Lula Livre! Ex-President Lula da Silva Has Conviction Annulled

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, known as Lula, has had his political rights restored after The Supreme Court’s new ruling allowed a judge to annul his criminal convictions. In this article we will cover the history of Lula and his conviction, and what his freedom means for the political landscape of Brazil.

[Analysis] How to Counter China’s Vaccine Diplomacy in the Balkans

Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, China has developed a ‘mask diplomacy’ aimed at the Western Balkans; later evolved into the so-called vaccine diplomacy.

Can the European Union counter China’s ambitions in its eastern neighbourhood?

The Unknown Face of Yemen: A Conversation with Mariam Al-Dhubani

The war in Yemen is often depicted as a proxy war between Sunnite Saudi Arabia and Shiite Iran.
For too long this reductive interpretation has been hindering a comprehensive peace process by disregarding local actors and social dynamics.
The present TNGO human story is aimed at looking beyond such an obscuring veil through the eyes of Mariam al-Dhubani, a Yemeni-Russian award-winning journalist and filmmaker, whose camera strives to capture the true face of her unknown homeland.

Trans Lives in the Visegrad Four: An Overview

Central European nations belonging to the Visegrad Four (V4) – The Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia – are often some of the most politically and socially conservative members of the European Union. However, each of these nations is different in their treatment of and history with trans individuals.

Lights on Shame: A Commission in Ireland Reveals the Weight of Stigma

The Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation was established in 2015 by the Irish government. Its role was to investigate these institutions in force from 1922 to 1998, where unwed women were hosted to deliver their babies. The final report was submitted on 30th October 2020 and published in January, causing a stir among public opinion.
(Here, the article aims to present the reality and the report’s results. A huge role in reporting this grim reality was played by historian Catherine Corless).

Remembering the Persecution of Homosexuals During the Nazi and Fascist Regimes

Sexual minorities were one of the social groups persecuted during the nazi and fascist regimes. Despite the end of the dictatorships, sexual and gender minorities were still persecuted in some European countries. Only decades after WWII, the LGBT+ community started claiming their space and their memory. As a result, the erection of monuments in memory of the persecution of homosexuals during the holocaust was one of the first steps to pay tribute to those who died and suffered.

Reddit vs. Wall Street: Regulating is the Best Way Forward

In January 2021, failing company GameStop saw the value of its shares soar by 1.700%. It was the beginning of the Reddit vs Wall Street confrontation. Behind the unexpected rise were Reddit users. Their purpose was to show discontent with the unfair dynamics of the financial market. Despite the popular support for the initiative, small investors encountered heavy financial constraints. All in all, the impression was that “all animals are equal, but some are more equal than others”.

The financial market, though, is a human creation. As such, none of its features are either “natural”, nor necessary. This means that the system can be corrected and improved. And this “David vs Goliath”-like clash helped pointing out some elements that need to be reformed or regulated. Therefore, the first part of this article will sum up the events. The second part will point out the most problematic issues arisen. Finally, the third part will suggest some corrections that could improve the health of the financial market.