Georgia's unfair elections should not be recognised
The opposition gathered in front of the Georgian parliament on 28 October in protest against the conduct of the elections (Source: Flickr) An abridged version of this post appeared earlier in the FD Last week, elections took place in Georgia - a crucial moment for the country's geopolitical orientation. The [...]
With a second term of Trump, abortion rights are at risk worldwide
Photo: Overturn of Roe v. Wade - The Organisation for World Peace The outcome of the US presidential election will not only be felt within the borders of the United States; the consequences will reach worldwide. Abortion rights and reproductive health care are particularly at stake. A re-election of Donald Trump [...]
How the power of big pharmaceutical companies leads to mpox vaccine apartheid
Photo: WHO Vaccination - Wikimedia Commons As fears of an mpox outbreak mount in the Netherlands and Health Minister Fleur Agema favours keeping available vaccines within our own borders, a humanitarian disaster is playing out in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The mpox virus continues to spread there unimpeded, [...]
How power comes before justice - the Indian government's protection of perpetrators of sexual violence
In recent weeks, the ongoing problem of violence against women in India has once again become painfully visible. There was much controversy surrounding the rape and murder of a 31-year-old female trainee doctor from Kolkata. This shocking event brought thousands of women to the streets in several Indian cities, where they massively demanded justice. In response, [...]
All Eyes on Sudan
In Khartoum, Sudan's capital, heavy fighting broke out in April last year between the government army the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary army Rapid Support Forces (RSF). A bloody war has been raging in Sudan ever since. But even before this escalation in 2023, the country was experiencing major problems. The population of [...]
Where is the focus on Congo?
Recently, a viral internet trend emerged when more than 50 million Instagram users shared an image with the text 'All eyes on Rafah'. Soon other 'All eyes on ...' images also appeared, such as 'All eyes on Sudan,' but often 'All eyes on Congo.' This trend reflects a broader push that the war in [...]
Kidnappings galore: Nigeria's security crisis
Photo: #BringBackOurGirls mural in West Vale, UK - Flickr Nigeria is engulfed by a wave of kidnappings carried out by various armed groups that are tightening their grip on Nigerian society. The glaring problem of mass kidnappings came into the spotlight after Boko Haram abducted 276 schoolgirls from Chibok in 2014, an act [...]
Opinion: Better late than never: Netherlands should really restore UNRWA support now
Photo: A Palestinian woman and children check the rubble of a building hit overnight by an Israeli bombardment in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on 20 April 2024 - Arab News This opinion piece originally appeared on Joop - BNNVARA Between October 2023 and February 2024, the war [...]
The People vs Dow Chemical
Two girls fetching water in the neighbourhood next to the former Union Carbide plant @Giles Clarke This article originally appeared on Vice Versa. Forty years ago, tonnes of toxic gas leaked from a plant in India, killing thousands - and now, in 2024, Dow Chemical is facing the [...]
With the honest story, Lara Sibbing cycles through the EU and the Netherlands
The European Parliament elections are coming up. Also on 6 June, Green-Left-PvdA will appear on the ballot paper with a shared list in which 'green' and 'red' come together. In the run-up to these elections, we therefore speak to several GL-PvdA candidates. In this interview Lara Sibbing - number 16 on the list - about [...]