How Egypt silences popular and dissident music
For Faris Hemida, a well-known singer of Egypt’s wildly popular musical style known as mahraganat (‘festivals’ in Arabic), 16 February 2020 did not go well. […]
Political violence
What about the kids? COVID-19 also puts children’s rights at risk
When the editors of Nature magazine first used the term ‘coronavirus’ in 1968, they probably never, not even in their wildest dreams, imagined that the concept would become […]
With the world in lockdown, for some, being at home is as dangerous as being outside
With a third of the world’s population under some form of government-mandated lockdown during recent months, hundreds of millions of people have been cooped up at home […]
Fuelled by social media, in India Muslims are “a convenient scapegoat” for the coronavirus
At the end of March this year, a new trending hashtag emerged on Twitter. #CoronaJihad, which blames Muslims for the spread of COVID-19 in India, […]
In Tunisia, Black Africans face “the harshest exploitation”
Jérémie*, an Ivorian in his early thirties who arrived in Tunisia in early 2016, is reluctant to speak out. He says he suffered reprisals after […]
Why heavy-handed policing won’t work for lockdowns in highly unequal countries
Many African countries have imposed lockdown measures stricter than countries in Europe and Asia in a bid to contain the spread of the new coronavirus. […]
Plans to fight coronavirus must pay attention to the environment
The rapid onset and spread of coronavirus is proving to be a huge challenge for public health officials across the world. Coronaviruses are a large […]
Can new trade rules help east Africa’s cross-border women traders secure a decent livelihood?
Lorna Okitoyi has been a cross-border trader based in Malaba, western Kenya for over 10 years. The 46-year-old mother-of-two sells food staples and kitchen utensils […]
South Africa’s spaza shops: how regulatory avoidance harms informal workers
Small informal retailers are a ubiquitous feature of any developing country’s urban landscape. Known as spaza shops in South Africa, they are an important, even […]
Rome’s ‘invisible’ immigrants offer an alternative view of the Eternal City
For many people who live in Rome, the weekends are reserved for leisurely walks in the city centre and window shopping. But on a sunny […]
South Africa takes fresh steps to restrict rights of refugees
Recent changes to the law, and the promulgation of new regulations governing refugees in South Africa, have been heavily criticised by civil society organisations. The […]
Can the European Union lead the world’s ecological transition?
The European Union is in a green state of mind. Last December, the new president of the European Commission placed the fight against climate change […]
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