Several days of protests in cities small and large around Iran in the recent eruption of political unrest served as yet another reminder that Iran’s Islamic Republic titanic vessel has collided with an iceberg of new protest waves. The Islamic Republic of Iran, which has traditionally relied on recruits from smaller towns and villages and … Continue reading »
global
Global forced migration and the entanglements of race, state power, capitalism and environmental change
When people think of forced migration today, what might they think of? Most might think of the “European refugee crisis.” And why would they not? In 2015, over 1.3 million people arrived at Europe’s borders by way of the Mediterranean Sea, the largest wave of forced migration in nearly a century. Most might also think … Continue reading »
Stop blaming drivers for Mexico City’s smog
Driving isn’t what’s causing smog problems — it’s a high load of VOCs
The Pope and sanitation
The pope’s encyclical on climate change once again makes headlines as, probably for the first time, it has been presented to President Trump to read. Peter Gleick, president emeritus of the Pacific Institute, Tweeted what I felt when I heard the news: Short as it is, the president will probably not read it. So, Gleick shared a … Continue reading »
Manchester: The newest terrorism, and the future of terrorism
The suicide bombing of a concert in Manchester, England, is indicative of the latest trends in terrorism — trends that have emerged as recently as the last few years, and will continue in the wrong direction for years to come. The tragedy illustrates the new normal in terrorist motivations and behaviors; unfortunately, you would not … Continue reading »
Digital insecurity is the new normal
What’s most important about the latest ransomware attacks is that British doctors have reverted to pen and paper in their wake. This “back to analog” moment isn’t just a knee-jerk, stopgap reaction to a short-term problem. It’s a rational response to our increasingly insecure internet, and we are going to see more of it ahead.
Mar-a-Lago’s menu — security a la carte
Serendipitously, President Trump was dining with Chinese President Xi Jinping when he ducked out to inform the world of his instructions to strike against the Syrian Air Force unit believed responsible for the gas attacks in Syrian city of Idlib last Tuesday. It was hard not to feel some satisfaction that finally someone was standing … Continue reading »
This NIH program is crucial to global health — and its future is in danger
Co-authored with Madhukar Pai, MD, a Canada Research Chair in Epidemiology and Global Health at McGill University in Montreal. A little-noticed cut in President Trump’s proposed “budget blueprint to make American great again” would eliminate the Fogarty International Center, which is part of the National Institutes of Health. That would be a big mistake for the … Continue reading »
Conservatives should oppose a wall, too
Regardless of whether you want fewer immigrants in the United States, more newcomers, or prefer immigrant numbers to remain the same, there is no good argument for a wall on the border with Mexico. It will be a gravy train for Trump’s construction cronies, but a huge expense for taxpayers. Worse, it addresses a supposed … Continue reading »
Stop blaming ‘populism’ for everything
The word “populism” is being used to explain almost every trend or event of 2016, including Brexit, the election of Donald Trump as America’s next President, and shifts in French, German, Italian, Dutch and Austrian politics. The term “populism” has been used interchangeably with “right-wing politics” and “nationalism.” Now the magazine Foreign Affairs is blaming autocratization on … Continue reading »
Why stories matter: Quantifying the effects of a women’s leadership program in Rwanda
Think about your values. Think of a time in your life when your actions demonstrated those values. Now think of a story from your life that illustrates those values — a story where you faced a challenge, made a choice and realized an outcome. This is what women in Rwanda do during Resonate’s Storytelling for … Continue reading »
Brazil: Zika, Chika, coup d’état
The Brazil Olympic games just ended their two-week run. Cal athletes were well represented, and on Berkeley’s campus we are celebrating Cal student Ryan Murphy’s third gold medal in Rio de Janeiro. Yet, as we cheer on one of our own and take part in the pageantry, we read about the alleged mugging of another Olympic medalist, … Continue reading »
Nice: Entering the gray zone
“I hope someday you’ll join us And the world will live as one” — John Lennon, “Imagine” So close to home, one of our own, Nicolas Leslie, a UC Berkeley student abroad in France, after being missing for four days, was confirmed dead, one of the 84 victims of the terrorist attack in Nice. Three other … Continue reading »
Brexit: Trumpism with a posh accent
Recently, anyone engaged in the world, regardless of where they come from, will have been unable to avoid discussing Donald Trump. As a Brit studying abroad in the US, I’m constantly asked how the rest of the world sees it, and I always reply the same way: We think the idea of a bigoted, ill-informed, … Continue reading »