Social Issues
Once upon a time there was an election …
(5 minute read)
Zoë Dukoff-Gordon on politics as story and why the recent UK general election felt so despairing.
Life – and death – in the world’s Coronavirus capital
(5 minute read)
Barbara Zappa, a high school teacher from Bergamo, offers a searing insight into life inside the world’s most severe hotspot of coronavirus
A Hymn to Italy in time of plague
(4 minute read)
The city of Florence has traditionally celebrated March 25, feast of the Annunciation, as its own New Year day. An Irish writer staying in the city marks the day with a pain-filled, yet beautiful homage to the spirit of Italy.
Do international courts of human rights promote or curb our freedom? One of Europe’s top judges replies.
(12 minute read)
Never afraid to express his views when his conscience demanded it, Judge De Gaetano talks about some of his experiences answering questions from our correspondent José Young.
Three lessons from a city under siege
(3 minute read)
Ronnie Convery draws lessons from his parents on how to confront coronavirus.
Asking the wrong question: how we are putting the Amazon and the world at risk
(11 minute read)
The future of the Amazon raises fundamental ethical and spiritual questions which we should all consider, even – perhaps especially – in the West, Joseph Evans argues.
Fighting totalitarianism: lessons from the White Rose resistance Part III
(8 minute read)
Part three of this true story of student opposition to Nazism recounts the heroic efforts which ultimately cost the lives of the founders of the White Rose Movement.
Putting economics at the service of humanity – Pope Francis’ appeal to young professionals
(5 minute read)
Nobel laureates Amartya Sen and Muhammad Yunus will join Pope Francis and over 2,000 young economists for a three-day workshop which aims to foster a more human economy. By Ronnie Convery.
Promising more than achieving? The French Revolution and today
When it comes to protecting the rights of minorities and guaranteeing new freedoms, even well-intentioned efforts can have unforeseen consequences. As Bianca Costa Sales points out, history can be a great teacher in this endeavour.
Fighting totalitarianism: lessons from the White Rose resistance Part II
At a time when many academics were bowing to the Nazi system, Paul Shrimpton describes how a small group of students courageously opposed it.
