35 Going On 36: What President Museveni’s Sixth Term Means, Uganda

KAMPALA, UGANDA: Post-election, crowds commemorate an unsurprising victory for President-elect, Yoweri Museveni. With this result commences the aforementioned leader’s sixth term (unprecedented in recent Ugandan history) in power. Overtaking none other than the late Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe who held his autocratic position just shy of 30 years; 2021 will mark Museveni’s 36th year as the president of Uganda. “He has unified the country, to some extent, but the longer he stays around, the more the country seems to be fracturing.” –Frederick Golooba-Mutebi, a Kampala-based political scientist

Underage Prostitution In The DRC: A $2 Profit

Cue the evasive comment, “Prostitution is inevitable. It’s the oldest profession in the world. It’s here to stay.” Yes, yes it is. Prostitution has been negatively stigmatized, relating itself to shame and desperation. It’s 2020, not 1543, come to terms with the fact that there is no shame in the profession. And that’s exactly what it is; a profession. Not a hobby, not a pastime, not a fetish. It’s a viable source of income and financial security and should consequently be treated as such. Over

Hong Kong's New Security Law Engenders Mass Fear

Pro-democracy and independence protests are being eradicated. China’s Communist Party is slowly tightening her claw-like grip around the throat of Hong Kong, all the while claiming it’s in the name of preservation and security. The New Security Law (implemented Tuesday night–the 23rd anniversary celebrating the handover of Hong Kong from British rule to China) has effected maximum life imprisonment as a viable punishment for seemingly vague crimes such as subversion, terrorism, and “collusion wi

Blood And Soil: Land Expropriation In Post-Apartheid South Africa

SENEKAL, South Africa — The sweltering heat beats down on the dry land. Dust and flies abound, the sadistic taunt of a drought. We need rain. A White farmer is found murdered, his corpse tethered to a wooden pole. The two suspects are Black men. The suspected murderers are livestock thieves, local to the Free State province of South Africa. This latest incident caused outcries from White farmers throughout the country. At the core of these outcries is the belief that reverse-racism is now the parasite that plagues the country. A belief that White people — predominantly farmers — have become the victims of an oppressive government. The judicial ruling on the aforementioned act clarified that whilst the two men are guilty of murder, the act was a result of a robbery gone wrong, rather than a premeditated racial hate-crime. The murder was addressed by President Ramaphosa who assured the public, “They are not genocidal. They are acts of criminality and must be treated as such.”

The Drastic Rise In Domestic Violence (IPV) During COVID-19

Based on the UN Women study, ‘Gendered impacts of the pandemic in Palestine and implications for policy and programming’ (April 2020), it is estimated that reports of abuse will see a rise of at least 300%. Domestic violence being somewhat stigmatized, especially within more conservative and patriarchal countries such as Palestine, will unarguably increase the struggle. The action demanded in such countries becomes near fantastic- unattainable- when the female population hesitate and resist the

'Heroin Chic'

Define ‘Heroin chic’? You need only take the images conjured upon hearing the word, ‘junkie.’ A mosaic of sunken eyes, hollow/ protruding cheekbones. Chapped lips and limp limbs. Vacancy. That collection of images was beautified and sought after and it came to be known as, ‘Heroin chic’. The 1990s sported some of the most prominent individuals associated with the ‘Heroin chic’ movement: Kate Moss, Jamie King, and Jodie Kidd to name a few. Before these women, models such as Cindy Crawford and M

Mark Rothko's 'No. 61' Was Always About You : Empathetic Abstraction

Mark Rothko’s ‘No. 61’ was always about you. An artist who denied selfish creation. Rothko was recorded stating, He was talking about design and fine art, yet the ever-current, life-application is unavoidable. His artworks facilitate opportunities for empathy. Created for an expansive audience yet about the individual, his paintings are founded upon making people feel. I think art is most evocative when it’s outside the lines. Abstracted. Who better to turn to then, than Rothko? A philosophic