Despite the failure to achieve even substantial cease fires in Israel’s war with Hamas, there are people who still think lasting peace is possible. Workers place sections of a nine-meter (30-foot) high concrete wall to replace a border fence between the northern...
Vladimir Putin has held power in Russia since before the turn of the millennium. Political opponents haven’t had a chance against him. Is that still true? Yekaterina Duntsova, second right, submits her documents as a presidential candidate for the upcoming...
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?
The United States may be the leader of the free world, but China is the economic powerhouse in the Pacific. Both want Australia as their dance partner. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, right, walks with Chinese Premier Li Qiang during a ceremonial welcome...
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...
Massive industrial complexes for nickel mining have transformed an Indonesian island long home to fishing villages and school children. Workers walk near excavators to gather soil containing nickel ore at PT Virtue Dragon Nickel Industry, a nickel processing complex...
Understanding nuance and context is a critical skill to develop in young people. In this photo essay from guest writer Garry Lotulung, students learn about the impact of the green transition on local communities in Indonesia, where nickel is mined to produce batteries for electric cars. Globally, transitioning to renewable energy is a positive — what’s the impact for Indonesians on the ground?
Exercise: In groups of 2-3, students will engage in a See-Think-Wonder activity with the photos in the article’s gallery. Each group will focus on a different photo, logging first what they see in the image, what they think is happening and what they wonder about after examining the image. The see stage develops students’ observation skills and focuses on gathering information without making interpretations. The think stage helps students develop critical thinking by interpreting and coming to conclusions using visual evidence in the photo. The wonder stage prompts inquiry and intellectual curiosity. After the See-Think-Wonder activity, read the article as a class.
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...
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....
In Uganda and other places, people need to know how climate change actions will benefit their lives now. We have to change how we talk about the environment. Patrick Komakech walks through piles of trees cut for charcoal in Gulu, Uganda, 27 May 2023. The burning of...
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.