Jan 26
Last night, U.S. Special Forces conducted a rescue mission in Somalia. Their mission? Rescue American Jessica Buchanan and Danish citizen, Poul Thisted. The aid workers were employed by Denmark’s Refugee Council’s de-mining unit. Jessica a regional education adviser on landmine clearing and Poul, a community safety manager, were kidnapped on October 25th of last year. …
Jan 26
Culture, customs, and traditions are what make the world a uniquely diverse place. As time has progressed, societies and their rules and values have changed due to the receiving of new information, innovative technology, and an increased awareness. Some traditions that are now known to be harmful and discriminatory, however, still persist in the world …
Jan 23
A few years ago, my friend introduced me to a new author she really enjoyed, Dave Eggers. I first read his work You Shall Know My Velocity, then moved on to his autobiographical book Heartbreaking Work of a Staggering Genius. Not only did I love his writing, but also when I read his life story, …
Jan 23
As a chocolate aficionado, I can safely say that I consume chocolate on an almost daily basis. The sweet treat is something that I always have stashed in my backpack or purse, and it always leaves me with a smile on my face. However, I was surprised to learn that there is a sad and …
Jan 19
I’ve written a fair amount about Egypt and the Arab Spring over the course of my internship, but today I’m going to write about something a little different from the usual discussion of politics, revolution, and violence: responsible tourism. Can it take root in Egypt? Or is there too much conflict? The Sinai Peninsula is …
Jan 13
With U.S troops withdrawing from Iraq and the fall of Osama bin Laden in 2011, all eyes are now on Eritrea. Eritrea, which means red land or soil, is a small country in the eastern part of the African continent. Before the creation of South Sudan last year, Eritrea was the youngest nation in Africa. …
Dec 22
After reading parts one and two of this series on the Arab Spring, you hopefully have a better grasp on what some of the major moments of the movements were, how the revolutionaries in various countries drew inspiration from each other, and the difficulties of transitioning to a democracy. So, for this post, I thought …
Dec 15
For part one of this series, click here. Libya February 16th, 2011—Demonstrators, emulating those in Tunisia and Egypt (which Libya is located between), take to the streets of Benghazi to protest Muammar Gaddafi’s 41 year regime. The arrest of Libyan human rights activist Fethi Tarbel is believed to have sparked the protest. An estimated 38 …
Dec 13
I stumbled upon an image this weekend showing the digital divide of the world. It graphically shows what parts of the globe have access to digital technology, measured through IP address locations. Showing the layers between high and low-density areas in relation to internet access is powerful. I once heard someone say that Africa is …
Dec 08
A lot has happened in the Middle East and North Africa in the last year, and if you’re anything like me you’ve had a difficult time trying to keep up with all the protests, names, elections, et cetera. So I’m doing a 3-part series on the Arab Spring. The first …
