“We don’t want to decapitate the tall poppies”, said Boris Johnson in July. Yet for Kate Pickett, his “levelling up” ambitions will necessitate flattening the whole social gradient. Kate Pickett* There has been enough sporting competition over the summer to remind us how tough it can be to be the …
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The rapid, radical decarbonisation needed to save the planet will cost a lot. Taxing multinationals and the wealthy properly can help pay for it. Eva Joly* ‘A code red for humanity’: the United Nations secretary-general, António Guterres, could not have better summed up the chilling impact of the report published by the Inter-governmental Panel …
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Six Palestinian resistance fighters who pulled off a daring jailbreak from Israel’s Gilboa prison two weeks ago were recaptured by the occupation forces. The Cradle has the story of this ‘Great Escape’ and others like it. Abdelrahman Nassar* “You are far more dangerous than a Fatah or Hamas prisoner,” the Israeli …
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Nobody really knows what prospect await Afghan refugees when countries have yet to see human rights as rights for all humans. Rashmee Roshan Lall* Despite the outpouring of international sympathy for Afghans who fled their country after the Taliban takeover last month, it’s by no means certain this will translate into receiving …
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Palestinian knowledge of the land not only solidifies the Palestinian indigenous identity, but our right to the land as well. JACK MUNAYER* Most Palestinians see themselves as the self-evident indigenous people of the land. The relationship with the land, agriculture, and ancestral heritage has solidified this over centuries. However, huge …
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In the gruelling battle over the oil rich city of Ma’rib, the Houthis stand to win it all as the sluggish efforts for peace continue. AMMAR AL-ASHWAL* The recent fierce attempts by the Houthis to capture Ma’rib highlight the importance of this province to the group’s ability to rule northern …
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Ultimately, resolving the collective-action dilemma of preserving a liveable planet will require a UN ‘constitution of the Earth’. Guido Montani* From September 28th to 30th, Milan will be hosting Youth4Climate: Driving Ambition, and from September 30th to October 2nd it will be the turn in the city of Pre-COP26, an initiative designed …
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The cause of the precariat isn’t helped by fuzzy thinking about who and what it is. Guy Standing* Numerous articles and reports, including some in Social Europe, have referred to the growth of ‘precarious work’. This term muddles several notions that should be distinguished. Unless we use terms correctly, we risk …
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The new EU health-and-safety strategy risks being a missed opportunity to address workplace mental health and wellbeing. Ivan William Jimenez* Before Covid-19, the case for effectively managing psychosocial risks and workplace mental health and wellbeing was already clear. Regrettably, the pandemic has fuelled stress, uncertainty and the intensity of work, and not just …
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Mourning the state of things in Lebanon. James Zogby* A century ago, Gibran Khalil Gibran wrote a love poem to Lebanon: “You have your Lebanon, I have my Lebanon”. He spoke of his affection for the people, their poetry, art, music and love of life, their generous and welcoming spirit, their …
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