What’s a more powerful conservation incentive — a government jail or the wrath of a nature spirit? A shady path in a sacred forest in Myanmar. (Credit: Paul Spencer Sochaczewski) This article was produced exclusively for News Decoder’s global news service. It is...
What’s a more powerful conservation incentive — a government jail or the wrath of a nature spirit? There are many ways to preserve wildlife. Correspondent Paul Spencer Sochaczewski ventures into Myanmar’s sacred forests to unearth the secret of conservation.
Exercise: Start a discussion on ways governments and communities can protect local flora, fauna and areas of natural interest. Read the article and discuss the suggested questions. Students should then undertake research to identify other examples of local folklore and community spiritual and religious beliefs affecting environmental conservation positively. Hint: Look to countries with a strong history of folklore and explore stories with links to the natural environment.
Everyone has an origin story. For one woman, that story begins with the love between a husband and wife. And a petri dish. Lab staff prepare small petri dishes, each holding several 1-7-day-old embryos, at the Aspire Houston Fertility Institute in vitro fertilization...
Like their parents before them, thousands of U.S. teens head to camp this summer. But for many, this R&R combines relaxation with religion. Two generations of kids at Jewish summer camp. Joshua Glazer, shown right, and his mother, when she was about the same age....
In Sikh culture, the turban is a symbol of spirituality, holiness, respect and self-honor. Why then do some people react to it with fear and anger? Members of the Sikh community walk during the Parliament of World Religion Parade of Faiths in Chicago, 13 August 2023....
One parishioner argues that the Church should welcome gay members. The Pope is just now cracking open the door by offering a small blessing. Vatican City with an LGBT flag superimposed to seem waving in welcome. Photo illustration by News Decoder. Editor’s note:...
The fusion lifestyle of a modern tribal African. Sunset over Kampala, Uganda. (Credit: Goodman Kazoora/Getty Images) This article was produced exclusively for News Decoder’s global news service. It is through articles like this that News Decoder strives to provide...
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...
In the wake of the Hamas attack on Israel and Israel’s unrelenting attacks on Gaza, around the world people curious about Islam flock to their local mosque. The Gothenburg Mosque in Sweden has seen an uptick in visitors since 7 October. Credit: Andrzej Otrębski...
Around the world, people are calling for the Taliban’s acts against women to be considered apartheid. Is how the world determines inequality itself unequal? Afghan women walk through the old market as a Taliban fighter stands guard in downtown Kabul,...
We carry complicated identities inside us. But others see only the outside and they carry their own biases. That can result in privilege or prejudice. A man holds a placard. Photo illustration by News Decoder. This article was produced exclusively for News Decoder’s...
The way we perceive others and ourselves shapes our lived experiences and may result in privilege or prejudice. In this article, correspondent Jeremy Solomons reflects on his own identity as a Jewish man who grew up in England with Lebanese and Persian heritage.
Exercise: Read the article with your class. Then, introduce the Big 8 Identities as a framework for understanding the complexities of identity. Independently, students should identify their Big 8, then discuss the implications of these identities in small groups of three or four. Which elements of your students’ “Big 8” may grant them privilege or subject them to prejudice? How might this change given various cultural contexts? Note: A level of trust and comfort is required for this activity to run effectively.
