By Wilson Liévano In early November, the Pakistani government started to round up and deport undocumented Afghan refugees, as part of an immigration crackdown that has drawn criticism from the United Nations and relief agencies. There are approximately 2 million undocumented Afghans in Pakistan, many of whom arrived decades ago and built a life for
By Letícia Duarte In 2022, Brazilian Indigenous activist Sonia Guajajara was recognized by TIME magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Now, as the head of Brazil’s first-ever Ministry of Indigenous Peoples, she faces the challenge of implementing the policies she has always advocated for. A recent achievement came when,
By Wilson Liévano For migrants trying to reach the United States, the journey through Mexico is the most dangerous part of their trip. From traveling on the top of a speeding train to the bands of thieves and the scammers that prey on the desperation of travelers, migrants face multiple perils. But no threat is
Sand. The world’s great cities are built of it: The concrete that is used to give shape to buildings, the glass we use for windows and the pavement for roads are all made of sand. So mountains of sand – nearly 50 billion tons of it – are extracted every year from lakes, riverbeds and
By Letícia Duarte and Nathan Tisdale Corruption is one of the biggest challenges for Mexico, as a tradition of opaque governments and the influence of organized crime influence not just the public sector, but all layers of society. Mexico ranked 126 among 180 countries in Transparency International’s 2022 Corruption Perceptions Index, with 44 percent of
By Letícia Duarte As it is often the case with environmental agreements, the recent joint declaration signed by the eight countries to safeguard the Amazon rainforest is full of good intentions. But the absence of concrete goals against deforestation and climate change has upset environmentalists and local communities, who worry that these words may not
By Wilson Liévano Matabeleland has long been considered one of the regions most neglected in Zimbabwe, largely due to the Gukurahundi Genocide in the 1980s, and the consequences of the Land Acquisition Act passed in the 1990’s, leaving it underdeveloped and underserved. This unique position has made the region a key player in the August
By Rania Itani For communities in many rural regions climate change is a reality that they have to contend with every day, even if they don’t know the term. The noticeable impact on their crops and livestock is an indicator that things have changed. And sometimes even seemingly contradictory occurrences, like floods and drought have
On June 14th a ship carrying approximately 750 migrants sank near the Greek coast. Only 104 of them survived, even though the Greek Coast Guard was at the site before the accident. Survivors have leveled serious accusations at the Greeks: including causing the boat to capsize in an attempt to pull it into Italian waters,
By Letícia Duarte Brazil recently recognized six new indigenous territories, a significant move to safeguard ancestral lands and the environment. The area granted officially by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva covers a total of 800 square miles, primarily located in the Amazon. This is the first official demarcation of indigenous lands since 2018, indicating