by Ayeshah Haque | 22 Dec 2023 | Health and Wellness, History, University of Toronto Journalism Fellows, Women
Across cultures and times, midwives have been at the side of women, helping bring healthy babies into the world. Finally, the world recognizes their value. Midwife Sifa Ndeze attends to mother and baby. (Credit: UNFPA DRC/Junior Mayindu) Call them “baby catchers,”...
by Joshua Glazer | 21 Dec 2023 | History, Religion, School Year Abroad, Student Posts, Youth Voices
Walk the streets of Zaragoza and Moorish architecture catches your eye. But learning about the history of the Moors in Spain takes more effort. The Palacio de Aljafería in Zaragoza, Spain. (Credit: Joshua Glazer) This article by high school student Joshua Glazer was...
by Ammar Nainar | 20 Dec 2023 | Asia, Educators' Catalog, History, King’s College London, Politics
India and Pakistan — both nuclear powers — have fought three wars over Kashmir. But neither will yield in one of the world’s intractable conflicts. Zero Bridge in Srinagar Kashmir. (Credit: P. Kijsanayothin for Getty Images Signature) Editor’s note: On 11...
This Decoder Replay by Ammar Nainar is an excellent complement to history lesson plans about decolonization and the Partition of India in 1947. How does the past continue to inform the present in ways that matter?
Exercise: Read the article with your history class after students learn about the Partition of India in 1947. Discuss how decisions made in the 1940s continue to affect people living in India and Pakistan to this day. What throughlines can students draw between past and present? Then, divide students into groups of 3-4. Each group will come up with a resolution to the dispute in Kashmir. Resolutions should consider: Who gets control of Kashmir? Which countries should be involved in negotiations? How feasible is Kashmiri independence?
by Jonathan Sharp | 13 Dec 2023 | China, Decoder Replay, History, Human Rights, Politics
Hong Kong youth tried to assert their rights three years ago. The repercussions are still being felt. Agnes Chow fled to Canada and feels she cannot return home. Agnes Chow, center, a prominent pro-democracy activist who was sentenced to jail for her role in an...
by Alfonso Silva-Santisteban | 7 Dec 2023 | Americas, History, Human Rights, Politics
Peru has had six presidents in five years. The one constant? A government that reacts with force when people call for change. A man beaten by police during the protests against the government of Dina Boluarte in Lima on 4 February 2023. Credit: Alfonso...
by Stuart Grudgings | 6 Dec 2023 | China, Decoder Replay, History, Politics
Map lines drawn on the ocean can’t be seen from a boat deck. But in the South China Sea, a ship crossing these invisible lines could mean war. The Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Gabrielle Giffords crosses the eastern Pacific Ocean in October 2020....
by Daniel Warner | 1 Dec 2023 | Educators' Catalog, History, Politics, United States
Henry Kissinger died on the 29th of November. Our correspondent remembers the one time he had the opportunity to question him directly about his lauded career. U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger being congratulated 16 October 1973 by U.S. President Richard Nixon...
Henry Kissinger’s death made headlines at the end of November 2023. This famous diplomat sparks controversy. How should he be remembered? Correspondent Daniel Warner reflects on his brief interaction with Kissinger in Geneva back in 1999.
Exercise: Read the article with your class, then review headlines announcing Kissinger’s death from various media sources. How does the wording of these headlines differ? How does that difference change the way a reader may perceive Kissinger’s legacy? Use this activity as a conversation starter to discuss the power of word choice in media bias and framing.
by Daniel Warner | 21 Nov 2023 | Decoders, Educators' Catalog, History, Israel-Palestine, Politics, Russia, Ukraine
There is an evolving global consensus that some acts of violence in warfare are not acceptable. But how in the world can we enforce that? Headquarters of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands. This article was produced exclusively for News...
Headlines about today’s international conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine paint atrocious pictures of war crimes and violent attacks. Are these actions sanctioned in the eyes of international humanitarian law? Correspondent and political science professor Daniel Warner of the Graduate Institute in Geneva gives an overview.
Exercise: Using this summary document from the Red Cross, print out 30-40 articles from the Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols. Cut each article out separately. Then, prepare a large board/poster for sorting and pasting the articles, divided into four sections: civilians, prisoners of war, wounded/sick, critical infrastructure. Have students read through each article and sort them within the four categories. As they learn more about the Conventions, you may consider bringing in current headlines to evaluate whether or not today’s conflicts have abided by these international humanitarian laws. Note: Consider creating 4-5 sets of article texts and sorting posters if you have a large class, or create a digital version via Google Slides.
by Barry Moody | 10 Nov 2023 | Africa, History, Sports
For South Africans, winning the Rugby World Cup united a nation torn by politics, race and inequality. That’s the power of sports. South Africa’s Siya Kolisi lifts the trophy after the Rugby World Cup final match between New Zealand and South Africa at the...
by Jeremy Solomons | 8 Nov 2023 | Africa, Decoder Replay, History, Human Rights, Politics
Modern colonialism was once preached as a force for global good. Now it is seen as a system of exploitation, oppression and enslavement. Britain’s King Charles III, on carpet left, and Kenya’s President William Ruto, on carpet right, attend a military...