These billion humans simply do not exist

Perhaps demographers would consider designing a new classification system to separate from their estimates of the world’s total population –eight billion plus– the billion humans who live without legal identity and, thus, are deprived from the most basic rights. The one billion figure seems to fall short if you consider that

The land of immigrants to deport thousands of refugees & asylum seekers

The United States, long described as a country built largely by immigrants, is planning to clamp down on migrants, refugees and asylum seekers entering the country—which averaged about 2.4 million in 2022-2023, according to the US Congressional Budget Office. The incoming Trump administration is calling for “mass deportations” of mostly illegal

Is the time ripe for an end to Ukraine war?

Donald Trump, president-elect of the USA, wants to end the Ukraine war within a day, as he has emphasized several times, but without saying how. Despite the brutal clashes on the ground in Ukraine, do negotiations now have a chance? Are we near to a “ripe moment” for negotiations? The war

We can and must do our best

As 2024 comes to a close, I dare to say that this has been an especially gruesome year for millions upon millions of young children, their parents and their teachers. The world has witnessed one horrific crisis of cruelty, dispossession and human suffering after another. Ukraine has entered its worst winter,

From footprints to solutions: Tackling carbon’s impact on the world

In an era of accelerating climate change, the concept of a carbon footprint has become a critical measure of our environmental impact. Firstly, what exactly are carbon footprints? Defined as the total greenhouse gas emissions caused directly and indirectly by an individual, organization, or activity, carbon footprints are a powerful

Definitely not on track to save life on planet

Alongside climate finance, COP29 currently being held in Baku, Azerbaijan, was expected to serve as an important platform for nations to demonstrate their intention to submit stronger national climate commitments, strengthen adaptation efforts, and show tangible progress and action on previous pledges. Halfway through the conference some key experts and leaders

Bangladesh in Crisis: Which way out?

This piece is not about the crisis or the chaos that the country is now facing after successfully toppling the autocratic regime of Sheikh Hasina. Rather, it is about the crisis of confidence and social capital or trust — interlinked, nonetheless. The thread that binds a nation together is trust or

Surging global tourism emissions are driven by just 20 countries

Surging global tourism emissions are driven almost entirely by 20 countries, and efforts to rein in the trend aren’t working. That is the main finding of our new research, published in Nature Communications today. It represents the most rigorous and comprehensive analysis of tourism emissions yet conducted. The study draws together multiple