by Jessica Moody | 6 Sep 2021 | Africa, Asia, Conflict, Educators' Catalog, Islam, Politics, World
Islamist extremists are threatening fragile nations in West Africa. Will Afghanistan’s fall to the Taliban yield lessons for France in the Sahel? A soldier guards a Western military base in Gao, Mali on 6 June 2021, days after France announced the end of its...
When it comes to world politics, major news outlets often focus on one place at a time, obscuring important events unfolding elsewhere that can cause geopolitical ripples. In this article, News Decoder’s Jessica Moody shines a light on extremist violence plaguing West African nations in the Sahel, the semi-arid region below the Sahara. She draws parallels between French military involvement in the region and the United States’ recent withdrawal from Afghanistan, highlighting the global challenge of preventing extremist groups from proliferating in fragile states.
Exercise: Ask students to search news sites or newspapers for a global story that is not on the front page, then have them share their findings and explain why we should pay attention.
by Julian Nundy | 24 Sep 2019 | Europe
Ukraine and Russia have swapped prisoners, to the chagrin of investigators exploring the downing of a passenger jet. But will the swap promote peace? Ukrainians protest against the release of Volodymyr Tsemakh, a possible witness to the downing of the MH17 Malaysia...
by Bernd Debusmann | 28 Aug 2019 | Americas, Climate change, Environment
The Amazon — the “lungs” of our planet — is burning. What to do? Punish Brazil with sanctions? Eat less meat? Or send in forces? Fire in the Amazon rainforest, Novo Progresso, Para state, Brazil, 25 August 2019 (AP Photo/Leo Correa) Here are...
by Elisabeth Wachtel | 5 Apr 2019 | Contest winners, Discovery, Donald Trump, Europe, Personal Reflections, School Year Abroad, Student Posts, Youth Voices
I’m a New Yorker studying in France. I now realize a president doesn’t define a country and there are constructive ways to talk about politics. (Courtesy of GetDrawings) Since arriving in France over six months ago, I’ve had the same conversation many times...
by Colin McIntyre | 29 Jan 2019 | Donald Trump, Europe, Future of Democracy, Immigration, Nationalism
Europe faces a moment of truth in May. Voters will choose a new parliament, and far-right parties and populists could make big gains. The European Parliament debating chamber in Strasbourg, France (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons) Far-right and populist parties...
