, according to a 2010 study by Michael…
Sacrifice zones in rural and non-metro USA: fertile soil for authoritarian populism
Mississippi in 2010. Photograph taken by the author. All rights reserved. This is the fourth article in a series on ‘confronting authoritarian populism and the rural world’, linked to the Emancipatory Rural Politics Initiative (ERPI). The article opening the series can be read here. ‘The United States is coming to resemble two separate countries, one…
How Olympians Train Their Brains To Become Mentally Tough
We have witnessed some exceptional performances during the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. For any athlete to deliver a gold medal performance, mental toughness is an essential ingredient. But what exactly is mental toughness — and how does an athlete develop it? Research published in the Journal of Sports Sciences has found successful Olympians have a high…
Human nature as victim in Colombia
The openMovements series invites leading social scientists to share their research results and perspectives on contemporary social struggles. Army barricade protecting mines in Colombia. Rosemary Bechler (RB):; So Lyda, please introduce yourself… Lyda Fernanda Forero (LFF): I am originally from Colombia and I am at the Transnational Institute which is an organisation based in Amsterdam….
From Slave To Real Estate Mogul, Biddy Mason Helped Wayward Souls Of The Pioneer Era
THE GOOD NEWS: There’s no shortage of incredible stories of amazing women throughout history. Victorian Los Angeles was a ruthless, transient place. A dusty, Wild West outpost of schemers and desperados, there was little in the way of social services or charitable works to aid the countless people who found themselves stranded or abandoned by…
Colombia: the power struggle in Tumaco and Alto Mira
The bodies of some of the dead in the confusing event at Alto Mira were evacuated to La Playa, an hour by boat from where the event occurred. None of the dead or injured had wounds from shrapnel or explosion. Photo: Lorenzo Morales. This article has been published as part of the partnership between 070 and democraciaAbierta….
Nope, They’re Not Lazy. Teens Really Do Perform Better When School Starts Later In The Morning
Millions of high-schoolers are fighting with their alarm clocks through another academic year. As they struggle to get up early, parents battle to get them out of bed and off to school — a stressful way to start the day for everyone involved. Are teenagers just being lazy when they have to be dragged out…