by Alistair Lyon | 29 Mar 2021 | Educators' Catalog, Human Rights, Politics, World
A civil war in Yemen marked by foreign meddling has created an unparalleled humanitarian disaster with no end in sight, even if a truce were agreed upon. A malnourished child waits to be fed at a hospital in Sana’a, Yemen, 21 March 2021. (EPA-EFE/YAHYA ARHAB) A...
News Decoder is backed by dozens of veteran correspondents who have covered many of the world’s biggest and most complicated stories of the past half-century. Mentors to students in our partner schools, the correspondents are experts in their own right in many of the world’s most intractable and consequential issues. Cutbacks in spending on foreign news means some big stories don’t receive the attention they deserve in mainstream Western media. But Alistair Lyon, a former Middle Eastern diplomatic correspondent for Reuters, won’t let News Decoder readers forget the humanitarian disaster underway in Yemen. Have your students read this article to learn about the complex conflict gripping Yemen and ask them to identify other ongoing humanitarian crises that are not grabbing headlines.
by Barry Moody | 1 Dec 2020 | Africa, Decoders, Educators' Catalog
A military conflict has broken out in Ethiopia, raising fears of instability and a humanitarian crisis in the strategic Horn of Africa. Tigray refugees in eastern Sudan, 22 November 2020 (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty) A military conflict in northern Ethiopia has raised...
Your students may have noticed news stories about Ethiopia of late. But most accounts skip the background and context that enable young people to understand why conflict there matters to them. Barry Moody, one of News Decoder’s most experienced correspondents, explains how fighting between federal forces and rebels is raising fears of a humanitarian crisis in one of the world’s most strategic regions. Can your students think of other repressive regimes that, when overthrown, yielded chaos and conflict? Led by a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Ethiopia is a cautionary tale for those seeking quick, democratic reforms in ethnically diverse countries.
by Julian Nundy | 24 Sep 2019 | Europe, Politics, Ukraine
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 Mohammed Ehsan Saadat | 5 Mar 2019 | Asia, Human Rights, Politics, Terrorism, Women
After years of conflict, Afghanistan yearns for peace. The best forum would bring the government and Taliban together in a grand assembly. Members of the Afghan national consultative council known as the Loya Jirga in Kabul, Afghanistan, 24 November 2013 (AP...
by Simon Hoellerbauer | 27 May 2016 | Europe, Journalism, Media Literacy, Politics, Ukraine
An information battle between Ukraine and Russia has brought out the worst in their media machines. It’s time for a Ukraine with an independent media. Ukraine’s Jamala with her country’s flag after winning the Eurovision Song Contest, Stockholm, Sweden, 14 May...