The Flight of Brazil’s Expats
OZY – In a new piece, Shannon Sims explains how the recent economic downturn in Brazil is causing many expats to pack up and leave the country. Brazil has entered a recession and foreign investments and job opportunities for foreigners, which were once plentiful, have decreased dramatically. Read the full article here for more of
Assad’s Draft Drives Refugees to Europe
The Daily Beast – Past ICWA Fellow Andrew Tabler is quoted in Kristina Jovanovski’s recent piece on the Syiran refugee crisis in Europe. Javanovski describes how the mounting efforts to draft young Syrian men into Bashar al-Assad’s military are driving increasing numbers Syrians to leave the country. According to Tabler, “The pressure [al-Assad] has put on everyday Syrians is one of
Why Brazil Is Mixing Mother Nature and the King Dollar
OZY – Some of Brazil’s national parks are coming under new management – that of private companies. In her latest piece, Shannon Sims investigates this trend, which has been brought on in part by the lack of resources of local governments. In the privately managed parks, infrastructure and maintenance have improved, but these changes have
Haiti Do-Gooder, TV Beet Farmer
OZY – In her latest piece, Pooja Bhatia interivews actor Rainn Wilson about Lide, his nonprofit organization based in Haiti. Wilson is best known for playing the wacky but hilarious Dwight Schrute on The Office, but has taken on the role of philanthropist in support of arts education for girls in the Haitian countryside. Bhatia engages Wilson
U.S. Warns Russia Over Military Support for Assad
The New York Times – Andrew Tabler was quoted in Michael R. Gordon’s recent piece on rising US-Russian tensions over Syria. Tabler commented on the differing views in Russia concerning support for President Bashar al-Assad, saying; “The escalation is completely in keeping with hard-line Russian positions on Assad, which are juxtaposed with more conciliatory positions by the
The Missing Intifada
Foreign Affairs – In his latest article, Neri Zilber discusses the surprising lack of a third intifada, or uprising, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. An intifada has not broken out since the second intifada in 2000 despite the firebombing of a Palestinian home in the village of Duma of by Jewish terrorists in late July of this year. Zilber
A $620,000 Watch Tells What Time it Is in Vladimir Putin’s Russia
Reuters – Gregory Feifer shares a fascinating look at Vladimir Putin’s public-relations tactics in his latest article. Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov was recently reported to have been enjoying a lavish and expensive honeymoon on a yacht and to have worn a $620,000 watch at his wedding ceremony, spending several times the yearly salary of a typical civil
Love in the Age of Big Data
The Huffington Post – In a fascinating article, past Fellow Eve Fairbanks delves into the philosophy and relationship of John Gottman and Julie Schwartz Gottman, creators of the Gottman Method, a science based method for building and improving romantic relationships. Using John Gottman’s highly academic research, the couple teach seminars and have published books on the empirical secret to
New Orleans Door To Door
National Geographic – Past Fellow and photographer Tyrone Turner has taken an innovative approach to photography and storytelling in New Orleans. He photographed one person in the Lower Ninth Ward and asked who to meet and photograph next, following a trail of recommendations throughout the community. This project is part of National Geographic’s “The Long
Artur Ávila, Brazil’s Shining Math Star
OZY – In her latest piece, past Fellow Shannon Sims profiles Artur Ávila, the first Latin American winner of the the world’s most prestigious mathematics prize, the Fields Medal. Ávila’s milestone is groundbreaking because of the poor state of mathematics education in his home country of Brazil. Yet the story has not received much local or global media attention. Click