Politics and Society

A lawsuit recently filed in the United States reveals to what degree American evangelical Christians are willing to go to promote an anti-homosexual agenda ... in Uganda. American social conservatives are providing tremendous support to their anti-gay church and political counterparts in Uganda, a country in which gays already face great difficulties. Emily Cody dissects the legal case and discusses the implications for free speech in the U.S. and societal impacts in Uganda. 

During the three month occupation of Zuccotti Park by Occupy Wall Street protesters last year, cameras were everywhere. News agencies, police, and demonstrators trained their cameras (high end and low tech) on each other for around the clock surveillance. And all of this streamed live on the Internet. In this collaborative essay, Shaun Randol discusses this all-seeing phenomenon side-by-side Ahmet Sibdial Sau's photographs of the occupation.

Does distance make the heart grow fonder, jealous, skeptical, or cynical? In this collection of short-form essays, Corrie Hulse presents the reactions of three expatriates to the Occupy Wall Street Movement. From Ethiopia, South Korea, and Spain, their responses, and the platforms from which they jump, are as varied as their locales.

Two days shy of Occupy Wall Street's 60th day of protest, New York City authorities cleared Zuccotti Park—Liberty Square—in a surprise midnight raid. When the sun rose on the headquarters of the global Occupy Movement, the park had been swept clean of all evidence of a protest. Hundreds were arrested. Those who were not detained moved to another plaza and immediately continued the democratic spectacle. Chris Haddix writes on the aesthetics of this protest phenomenon.

Sri Lanka's long and bloody civil war may be over, but not all is back to normal in the tiny island country. In this report, Gibson Bateman discusses the lingering humanitarian issues that remain for millions of Sri Lankans, especially in the North where most of the heaviest fighting took place. The popularity of President Rajapaksa, who sees policy through an anti-terrorism lens, further muddies the complex situation.

Though media and public interest in the organization has waned recently, WikiLeaks continues to publish a torrent of diplomatic and other sensitive material. In this essay, Shaun Randol argues that, from top to bottom, the anti-secrecy organization has permanently altered how international affairs are conducted: emboldened citizens worldwide can now act in arenas normally reserved for a powerful, elite few.

Carol-Ann Gleason reports on a conference aimed at political and economic empowerment for women. Women should not be considered a marginalized, special interest group. Rather, Gleason declares, "Women are social agents transforming the landscape, dedicated women in leadership passing the baton, technical geniuses, creative forces, diverse, and intense." Read on.

In this stylized piece, Marie Mainil shares a series of sketches of her recent experiences in Brazil. Drawing on the philosophy of Jean-Paul Lederach, Marie places his moral teachings in the context of a place where imagination meets the real world. We see how in museums, schools, and favelas, Brazilians are finding creative ways to overcome harsh realities.

Upon hearing the news of the death of Osama bin Laden, Americans gathered spontaneously to celebrate the demise of their most-hated foe. Across the country, especially in Times Square, New York and in front of the White House, the gatherings looked part victory celebration and part frat house party. The blatant jubilation raised some eyebrows on the political Left: are the celebrations justified? Or are they in poor taste? Caty Gordon makes a case for the latter.