Extinction Rebellion (XR) is an international movement founded in the UK in November 2018. Their aim is to evoke social and political change in regards to climate change by means of peaceful civil disobedience. Extinction Rebellion’s protest is centred around three demands: the declaration of a climate emergency, actions to protect
Month: September 2019
Car-free city, carefree sustainability
An approach to the newly invented topic of banning personal cars in parts of a city like Barcelona or Paris and increasing a more relaxed and sustainable lifestyle, as well as regarding safety issues and reducing traffic jams. Less air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, noise and in general a better quality
Brexit: Should I stay or should I go?
There have been many movements and changes going on in international politics in past years- but much attention is also on an event that does not seem to move since more than three years- and if it moves, then not necessarily forward, but to the left and right and sometimes
Insults, provocation, net-politics: The war of words
How new populist leaders have killed the way to practice diplomacy In 2016, the election of Donald Trump, a former TV star, as head of the first global power marked a turning point on the world stage. The following past years have seen the arrival of other populist leaders in
A voyager and a settler: West Papuans protest for freedom
Security means something different to different people. This specific argument can also be seen in the recent conflict in West Papua between the large numbers of locals demanding independence and the Indonesian authorities. Several deaths and injuries have been the result of never-ending tensions, including in the latest series of
Moving on as a nation: Collective trauma and ways forward
Wars, accidents and natural disasters seem to be on the news almost on a daily basis, and we only need to open a history book to find an entire plethora of terrible events of the past. It is no wonder then that, just like individuals, whole communities and even nations
Moving money out of the public eye: tax evasion in the EU
Tax fraud and tax evasion within the European Union (EU) form a big problem that concerns all EU citizens. For instance, in 2017 the EU lost 137 billion euros in value-added-tax revenues, but taking also other types of tax frauds into account, the estimates of lost revenues due to tax
Fishballs of Fury: Contesting Hong Kong Identity
It’s Lunar New Year and a cart full of goodies is being pushed through the hustle and bustle of a cramped Hong Kong street. In an instant, a mouth-watering smell rises into the air, drawing in hungry tummies as plates of fishballs exchange hands. A once common sight with as
Death and Moving On: Dictating the Afterlife
Everybody will die at some point. Some people die young and others manage to live through a whole century. Some people die naturally, and others have their lives taken by force. The essence is, and I think all of you will agree, that our days are counted and that sooner