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November 13, 2025 The Mediterranean Charm: Why Writers and Painters Keep Coming Back to This Sea On a tranquil Mentonnais weekend, two weeks before the midterms rush, I boarded a train bound for Antibes. As I wandered through its cobbled streets, the Mediterranean shimmered next to me, breathing light into every corner of the city; a scene not so different from that of my hometown in Alexandria, Egypt. Apparently, this feeling of familiarity with this vast blue sea is nothing new—a feeling shared by many people no matter on which shore one is standing. Read More November 10, 2025 “When They Tell You to Sing, You Just Sing.”: The Khmer Rouge’s Musical Manipulation of Cambodian Society “If you want to eliminate values from past societies, you have to eliminate the artists.”, reflects Prince Norodom Sirivudh of Cambodia, in the 2014 documentary “Don’t Think I’ve Forgotten: Cambodia’s Lost Rock and Roll”, recounting the systematic erasure of music from Cambodian society under the brutal regime of the Khmer Rouge in the 1970s. Read More October 23, 2025 Is being a Virgin as Cool as Being a BRAT? : A Review of Lorde’s Latest Studio Album BRAT was summer. BRAT was coming to terms with your suppressed desires, the hate you bore and the complicated friendships you were a part of. The fun, the ugly and the embarrassing. It was about the euphoria of partying into the light of early summer mornings and the walks of shame back home. Drug abuse, sex, and all other kinds of highs of life was what BRAT encompassed. It encouraged difficult conversations about fertility and friendship, revealing that fame doesn’t equate feelings getting spared or receiving grace. Read More October 5, 2025 Is Romance Dead?: How Reality TV Shows Reflect Modern Dating How does watching strangers fall in love on national television reflect the most complicated parts of our emotional lives – dating? The transition from heartful romcoms to dating shows such as Love Island, Love is Blind or Too Hot to Handle perhaps indicate romance has died. Read More September 30, 2025 Politicizing the Heartland: The Conservative Instrumentalization of Country Music Given country music’s association with the American South and its conservative majority, it is difficult to ignore the correlation of country music's revival with the rise of the far-right in the US. However, can one link these phenomena? Is country music inseparable from conservatism? Read More September 28, 2025 Americans on the Riviera At the start of the 1920s, although hard to imagine today, the Riviera was practically deserted during the summer months. Hotels and restaurants catering to the European elite would close shop after spring, as their wealthy patrons would leave for colder climates. The Murphys were the first to convince hotels in Antibes to stay open during the summer months, as a way to host their American friends. Thus beginning the transformation of the Riviera into the summer destination it is today. Read More September 28, 2025 Threads of Memory: The Story of Palestinian Tatreez In Palestine, threads carry stories. Each stitch of tatreez — the traditional Palestinian embroidery — embodies memory, identity, and resilience. On a quiet afternoon, an elderly woman sits with fabric in her lap, weaving patterns passed down through generations. Read More September 27, 2025 The Pen, the Camera, and the Microphone: The Egyptian Kit of Soft Power The truth is this: Egypt has never ruled merely by sword or throne. Its empire was always one of imagination, where a pen could be sharper than steel, a song louder than artillery, and a camera brighter than any spotlight. The world may forget armies, but it remembers stories. And Egypt has always known how to tell them. Read More April 30, 2025 “Clean Girl” or “White Girl”? Exploring Racial Double Standards in the Fashion Industry It’s time to embrace these styles as more than just ‘trends’, but as a long-lived facet of Black culture. Recognizing the enormous influence that Black communities have had on fashion and aesthetics will allow for the long-overdue dismantling of structural hegemonies, which not only ignore Black culture but also build an alarming double standard between races in the fashion industry. Read More April 30, 2025 Thrifting and the Price of Exclusion: Gentrifying Secondhand Stores in Toronto The question of immorality does not pertain to the act of thrifting itself, but how the thrift environment has been redesigned to serve corporate interests at the expense of those it was initially designed to support. Read More March 31, 2025 Who is “Saving” Europe? In the digital age, the responsibility of verifying and trusting information falls on us, the users. While content under the branding of Save Europe might not be falsified, it is deliberately presented with emotional imagery, evocative music and slogans—blurring the line between political activism and propaganda. Read More March 31, 2025 Fasting, not a dividing element after all Fasting in different religions does not divide us. It just makes us realize how similar we are, how we have the same needs, temptations and desires. And that’s precisely what I realized when I came to Menton, a campus full of diversity—ethnically, culturally and religiously. At the core, we are all the same… Read More March 31, 2025 Love is in the Air? Une Lutte Contre le Vent If the campus is about 70% female and 30% male, and of the women, 75% are available and heterosexual, and of the men, about half are gay and maybe 25% are in a relationship, how many available, straight men does that leave for the single women, keen and looking? No need to do the math. We are not all EcoSoc majors. To put it simply, the answer is not a lot. Read More March 31, 2025 Le racisme aussi peut être pluraliste Sans qu’on puisse mettre un trait d’égalité entre le RN et la Nouvelle droite, il faut saisir l’apport essentiel de cette mouvance à l’extrême-droite tant sur le plan idéologique que sur la formation intellectuelle de ses cadres. La Nouvelle droite est une entreprise de blanchiment car derrière le ‘pluralisme’ dont elle se targue, se cache directement le nazisme et le néo-fascisme terroriste. La grande blanchisserie aujourd’hui est le Rassemblement national. Read More March 31, 2025 With Prada and Ten Protagonists on to a new self-destruction feminism Feminism does not always require being vocal, an activist, or engaging in mass mobilization. Sometimes resisting is retreating—in the choice to withdraw from cultural pressures knowingly. Dissociative feminism expands the scope of what feminist action can entail. Read More March 31, 2025 A Review of the Oscars The Oscars, once regarded as the highest award form of artistic recognition, have increasingly been subject to scrutiny over their selection process, inclusivity and cultural relevance. While the ceremony continues to attract global attention for viewers tuning in from all over the globe, one cannot help but ask: is the Academy truly honoring the best in cinema, or is it simply reinforcing the industry’s biases and political inclinations? Read More March 31, 2025 The Southern Preacher’s Goth Daughter If the South is so deeply religious—it quite literally has been termed the ‘Bible Belt’ during cultural and political descriptions—why is it so drawn to horror? The answer lies in the paradox that envelops faith itself. To believe in heaven is to acknowledge that hell also exists. The belief in salvation is not complete without the recognition of sin. The South, with its religion and belief in divine punishment, has always and will always be a place where horror feels natural. Read More March 31, 2025 Trends In Tourism: Solo Travelling and Slow Tourism For us, Sciences Pistes, there are endless options, often just a click away on a lazy Monday morning, when the teacher is particularly uninteresting. The flight tickets are cheap, flying is fast and time is limited. We, Sciences Pistes, are respectful, interested in different cultures and exploring the hidden gems—not just the touristy areas. Read More February 28, 2025 All Roads Lead To Hollywood: What Do Golden Globes Teach Us About The Film Industry? So what do the Golden Globes teach us about the film industry? Apart from the obvious elitism and unreasonable standards it sets in most aspects of our lives, it highlights the necessity of appreciating one's work. In some cases, it emphasizes the importance of sharing happy moments with those who understand and support you. Perhaps from a more career-focused point of view, the awards also present a wonderful opportunity for filmmakers, actresses, and actors to get widespread recognition. Read More February 28, 2025 Pouring One Out for the Pub “Sweet Caroline, Good times never felt so good” are the words that personify the pub, but as reality hits, how much longer will the croons of Neil Diamond sound true? Read More

The Menton Times is the independent student newspaper of the Paris Institute of Political Studies, Menton campus. Vlogging Live From Kabul: The Insights and Absurdities of YouTube Conflict Tourism In the past few years, an increasing number of intrepid content creators are documenting their journeys to places of conflict. They acquire rare visas, hire local tour guides, and point iPhone cameras through the streets as they seek to capture the ‘real’ version of these countries—places whose very essence is often reduced to fearful headlines and apocalyptic imagery. This phenomenon, known as conflict tourism, ranges from visiting historically troubled areas to entering zones of active conflict, and has taken on an entirely new significance in the age of vlogging. This Week @ The Menton Times “When They Tell You to Sing, You Just Sing.”: The Khmer Rouge’s Musical Manipulation of Cambodian Society #Gen Z 212 Digital Resistance: How Young Palestinians Use Social Media to Preserve Memory التعليم في تونس: بين المساواة المنشودة والواقع الجندري في الصفوف الدراسية Beyond Ceasefires: Building Lasting Peace with Art Nostalgie historique et la génération Z: liaisons dangereuses ? The Mediterranean Charm: Why Why Writers and Painters Keep Coming Back to This Sea The Mediterranean Charm: Why Writers and Painters Keep Coming Back to This Sea On a tranquil Mentonnais weekend, two weeks before the midterms rush, I boarded a train bound for Antibes. As I wandered through its cobbled streets, the Mediterranean shimmered next to me, breathing light into every corner of the city; a scene not so different from that of my hometown in Alexandria, Egypt. Apparently, this feeling of familiarity with this vast blue sea is nothing new—a feeling shared by many people no matter on which shore one is standing. التعليم في تونس: بين المساواة المنشودة والواقع الجندري في الصفوف الدراسية #GenZ 212 When Luffy’s Jolly Roger was hoisted from Nepal’s Singha Durbar palace, it instantly became a symbol of something larger. Over the past few months, a wind of protests has swept across the globe. From Nepal to Madagascar, Kenya to Peru, Indonesia, the Philippines and Morocco: the youth, unwilling to inherit a broken system, have taken to the streets to prove that their future is daring and won’t be silenced. Quand le Caire faisait rêver le monde arabe, l’âge d’or du cinéma egyptien. Feature: Cinementon Dans son ouvrage Arab Cinema : History and Cultural Identity (1998), Viola Shafik affirme que l’Egypte était le premier pays arabe à produire une industrie cinématographique dont la production était supérieure, en quantité, à celui des autres nations arabes. Nostalgie historique et la génération Z: liaisons dangereuses ? Des salles de bals étincelantes de Bridgerton à l'aesthetic Regency Core sur les réseaux sociaux, la génération Z semble obnubilée par une période qu’elle n’a jamais vécu. Comment peut-on expliquer cette fascination pour un monde vieux de deux siècles ? What Happened to Freedom of Speech? Beyond Ceasefires: Building Lasting Peace with Art Feature: MedMUN From Shatila to Menton, artist Maryam Samaan turns puppets and knitting into spaces for healing and dialogue. Is Being a Virgin as Cool as Being a BRAT? : A Review of Lorde's Latest Studio Album Theres No Place Like Home BRAT was summer. BRAT was coming to terms with your suppressed desires, the hate you bore and the complicated friendships you were a part of. The fun, the ugly and the embarrassing. It was about the euphoria of partying into the light of early summer mornings and the walks of shame back home. Drug abuse, sex, and all other kinds of highs of life was what BRAT encompassed. It encouraged difficult conversations about fertility and friendship, revealing that fame doesn’t equate feelings getting spared or receiving grace. I have always felt that way because “home”, to me, has always been a patchwork. There’s the place you were born, the one you grew up in, the countries tied to your heritage, and now a campus far away from everything you ever knew. Each one of them feels like “home,” but then again none of them quite do. They overlap and argue with each other—they coexist like siblings fighting over the bigger room. Digital Resistance: How Young Palestinians Use Social Media to Preserve Memory In Palestine, memory has always been a form of resistance. Today, it lives not only in embroidery and heritage, but on digital screens across the world. Across Gaza, the West Bank, and the Palestinian towns inside Israel, a new generation is documenting life, loss, and love in "real- time" — transforming social media into a living archive of survival. “When They Tell You to Sing, You Just Sing.”: The Khmer Rouge’s Musical Manipulation of Cambodian Society “If you want to eliminate values from past societies, you have to eliminate the artists.”, reflects Prince Norodom Sirivudh of Cambodia, in the 2014 documentary “Don’t Think I’ve Forgotten: Cambodia’s Lost Rock and Roll”, recounting the systematic erasure of music from Cambodian society under the brutal regime of the Khmer Rouge in the 1970s. Points sur l’Actualité du Moyen-Orient « Le Moyen-Orient. Moyen par rapport à quoi ? Orient de quoi ? Le nom de la région est fondé sur une vision eurocentrée du monde, et cette région a été façonnée par un regard européen ». Tels sont les premiers mots figurant dans le manifeste de la géostratégie publié par Tim Marshall, spécialiste britannique des relations internationales. Prisonnier de la géographie, comme le suggère le titre de son œuvre, le Moyen-Orient l’est aussi de ses frontières tracées au gré des intérêts européens, qui l’ont enfermé dans une spirale de haines et de tensions sans fin. The Pen, the Camera, and the Microphone: The Egyptian Kit of Soft Power Syria Today: Post-Assad Turmoil and Efforts to Rebuild Sciences Defense Syria’s road to recovery will likely be a tumultuous one—economic frailty, sectarian violence and external pressures weigh upon the government’s next steps. But for the first time in over a decade, the possibility of Syrian-led reconstruction can be seen as within reach. Is Romance Dead?: How Reality TV Shows Reflect Modern Dating How does watching strangers fall in love on national television reflect the most complicated parts of our emotional lives – dating? The transition from heartful romcoms to dating shows such as Love Island , Love is Blind or Too Hot to Handle perhaps indicate romance has died. Cocteau’s Azur: Exploring Queerness in Menton At first glance, Menton appears to be a quaint and peaceful town on the French Riviera—a place of leisure, history, and, of course, lemons. But is Menton truly as fruity as it seems? Singing through Grief – Collective Memory through Music Music has a strange sort of power; it can outlive the moments it was originally made for. You’ll Never Walk Alone has transcended Liverpool. Celtic fans sing it in Scotland, as well as Dortmund fans in Germany. It’s been sung in times of crisis—after terrorist attacks, during the pandemic and other acts of remembrance. But it will forever belong to Hillsborough first. It is sacred in the way a national anthem can become sacred, or a funeral hymn. You’ll Never Walk Alone began as a ballad of hope and then a cry for justice.

On a tranquil Mentonnais weekend, two weeks before the midterms rush, I boarded a train bound for Antibes. As I wandered through its cobbled streets, the Mediterranean shimmered next to me, breathing light into every corner of the city; a scene not so different from that of my hometown in Alexandria, Egypt. Apparently, this feeling of familiarity with this vast blue sea is nothing new—a feeling shared by many people no matter on which shore one is standing. < Back The Mediterranean Charm: Why Writers and Painters Keep Coming Back to This Sea Amena Elkayal November 13, 2025 On a tranquil Mentonnais weekend, two weeks before the midterms rush, I boarded a train bound for Antibes. As I wandered through its cobbled streets, the Mediterranean shimmered next to me, breathing light into every corner of the city; a scene not so different from that of my hometown in Alexandria, Egypt. Apparently, this feeling of familiarity with this vast blue sea is nothing new—a feeling shared by many people no matter on which shore one is standing . Back in Alexandria, when we used to drive along the Corniche, my father always spoke of how deeply he loved this sea, and I thought I already understood. But I only realized the depth of his feeling later, when I saw the words of Hugo, Fitzgerald, Matisse, Picasso and Monet scattered across Antibes' corners, showing the attachment they all had with the Mediterranean. Their words and brushstrokes still linger on the city’s walls, testament to an endless fascination of the Mediterranean and the solace it brings to their hearts and their arts. I found myself wondering: what is it about this exact sea; what is really that mesmerizing about this luminous expanse binding continents and cultures, continuously calling artists back? From Mahmoud Darwish, Albert Camus and Mahmoud Saïd to Monet and Picasso, the Mediterranean has been both a muse and a mirror, reflecting the spirit of those who gaze upon it. So let us drift along its shores to see why its beauty has never ceased to inspire. I’ll be biased and start with two of my personal favorite writers: Khalil Gibran and Mahmoud Darwish, two Levantines whose work was carried by the same Mediterranean wind. The Lebanese-American poet Khalil Gibran found a wellspring of poetic and spiritual inspiration in the Mediterranean landscape of his native Lebanon. Themes of sea and nature prevailed in the seemingly Mediterranean setting of “The Prophet,” his best known work. For Gibran, the sea was not just a body of water, but a restless companion, mirroring the human soul’s search for meaning. In his poem “ Revelation ” from (Prose Poems, 1934), he writes , “The sea never sleeps and the wakefulness of the sea brings comfort to a sleepless soul.” For Gibran, the sea became a sacred metaphor and an ever-living symbol through which he expressed humanity’s ceaseless yearning for spirituality, looking to a landscape that seems infinite. For Mahmoud Darwish, on the other hand, the water and the sea took on a more haunting symbolism. They were both a promise and a wound: a mirror of exile itself. To look at the sea was to remember a wounded present of migration, departure and displacement, but also to imagine a promised future: one of freedom and return. The strong link between the sea and exile was crystal clear in his poem “Without Exile, Who Am I?” What will we do … what will we do without exile, and a long night that stares at the water? Water binds me to your name ... The Mediterranean sea forms a central metaphor in Darwish’s poetry, symbolizing both exile and the aspirations for Palestine’s rebirth. In his eyes, the endlessly rolling waves mirror the uncertain lives of Palestinians displaced from their home, while the horizon reflects the trauma of those unable to envision a future. In his prose poems “Memory for Forgetfulness” (1986), written after the poet’s forced departure from Beirut during the Israeli invasion of 1982, Darwish describes the sea simultaneously as a space of annihilation and potential creation. He states : “The sea walks in the streets. The sea hangs from the windows and the branches of dried out trees. The sea descends from the sky and enters the room. Blue.. White.. Foam.. Waves. I do not love the sea.. I do not want the sea, because I do not see a shore, or a dove. I do not see anything in the sea except the sea. I do not see a shore. I do not see a dove.” As the Mediterranean floods the streets of Beirut, it represents not only the collapse of Arab unity and postcolonial dreams but also the primordial chaos from which new meaning can emerge. Between Algiers and metropolitan France, Albert Camus’s thought was molded by the Mediterranean world that defined his life. Born in colonial Algeria to French parents, he inhabited the uneasy space between colony and metropole. From this tension and in-betweenness he forged what he called the “Mediterranean spirit.” For Camus, this spirit was not about geography but about the harmony of living in rhythm with the world’s beauty and absurdity. The Mediterranean and its simplicity offered him a moral compass, a refuge and a rhythm, a place where time slows and life is measured not by productivity, but by presence. The sea and the sun are fundamental motifs in his literary works, like “The Stranger.” Camus’ “Mediterranean spirit" was a conscious cultural and political stance. In an article about this notion of a mediterranean spirit, the author states : … Camus overcame his strangerhood by calling the entire Mediterranean his home – not France, not Algeria. “I understand what it means to belong to a climate, rather than a country: a home shaped by the sun, the sea and the play of light. That home is also mine.” F. Scott Fitzgerald, was an outsider to the Mediterranean, but nonetheless found himself enchanted by it. In 1926, he and his wife Zelda settled in Antibes, renting what is now the Hôtel Belles Rives, where he began writing “Tender Is the Night.” In a 1926 letter to Hemingway, he wrote : “With our being back in a nice villa on my beloved Riviera… I’m happier than I’ve been for years. It’s one of those strange, precious and all too transitory moments when everything in one’s life seems to be going well.” That joy, fragile and fleeting, lives on in his fiction, where the Mediterranean became a stage for both beauty and tragedy. In “How to Live on Practically Nothing a Year”, published in The Saturday Evening Post in 1942, Fitzgerald states : “When your eyes first fall upon the Mediterranean you know at once why it was here that man first stood erect and stretched out his arms toward the sun. It is a blue sea; or rather it is too blue for that hackneyed phrase which has described every muddy pool from pole to pole. It is the fairy blue of Maxfield Parrish’s pictures, blue like blue books, blue oil, blue eyes, and in the shadow of the mountains a green belt of land runs along the coast for a hundred miles and makes a playground for the world.” From the page to the canvas, the Mediterranean also inspired painters. If Fitzgerald came to the Mediterranean seeking joy, Pablo Picasso’s art was shaped by it. Born on the Spanish coast, Picasso spent decades in the South of France, drawn to the Côte d’Azur’s light and familiarity. He often drew on his Mediterranean surroundings for inspiration, and once commented : "It’s strange; in Paris I never drew fauns, centaurs or mythological heroes. They always seem to live in these parts." In Antibes, Picasso painted “La Joie de Vivre” (1946) – a vibrant hymn to life, dance and the sea’s timeless energy. His Mediterranean was exotic and playful, filled with ancient echoes of Greek and Roman myths. It wasn’t just a landscape to him; it was a civilisation painted in color. His vision transformed the Mediterranean from a mere geography into an enduring symbol of artistic renewal. Artist Henri Matisse has also always been tremendously inspired by the Mediterranean. In 1917, Henri Matisse arrived in Nice and immediately fell under the spell of the Mediterranean light, which was brighter, softer and more consoling than Paris’s grey. This light revived his artistic spirit, giving his canvases new warmth and radiance. “When I realized that every morning I would see this light again, I couldn’t believe how lucky I was,” he confessed. The Mediterranean light reinvigorated his artistic style with his bold use of colors and sculptural lines. He didn’t just seek to paint the Mediterranean as it appeared, but as it felt: a place both lived and dreamed. His vivid palette captured the region’s warmth, sunlight and sensuous vitality— the rhythm of daily life by the sea. Yet through his simplified forms and unreal, luminous colors, Matisse transformed that lived reality into a dreamlike vision of harmony and timeless beauty. This fascination is evident in many of his works, such as “The Open Window” and “ Intérieur à la boîte à violon. ” Matisse’s fascination with the Mediterranean Sea endured throughout his life. From his first stay in Corsica in 1898 to his long, luminous years in Nice between 1917 and 1954, as well as his journeys across Algeria, Spain, Italy and Morocco. Matisse, in a conversation with Pierre Courthion, once said : “ I’m a northerner… so it’s the Mediterranean that made the biggest impression on me.” For Matisse, the Mediterranean was more than a landscape: it was a revelation. Its radiant light and rich artistic traditions shaped his visual language, linking him deeply to the ancient cultures of the Near East. Through this connection, he explored not mere representation but his own perception of place — a sea both real and imagined, lived and dreamed. As the poet Paul Valéry once described , the Mediterranean is a “machine for making civilization.” For Matisse, it was precisely that: an endless muse—a source of color, beauty and renewal. There was also Claude Monet, who came to the Riviera unsure whether he could ever paint it. In letters to his beloved Alice Hoschedé, he confessed both awe and doubt on whether he could really capture its exotic essence: Between 1884 and 1888, Monet painted the coasts of Bordighera and Antibes, producing dozens of works that shimmered with new colors and light. The fort, sea, mountains and rocks of Antibes inspired Claude Monet. In 1888, he came to the Riviera from Paris and, although he only stayed four months, completed 39 paintings. Each of Monet's three long stays in the Mediterranean were an opportunity for him to radically transform his work. Each wave, each reflection was a proof that even for an artist of his stature, the Mediterranean could still teach wonder. On the southern shore, in Alexandria, Egypt, Mahmoud Saïd, the pioneering Egyptian modernist, found great artistic inspiration in Alexandria, with its beautiful Mediterranean shore and people. His paintings, from “Le Port d’Alexandrie” (1919) to “Les Falaises à Marsa Matrouh” (1948), captured the Mediterranean’s unique light and the quiet lives of its people. Through Saïd’s eyes, the sea became Egyptian, familiar and deeply human—portrayed with the same artistic mastery as in the works of Matisse or Monet, only from the other shore. His work also extended to portraying the Mediterranean in other countries like Crete Island and Lebanon, showing his interest in the sea as a cultural and artistic continuum rather than a national boundary. As the train carried me back to Menton that evening, the sun dipped low over the horizon, ornamenting the sea with light. I thought of all the writers and painters whose wisdom I experienced wandering around Antibes, the exiles and dreamers who had stood before this same sea, searching for meaning, beauty or simply a sense of belonging. Big words scattered around the city but not at all far or unfamiliar from what my dad, me or even Mahmoud Said experienced in Alexandria. Perhaps that is the secret of the Mediterranean charm: it does not belong to anyone, yet it makes everyone who looks at it feel at home. Its rhythm speaks a universal language, one of lightful souls loving to live, one of longing and one of shared experiences. The Mediterranean, after all, is not just a sea. It is a mirror of civilization, of exile and of the human spirit, one I will always carry whether in Alexandria or Menton. Photo Source: Author's Own

Had I not gone, I would never have realized up to what point my country’s hands are covered in blood and shame. < Back 7shuma Fronteras: A Reflection on a Ceuta Parcours Civique By Bianca Carrera Espriu September 29, 2022 What did your Parcours Civique entail? I did my Parcours Civique in Ceuta, a Spanish enclave in Northern Morocco. There, I served as a border violence reporter for the NGO “No Name Kitchen” (NNK), which operates in different hotspots of the European border system, but mainly in the Balkans. As a border violence reporter, I worked hand in hand with my colleagues at the legal pole, getting to know and leaving a written record of the violations of human rights that people on the move — essentially unaccompanied minors of Moroccan nationality — reported to us. This entailed not only physical abuse but, what is more present in Ceuta, institutional and psychological abuse. Reporting and leaving a written record of these events allowed other poles of the NGO to build their legal cases against the incompetent authorities and raise awareness through social media and the press. Outside of my reporter work, I was just another NNK volunteer. As such, I had to help with general tasks like assisting unaccompanied minors living on the streets. Currently, there might be around 50 unaccompanied minors — all of whom are of Moroccan nationality — living without shelter. Although the local authorities deny it, these children are ignored, stigmatized and neglected. The NNK tries to provide necessary relief to these minors with emotional support and with material supplies like blankets, food, clothes and hygiene products. As part of my work as a border violence reporter, I also had the chance to write about this concrete situation for the international news platform ‘Al Jazeera,’ which can be found here . Why did you choose this Parcours Civique? I chose this Parcours Civique for two main reasons: the location and the role. I chose the location because of a series of words that stuck with me during my first Parcours Civique orientation. The 2A facilitator’s words, “sometimes, you do not have to go too far to have an impact and to help people in need. Often, in your country, city or neighborhood, there might be places where you can help, and you might be more useful there than in Greece, for example,” made me think. I wondered if there were places in Spain where people find themselves in a situation of desperate need where I can be useful?” It turned out that there were, and the situation was worse than I could have ever imagined. There are different border points in Spain, but the ones where human rights abuses occur without impunity and with the complicity of the governmental authorities are Ceuta, Melilla and Canarias. I headed to Ceuta because No Name Kitchen was operating there. I also went there because, in May 2021, n early 12,000 people crossed into Ceuta. This was a direct response to Moroccan authorities turning a blind eye to illegal crossings as relations between Morocco and Spain deteriorated. About 1,500 of them were minors. While some were pushed back illegally, others remained stuck in the Spanish enclave without any assistance from local authorities. This leads to explaining why I also chose the role. No Name Kitchen is one of the few NGOs with an extensive and well-established reporting pole, which helps make this information available to the general public. For me, this task is fundamental because what is not told is not known and hence, not remembered. As a freelance writer, I thought this was the best way I could contribute, which is what I did. Bonus track reason: Something important that No Name Kitchen does that not many NGOs provide is accommodation. Unfortunately, many of these organizations have turned solidarity into a business and volunteering into voluntourism. No Name Kitchen is an NGO, not a business, and thus provides volunteers with accommodation — a flat for all volunteers — and a little stipend for standard food supplies. Without NNK’s support, I would not have had the resources to afford it — given the little to no aid from Sciences Po. Did you have trouble finding your Parcours Civique? I heard about the NGO from a friend who had previously volunteered with them. She recommended it to me, and from there I directly contacted No Name Kitchen via their website. Once you do, they start the application process, which is easy and straight-forward. I remember starting it during December, and it took a maximum of a couple of weeks until I had my place confirmed. Sciences Po’s admin did not help in the process, but I also did not ask for it. Was your Parcours Civique paid or unpaid? Unpaid — it was a volunteering job. Even so, I was lucky to be assisted by the NGO regarding accommodation and a small food stipend. Did you get a lot out of your Parcours Civique? It has been one of the most enriching experiences I have had in my life and a turning point in my professional career. Had I not gone, I would never have realized up to what point my country’s hands are covered in blood and shame. Sadly enough, as a Spaniard, you never hear anything in the news about these border cities, and even less if it comes to the local administration’s abuses. This has made me realize how important it is to expose what is happening in my country. As someone already starting a professional path in journalism and as a Middle East politics student, I thought my professional future would turn to the Eastern part of the region. I still would like to experience that. However, being in Ceuta and looking at the direct results of Spanish diplomatic performance with Morocco and Algeria, I have realized that it might be more beneficial to cover this reality first, as it hits close to home and where coverage is sorely needed. Professional topics aside, this experience has filled me both emotionally and personally. It has made me more aware of realities that we often ignore. It has taught me to be even more critical of authority. It has made me go through uncomfortable situations that have strengthened me and, most importantly, given me the chance to meet some of the strongest, bravest, most determined, honorable, fun and beautiful people. I left Ceuta with many more friends. I can only wish the best in their endeavors and remain at their full disposal for anything I can help with virtually. Daiman maakum drari! If you could offer one piece of Parcours Civique advice to a 1A, what would it be? I would advise them to look at their local surroundings and contexts and find out how they can be more helpful. Of course, it is not harmful to choose to volunteer abroad --- however, sometimes doing it in your country makes you far more connected with the cause, closer to the situation that you are dealing with, and feeling better because you know the impact that you have had. At least, this has been my case.

Dans un monde multiculturel, caractérisé par une diversité de croyances, comment peut-on vivre quand les différentes opinions se déchirent constamment ?  < Back Un cri pour la tolérance religieuse: la Abrahamic Family House By Calista Cellerier November 30, 2023 Lorsque l’on regarde les actualités aujourd’hui, il est clair que nous vivons dans une époque de profond changement, marquée par les guerres et les conflits entre sociétés et populations. Dans un monde multiculturel, caractérisé par une diversité de croyances, comment peut-on vivre quand les différentes opinions se déchirent constamment ? Bien que nombreux se posent cette question, certains essaient d’y répondre. C’est le cas des Emirats Arabes Unis (EAU) en ouvrant le 16 février 2023 la “Abrahamic Family House”, offrant au monde une nouvelle définition de la tolérance religieuse. Alors, qu’est-ce que la Abrahamic Family House ? Construite à Abu Dhabi, capitale des EAU, la Abrahamic Family House est un complexe de trois bâtiments au cœur de Saadiyat Island, le centre culturel de la ville. Il se compose d’une église, d’une mosquée et d’une synagogue. C’est un centre culturel et religieux promouvant la tolérance, la connaissance et surtout l'amitié entre êtres humains. L'accès y est gratuit, ouvert à tous et le centre propose aussi des activités et programmes à but éducatif. Par exemple, le programme religieux “ Tahfeeth Circles”, pour apprendre le Coran est dispensé par l’Imam Ahmed Al-Tayeb ainsi que différents professeurs, ouverts aux hommes et aux femmes. Le centre offre aussi des activités en communauté, comme les ateliers d'aromathérapie et de peinture acrylique. Quant aux bâtiments, ils sont d’une singularité et originalité qui a surpris le monde. Chacun est construit de manière similaire, en forme de carrés de 30 mètres à l’architecture sobre et épurée et dotés de caractéristiques communément trouvées dans des églises, mosquées et synagogues du monde, soulignant la similarité et l’origine commune entre les trois religions d’Abraham. Pourtant, en regardant de plus près, chaque lieu de culte présente des différences, comme pour indiquer que chaque religion est unique et indépendante. Le premier bâtiment est l'église de Saint François d’Assise, moine catholique Italien du 13ème siècle, qui insistait sur l'humilité et la simplicité et consacrait sa vie à une pauvreté extrême. Ses colonnes sont orientées vers le soleil levant, visant à souligner l’importance de la lumière comme le symbole de la divinité. Les colonnes sont droites et symbolisent la verticalité des concepts d’incarnation et de résurrection. Le plafond est construit en forme d’arche, comme l’Arche de Noé. Ensuite, la mosquée est nommée après Ahmed Mohamed Al-Tayeb, grand Imam d’Al-Azhar et est orientée vers la Mecque. Elle regroupe nombreuses similitudes avec des mosquées du monde entier, comme les sept arches reflétant l’importance du nombre sept dans l’Islam. Le mashrabiya, un ornement folie permettant à la lumière d’entrer et présent dans beaucoup d’architecture musulmane, est grandement apprécié dans la mosquée car il permet aux croyants de voir l'extérieur tout en conservant un sentiment d’intimité. Enfin, la synagogue, nommée après le philosophe juif du 12ème siècle Moses Ben Maimon, est construite par des colonnes croisées représentant les palmiers utilisés dans les Sukkah, refuges pour les croyants durant Sukkot – le festival des Cabanes, l’une des trois fêtes de pèlerinages inscrites dans la Torah. Cette architecture permet de se protéger du soleil et d'observer les étoiles. Il s’agit d’une synagogue orientée vers Jérusalem. Les croyants du monde entier de chacune des religions d’Abraham peuvent ainsi se réunir à la Abrahamic Family House pour se recueillir et communiquer, en tant qu’amis et communauté. Cependant, quelle est la raison derrière cette initiative des Emirats? En effet, le 4 février 2019, le Pape François et le Grand Imam Ahmed Al-Tayeb se réunissent à Abu Dhabi pour signer le Document sur la fraternité humaine pour la paix dans le monde et la coexistence commune. Le document met l’accent sur la collaboration, le dialogue et la connaissance, dans la perspective de guider les futures générations vers le respect mutuel au sein de l'humanité. De ce fait, La Abrahamic Family House est construite suite à la signature de ce document et constitue un exemple de la volonté des EAU de promouvoir la coexistence entre toutes les religions et de lutter contre les conflits qui souvent divisent la société. Ce n’est pas la première fois que les EAU font preuve d’une ouverture d’esprit peu commune. De nombreuses mosquées et églises peuvent être trouvées dans les différents émirats, mais surtout à Dubaï et Abu Dhabi. Des temples Hindou sont aussi ouverts aux croyants, comme le Hindu Temple, célébrant principalement les dieux Shiva et Krishna. Il est important de noter que la synagogue Moses Ben Maimon n’est que le deuxième édifice construit pour la pratique de la religion Juive par un gouvernement du Moyen Orient, le premier se trouvant au Bahreïn. Un geste qui ne passe pas inaperçu. En effet, de nombreux religieux du monde entier s’expriment sur la Abrahamic Family House , comme le cardinal Miguel Angel Ayuso Guixot ou le rabbin anglais Ephraim Mirvis. L’inauguration du complexe est décrite comme un moment mémorable dans l’histoire de la tolérance religieuse et de l’unification des Hommes. Aujourd’hui, de nombreux conflits et désaccords font rage et l’acceptation de la diversité religieuse devient une discussion cruciale pour la paix dans le monde. De nombreux pays ont tenté d’atteindre ce but, la plupart à travers la séparation de la religion et de l’Etat ou la neutralité religieuse comme la laïcité en France. Néanmoins les EAU semblent être plus proches que jamais d’achever cet objectif, sans pour autant se séparer de leur tradition religieuse, en appliquant une Sharia certes allégée, mais bien présente. Ainsi, nous constatons que La Abrahamic Family House représente un espoir pour l'humanité, et comme l’annonce l'évêque Paulo Martellini pendant une juridiction concernant Oman, les EAU et le Yémen: “L’inauguration de cette maison est un cri pour la paix qui s'élève vers Dieu et vers l'humanité toute entière, en particulier dans un monde marqué par les guerres et la haine.”

< Back Donald Trump vs The Stock Market Stanimir Stoyanov January 31, 2025 The results of the U.S. election in November 2024 have rippled across the country and the world. The election of Donald Trump has been received with both horror and joy across different fields of society. When it comes to the economy and the stock market, the implications of the election are undeniable. The day Trump was elected, the stock market saw unprecedented gains. This reignited debates about Trump's aggressive political presence and its impact on global markets. As can be seen with the way Trump’s 2024 bid shaped financial speculation, market trends are deeply intertwined with political realities. Trump’s history with the Stock Market Trump’s first term in office emanated mixed yet extreme feelings from investors. His corporate tax cuts and deregulatory agendas were simply manna for Wall Street, which reciprocated with record-breaking market highs. The Dow Jones Industrial Average soared by nearly 60% during his first presidency, with much of this growth being attributed to Trump’s pro-business rhetoric and investor-friendly policies. Still, it wasn’t all smooth sailing. Tenuous trade relations with China introduced new uncertainties with material shortages across industries. Dips in the market became commonplace where tariffs were announced, then paused, and then escalated again. Trump’s practice of using Twitter (now X) to openly express his ideas and opinions has led to an unpredictable environment due to the high level of influence his words hold. A single tweet by him could lead to a company’s stock tanking or rallying. While Trump’s first term echoed the bullish market sentiment, investors and the market also have had to deal with many uncertainties during his office. With Trump’s second term having commenced in January 2025, the market is now preparing for a second round of turbulence, while simultaneously showing enthusiasm as seen on the day of the election. The November 2024 Fallout With the 2024 election approaching, the stock market entered a period of heightened volatility. Historically markets have indicated voter attitudes in this case, some predicted a political shift due to economic instability. Prior to the election, polls showcased a very tight race, with most declaring Harris as the candidate likely to emerge from the race victorious. However, online betting sites such as Polymarket saw people betting a total of more than two billion dollars, with Trump’s odds of winning being much higher than those of his opponent, Kamala Harris. This showed that people were ready to bet their money on Trump even if the data signaled against him. As votes were being counted and Trump’s victory became imminent, the stock market began to move rapidly. Nov. 6 saw the market indicators making record gains, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average rocketing 3.6%, the S&P 500 up 2.5%, while the Nasdaq climbed nearly 3%. U.S bank shares were also on the rise, and the US dollar rose to its highest value since 2020. Still, this initial growth did not prove sustainable, with markets stabilizing around the end of November and even experiencing some losses at the end of the year. In December 2024, Jerome Powell, Head of the US Federal Reserve, stated that they expect inflation to continue rising in 2025, leading to negative reactions from the market. This act and its after-effects acted as a clear questioning of Trump’s actual influence over the market. The president-elect expressed his opposition to the Federal Reserve, raising concerns about future clashes between the two institutions and undermining Trump’s effective power over the U.S. economy. So, who was the real winner? Trump’s 2024 campaign saw him working closely with influential businessmen such as the richest person in the world, Elon Musk. Gathering increased public exposure and support in large part due to the popularity and social media influence Musk holds, Donald Trump began shaping his campaign around the billionaire and his companies. This led Musk and his companies to make a huge profit following the election. Even though Trump’s policies suggest fewer incentives for the electric vehicle market, Musk’s Tesla Corporation saw a rise of 15% right after the election. Trump’s personal net worth also experienced a substantial increase with his company Trump Media and Technology Group, seeing an initial 30% gain, which later fell to an overall gain of 6%, increasing Trump’s personal stake by around 290 million dollars. Probably the biggest market change following Trump’s win was seen in the cryptocurrency world. Bitcoin immediately surged to an all-time high on the day of the election and then in the following weeks reached over 100,000 dollars, after which it stabilized a bit above 90,000. Ethereum and other altcoins also saw double-digit gains. There might be various factors contributing to this, many of which are connected to Trump. Firstly, analysts believe people prefer decentralized assets amidst political uncertainty. At the same time, Trump’s campaign can be described as a fruitful romance with cryptocurrency. The president-elect has expressed his passion for crypto and has stated that he wants to make the US the “crypto capital of the planet,” pledging an increase of governmental cryptocurrency funds. Additionally, he has promised his campaign supporters Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy the creation of a so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), in which they will have a role in improving the government's handling of funds. Why should the world care? Being the second-largest economy in the world and a leading player in global finance, the United States and its economy have implications in many aspects of social, political and financial life outside its borders too. The day of Trump’s election had effects on markets outside the U.S.; European stocks fell almost proportionally at the rate that U.S. stocks were rising. At the same time, European defense companies saw massive gains, marking both a shift from U.S. military reliance and echoing Trump’s stern stance on Europeans needing to increase military spending. Trump’s Middle East policies and his incentivization of the U.S. domestic oil industry have resulted in oil prices across the world taking a loss, while natural gas prices have spiked. Trump’s aggressive foreign policy and protective attitude towards the U.S. economy have led to increasing fears about possible material shortages in some industries that rely on imports from countries like China. Many things remain unknown concerning Trump's second term, but the only thing certain is that it will not be a mundane one. Amid this pressing backdrop, U.S. markets must brace for a period of both market-oriented policies and uncertainty. From what can be seen, crypto investors and stock market enthusiasts are both enthusiastic and cautious. It is up to us as individuals to decide whether or not we want to capitalize on the changing market, but if we do, it is clear that we should not only follow financial data but also closely monitor the actions of one man named Donald Trump. Photo credits: Gage Skidmore and James Smith on Wikimedia.

Dans la publication précédente du Menton Times, nous avons revu un peu la manière dont le kirchnerisme utilise la mémoire de la dictature militaire (1976-1983) pour son propre bénéfice. Cependant, le kirchnerisme n'a pas été le seul mouvement politique à instrumentaliser la mémoire de la dernière dictature à des fins politiques. < Back Argentina 1985 - partie 2 By Amalia Heide February 29, 2024 Dans la publication précédente du Menton Times , nous avons revu un peu la manière dont le kirchnerisme utilise la mémoire de la dictature militaire (1976-1983) pour son propre bénéfice. Cependant, le kirchnerisme n'a pas été le seul mouvement politique à instrumentaliser la mémoire de la dernière dictature à des fins politiques. Le 24 mars 2017, jour férié pour commémorer le début de la dictature, des membres du parti de centre-droit "Juntos por el cambio" ont stratégiquement décidé de publier une image sur les médias sociaux avec une pancarte sur laquelle on pouvait lire : " Nunca más al negocio de los derechos humanos, Nunca más a la interrupción del orden democratico " (Plus jamais de business des droits humains, plus jamais d'interruption de l'ordre démocratique). Une fois de plus, le slogan "plus jamais ça" est utilisé pour délégitimer l'adversaire politique qui, dans ce cas, se situe au sein du mouvement kirchneriste. Accompagnant les photos, ils ont publié un communiqué dans lequel ils affirment que : "Les droits humains n'appartiennent pas à un gouvernement ou à un parti politique, et ne doivent pas être utilisés à des fins personnelles; ils sont universels et appartiennent à l'ensemble du peuple argentin. C'est pourquoi nous soutenons que les droits humains n'ont pas de propriétaire." La campagne condamne le kirchnerisme pour avoir exploité le rôle de gardien de la mémoire du terrorisme d'État de 1976 à 1983 à des fins personnelles. Cela suggère une contradiction entre la politique commémorative kirchneriste et l'adhésion pratique aux principes de respect des droits de l'homme. Indépendamment de l'exactitude de ce portrait, il lie directement le kirchnérisme à des éléments qui rappellent la dictature. Le choix délibéré du 24 mars pour lancer cette campagne politique contre le kirchnérisme n'est pas une coïncidence. Dans son tristement célèbre discours inaugural de la junte militaire argentine (24/03/1976), juste après le coup d'État, le dictateur Videla a déclaré : "Pour nous, le respect des droits de l'homme ne découle pas seulement du mandat de la loi ou des déclarations internationales, mais (...) de la dignité prééminente de l'homme en tant que valeur fondamentale, et c'est précisément pour garantir la protection des droits naturels de l'homme que nous exerçons toute notre autorité". Tout comme Videla justifiant la défense des droits humains pour mettre en œuvre un régime autoritaire et répressif, le kirchnerisme, selon ce mouvement politique de droite, viserait un régime illibéral et populiste en utilisant une rhétorique comparable. Cette campagne politique implique également un appel à l'État pour qu'il maintienne un engagement apolitique ou neutre vis-à-vis du passé. En discréditant les kirchneristes, le parti de centre-droit se positionne comme un acteur neutre et, par conséquent, revendique la légitimité de construire et de diffuser un récit alternatif au sein de la société civile argentine. Cela lui permettrait d'élargir sa base électorale. En effet, une partie de la population argentine souhaite être représentée par une mémoire officielle plus complète et inclusive reconnaissant les actions militaires et de guérilla comme des crimes et des victimes: une mémoire prenant en compte la théorie des deux démons. Cependant, l'instrumentalisation de la mémoire de la dictature par Juntos por el cambio n'a pas changé de manière significative. Elle suit le même modèle narratif que le kirchnerisme: l'ennemi principal reste l'armée, même si elle reconnaît d'autres violations des droits de l'homme commises par d'autres groupes tels que la gauche révolutionnaire. La seule différence est que le kirchnerisme le manipule contre la droite et que la droite le manipule contre le kirchnerisme. Ce n'est pas le cas de l'extrême droite. Le mouvement libertaire dirigé par Milei a fait preuve d'astuce dans l'utilisation de la mémoire de la dictature. Il a redéfini de manière significative la dynamique "nous" contre "eux". Contrairement au point de vue conventionnel depuis le rétablissement de la démocratie en 1983, la faction politique de Milei identifie les "terroristes de la guérilla" plutôt que les militaires comme étant l'ennemi. Ce changement narratif s'appuie sur le livre influent " Los Otros Muertos- Las víctimas civiles del terrorismo guerrillero de los 70 " (Les autres morts - les victimes civiles du terrorisme de la guérilla dans les années 70). Ce volume a été co-écrit par Victoria Villarruel et publié en 2016. Dans son travail, l'actuelle vice-présidente argentine procède à un examen historique des victimes des organisations terroristes de gauche telles que les Montoneros et l' ERP (Armée révolutionnaire du peuple). Ces groupes ont mené des attaques civiles et des enlèvements de la fin des années 60 à la fin des années 70, faisant face à une sévère répression sous la dictature. En s'appuyant sur ces faits historiques, Villarruel critique l'interprétation "mythique" et/ou "héroïque" du militantisme révolutionnaire de gauche faite par les kirchneristes, affirmant que présenter les guerrilleros comme des martyrs n'est pas conforme à la vérité historique. En outre, dans une interview accordée à Infobae en 2021, elle déclare : " Des centaines de terroristes ont été réintégrés dans le pays et font désormais partie des trois branches de l'État , adoptant des lois qui les protègent. Je me demande comment les terroristes peuvent accéder au pouvoir et décider de l'avenir des personnes qu'ils ont attaquées " De plus, dans une autre entretien avec La Nacion en 2021, Villarruel ajoute : "Je crois que l'un des grands succès du terrorisme a été de garantir son impunité en réécrivant le passé pour nous tous, en effaçant ses victimes de l'histoire. (La Nación, 2021). Dans ce récit simplifié à l'extrême, les victimes du terrorisme d'État entre 1976 et 1983 sont synonymes de "guérilla terroriste". En d'autres termes, si des personnes ont été torturées et tuées pendant la dictature, il y a de fortes chances qu'il s'agisse de terroristes. Dans cette logique, les militants des droits de l'homme qui ont émergé après la dictature pour plaider en faveur de la reconnaissance des victimes de la répression de l'État sont considérés comme des acteurs ou des complices de cette guérilla terroriste. Comme nous l'avons vu, le kirchnerisme a fait de la défense et de la représentation des victimes de la répression militaire un axe central de son identité politique. La faction politique de Milei l'exploite habilement contre le kirchnerisme, en présentant l'aile gauche comme faisant partie de l'élite et d'une "caste politique" immunisée qu'il faut éradiquer du pouvoir pour protéger les institutions démocratiquesÉtant donné que ces "terroristes" sont censés avoir infiltré les institutions de l'État par le biais du kirchnérisme, ce dernier et les institutions démocratiques de l'État sont considérés comme impurs, corrompus et partiaux. L'articulation de ce récit a été au cœur de la campagne présidentielle de Milei, jouant un rôle dans le discrédit et l'érosion de la légitimité du kirchnérisme. D'autre part, le 1er octobre 2023, lors du premier débat présidentiel, Milei a repris à son compte les déclarations de l'amiral Emilio Massera, membre éminent de la junte militaire, lors de son discours de défense dans les procès de 1985 : Milei : " Dans les années 1970, il y a eu une guerre, et dans cette guerre, les forces de l'État ont commis des excès ” Massera en 1985 : " Tout ce que je sais, c'est qu'il y a eu ici une guerre entre les forces légales, et que là où il y a eu des excès, il s'agissait de débordements exceptionnels. " En tant qu'outsider politique cherchant à attirer l'attention du public, Milei opte stratégiquement pour le terme "excès" au lieu de "terrorisme d'État" afin de créer un impact médiatique. Cette utilisation délibérée d'un langage moins critique à l'égard des actions des militaires vise à les réhabiliter. Rares sont les aspects de la mémoire de la dictature sur lesquels les Argentins s'accordent. L'un d'entre eux est la gravité et l'inexcusabilité d'actes tels que les disparitions forcées, les assassinats et les enlèvements d'enfants par les militaires.La déclaration de Milei représente un défi direct au consensus social établi en Argentine. Cette déviation du consensus social génère une commotion médiatique qui sert l'objectif de Milei de capter l'attention du grand public. Bien que l'utilisation d'un récit aussi provocateur puisse sembler contre-productive pour la campagne politique de Milei, ce dernier a démontré que ce changement dans le discours public a captivé l'intérêt de la population. En effet, sa capacité à présenter des perspectives totalement contraires au statu quo dans toutes les sphères de la société a joué un rôle essentiel dans son ascension à la présidence. À l'instar de Nestor Kirchner au début des années 2000, Milei vise à regagner la confiance de l'électorat en introduisant un nouveau modèle et en façonnant une mémoire différente du passé qui remet en question les récits officiels. Rien ne peut choquer et défier davantage les Kirchneristes que la réhabilitation du terrorisme d'État sous la dernière dictature.

Several nations have decided to refuse to send government officials to the 2022 Beijing Olympics in protest of human rights violations under the current Chinese regime. Are these efforts futile or worthy of further support? < Back Is the Boycott of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics an Effective Diplomatic Tool? By Luca Utterwulghe December 30, 2021 The 2022 Winter Olympic Games, set to take place in Beijing, China this coming February, has become a spotlight for diplomatic contention. The United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada have established what Time called a “diplomatic boycott,” meaning that the aforementioned countries will refuse to send government employees to the games. Nonetheless, athletes from each of these countries will be sent to Beijing. The last U.S. boycott of an Olympic Games took place amidst the Cold War, as the Games in Moscow took place during the Russian invasion of Afghanistan. This time, boycotting nations are openly criticizing the detention and human rights violations of China’s Uyghur ethnic group as well as the Chinese government’s repressive measures taken to quell the protest movements in Hong Kong. Moreover, the boycott emerged in light of the recent disappearance of Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai after she accused Zhang Gaoli (former Chinese vice premier) of sexual assault. The boycott thus reflects the mounting international concern regarding the abuse of fundamental rights under the current Chinese government. There is no clear consensus on the effectiveness of the boycott, however. French President Emmanuel Macron, for instance, has dismissed the American strategy as a politicization of the Olympics devoid of “useful effect.” Macron has instead worked with the International Olympic Committee to ensure the safety of athletes, demonstrating the divergence in the French and American approaches. In the U.S., opposition to the boycott has come largely from Republicans in government who are promoting more aggressive measures, such as withholding athletes from attending the Games. Sienna Bertamini, a first year student at the Sciences Po Menton campus who lived in Hong Kong for most of her life, suggests that, “as a form of soft power, the Olympic Boycott does very little… in terms of combating the human rights violations occurring in China.” Bertamini further notes that “China places a larger emphasis on hard power threats” and that “militaristic strategies are a greater risk to their regime,” indicating that a boycott may be little more than a performative measure. However, because strong, multilateral measures require more cooperation and consensus, the boycott may, as Bertamini states, “be the most Western countries can do without overtly shifting the global balance of power, ie. through military interventions or economic sanctions.” What does this boycott mean for the future of Chinese-American foreign relations? A New York Times article noted that “while boycotts may not change policy, they do run the risk of reprisals.” A Chinese government publication has already demanded that China initiate a retaliatory boycott against the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. This boycott may initiate a series of tit-for-tat soft power sanctions and may well escalate as more nations determine their respective courses of action.

< Back Change in the Republic of Moldova Amer El Ibrahim April 30, 2025 Stuck between the West and the East, neglected by both, and frozen in checkmate with Russia for the last seven decades, the Republic of Moldova endured more hardships than any other European country. Having been stripped from Romania and incorporated into the USSR at the beginning of WW2, gaining formal independence only after 1989, the Republic of Moldova is yet to establish itself as a purely autonomous power outside of the influence of its greater Eastern neighbour. After the 1989 revolution and independence, Moldova’s leadership flirted with Russia and shunned EU interventions for the next thirty years. This toxic tradition ended with the 2020 presidential elections, when Maia Sandu, a pro-European candidate with a staunch anti-corruption attitude, won. A year later, she called for a new parliament and, surprisingly, her party, PAS, won by a landslide, with a shocking 58 per cent. She and her party won on a wave of dissatisfaction with the already existing parties and the desire for reforms. So, how has the new guard managed all of these discontents? Notwithstanding Sandu’s promises, Moldova has faced serious geopolitical issues in the past years, which have hindered the country greatly. Firstly, as a form of retaliation for the ever-growing Western stance of the new government, Russia slashed gas supplies to the country by a third and demanded double the previously set price to maintain the flow. Secondly, being located only a few hours away from Odesa, Moldova received the highest number of Ukrainian refugees per capita, thus placing immense pressure on the already dysfunctional healthcare system, public services and infrastructure. On top of this, trade with both Moscow and Kyiv, two of Moldova’s greatest economic partners, had greatly suffered, with inflation surging by as much as 40 per cent. Additionally, Russia also controls the separatist region of Transnistria, which broke away from the grip of Moldova’s government during a brief war in the 90s. This region has been practically maintained by Russia, with Moscow funding Transnistria’s gas supply up until the 1st of January this year. This ‘free’ assistance of Russia was not so free; Transnistria’s debt was continuously recorded, and, at the beginning of this year, it was asked to be repaid 11.1 billion dollars. It was clear that this decision was politically motivated, Transnistria being used as a tool to destabilise Moldova in the wake of the parliamentary elections this fall, to eliminate the pro-Europeans led by Maia Sandu from power. Alternatively, another threat surfaced from abroad: Ilan Shor, a pro-Russian businessman who actively fought against the EU integration of Moldova. Condemned in absentia for 15 years for smuggling 1 billion Euros out of Moldova’s banking system, he fled to Moscow where he established a political movement with the sole purpose of destabilizing Moldova’s EU progress. Shor and his acolytes set up a voter-bribing scheme that concerned 130,000 Moldovans who voted against the referendum for the integration of Moldova into the EU from 2024 and for Russia-friendly candidates. Through his Telegram platform, he has offered to pay up to 29 Dollars for those who registered for his campaign against the referendum, while spending millions on social media and news outlets campaigns against it. Regardless of the foreign implications of the referendum, it passed by a comically small margin: 50.35% in favour of adding EU integration as a goal in the constitution. Nonetheless, Sandu and her party succeeded in delivering what they promised, at least partly. In 2022, Moldova obtained candidate status for accession to the European Union, and in 2024, the official negotiations regarding admission started. In the same year, Moldova greatly developed the country's wind and solar power to reduce dependency on Russian energy and the aforementioned referendum was called for. In 2023, Moldova created its first anti-corruption agency, a major step in combating this phenomenon, which has plagued the country for decades. Most notable, however, was the increase in Moldova’sCorruption Perception Index by 7 points, indicating significant improvements in the country's functioning. However, the polls for this year’s parliamentary elections show a diminished popularity of PAS compared to the 2021 elections, the party being situated at around 35%. This backlash could be explained by the shortcomings of their governance and slowness in delivering what was promised. Whether the new governance delivered all they had promised is of secondary importance; what matters most is that in the last four years, the country has been more open to the West than ever before.; Let us hope it will continue like this and one day, they will be a part of the greater European family. Photo source: Sasha Pleshco - UNSPLASH

< Back The Implications of the Piraeus Port As Part Of The Belt and Road Initiative Lydia Ntourountou February 28, 2025 The need for humans to communicate and exchange goods and ideas can be traced back to thousands of years ago. Despite the virtual impossibility of bridging societies across the globe, efforts were constantly being made to ensure the continuation and development of trade and commerce, inevitably followed by cultural exchanges. One of the most impressive developments was the Silk Road, established in 130 B.C.E. , during the period when China officially opened trade with the West. This pioneering network of routes managed to connect different civilizations, allowing the exchange of products and ideas from East Asian societies to East African and Southern European ones. Chinese silk, tea, perfumes and other products were sought-after in Egypt, Rome and Greece and not only did this allow for the exportation of such products, but most importantly, it marked the beginning of trade on an international scale. The gradual collapse of the network around 1450 A.D. marked a new beginning: international maritime trade . And though it would, indeed, take some centuries before it truly became global, this “sea-based globalization” has become the most prevalent form of trade, with over 80% of the volume of international commerce goods traveling by sea. China’s role in it is undoubtedly worth examining, considering that it remains the country with the largest amount of cargo ship exports annually. This exceptional economic activity is closely linked to what has been characterized as the New Silk Road, officially titled China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), an incredibly ambitious infrastructure project adopted by Xi Jinping’s government in 2013. This time, however, it is not limited to maritime trade but focuses on the overall development of a vast network of railways, ports, energy pipelines and highways that aim to facilitate a wide range of economic activities between Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Already, over two-thirds of European Union member states have joined the BRI, leading to a rise in Chinese investments in these countries to fund industrial projects. The vision promoted by Xi Jinping, though quite compelling, has attracted a lot of doubt and criticism; one of the main BRI projects sparking concern is the Budapest-Belgrade railway, aiming to create a fast train line connecting Hungary and Serbia. However, Hungary’s ability to repay the loan, as well as the actual profitability of the railway, has caused a lot of uncertainty. However, Xi Jinping’s project does not end here but takes on a rather drastic form regarding Greece’s involvement in the One Belt One Road Initiative. Indeed, Greece could be considered a unique case, since it hosts the most successful BRI project as of 2024: the port of Piraeus . Although a significant peak in bilateral economic and political relations between Greece and China dates back to the Greek debt crisis of 2008, during which Beijing offered to buy Greek government bonds, it is in the past couple of years that we notice the prevalence of Chinese influence in Greece. In 2016, Athens signed a contract with the company COSCO (China Ocean Shipping Company), giving it access to 51% ownership of the port, before finally gaining another 16% shares in 2021, allowing it to possess a total of 67% and therefore owning the majority of the port. If Piraeus is classified as the fifth largest port in Europe, with around 5 million twenty-foot equivalent units passing annually, it is important to examine this success with caution. It must be highlighted that this project benefited Athens in maintaining its position as an important hub in maritime trade while securing its place as an essential geopolitical actor facilitating the connection between the EU and Asian markets. But does Xi Jinping’s policy serve the sole purpose of fully establishing the Belt and Road Initiative? If so, what does this mean for Greece? According to an article published by Plamen Tonchev , China’s objectives in Piraeus could be briefly summed up in three points: 1) utilize Greece’s position in the framework of the BRI, 2) win over the country’s political, business and academic leaders and ensure its backing of China, 3) influence the EU through “friendly” member states, one of which would be Greece. We notice that Beijing’s policies in this case are not extremely direct or “disruptive” and mostly take the form of a strong economic presence in this region. However, this active and powerful presence inevitably leads to political and economic dependence. Greece, because of its small size and low level of population (around 10 million), could be considered a country that requires external “backup,” notably because of the regional tensions surrounding and directly influencing it. We could not talk about its foreign policy without mentioning the United States, characterized as Greece’s closest historical “ally” and whose relations with the country were recently referred to as “ excellent ” by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. Having secured a five-year defense cooperation with the US and working together in matters of energy finance and military, their bilateral relations do indeed seem quite secure. But, amidst a period of uncertainty concerning the policies to be implemented after the US presidential elections, will Greece be capable of balancing two powerful “enemy nations,” both having interests in the Mediterranean region? This question seems even more pertinent after the U.S. Defense Department blacklisted COSCO by listing it as a company working with the Chinese military, which COSCO denied. This decision cannot be followed by legal sanctions for the commercial sector and so far does not seem to have any direct impact on the shipping company. However, it raised alarms in Piraeus , considering that the blacklisting could act as a “ deterrence ” for some importers. It also reminds us of the tensions between these geopolitical actors and the fact that countries with smaller economic and political power, such as Greece, are caught in the middle. Although we cannot predict the outcomes of the significant Chinese ownership of Piraeus , the fact that Greece’s biggest port is owned by a foreign power will have an important impact on its future policies, as well as its relations with other countries. What is interesting, however, is that China’s project affects the game of power and slowly shifts the economic narrative from the West to the East. Whether Greece will be able to successfully balance in between, without completely becoming dependent on either power, is to be determined. Photo credits: Rory Boon on Flickr

On Oct. 5, following a meeting in its Vienna headquarters, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) announced that its member countries would be cutting oil production by 2%, or 2 million barrels a day, taking effect in November. What are the implications of this move? < Back A Day Before Winter, OPEC Cuts Oil Production by Two Million Barrels By Leo Gerza November 30, 2022 On Oct. 5t, following a meeting in its Vienna headquarters, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) announced that its member countries would be cutting oil production by two percent, or two million barrels a day, taking effect in November. The announcement was made against the backdrop of rising energy costs and a looming global recession. Indeed, it is global economic uncertainty that the organization claims underpins its decision to cut oil production, citing its desire to balance supply in the face of decreasing demand as its core motivation. Founded in 1960, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries sought to counter the United States’ hegemony over oil production and now controls 40% of production and 80% of the world’s reserves, vesting the cartel with immense pricing power. The organization has not shied away from exercising its dominance. Older generations are haunted by the devastating effects the cartel’s oil embargo had on the price of oil and the U.S. economy in the 1970s. Its recent actions have again highlighted its pricing power, as oil prices surged from $76.71 per barrel to $92.64 in response to its announcement that it would cut production. At first glance, the decision seems motivated by the desire to steer prices back toward the highs they experienced earlier this year. The price of oil hit a peak of $122 in June; however, since then, it has steadily fallen to below $90. The announcement was designed, in part, to counter falling prices and benefit the revenues received from oil exports. Other factors are contributing to the volatility of global oil prices. Supply shocks lingering from the COVID-19 pandemic — which saw oil prices briefly slip into the negatives — mean that global supply cannot keep up with demand rapidly returning to pre-pandemic levels due to the robust expansionary fiscal policy wielded by western leaders as an answer to the pandemic. Equally, many countries, especially those in Europe, that have chosen to halt buying oil from Russia in response to Putin’s invasion of Ukraine are facing unprecedented supply challenges as they seek alternatives to their long-lasting reliance on Russian gas imports. According to National Public Radio, some pressure from Russia may have invigorated the decision-making process, as “they effectively came and asked OPEC to cut production by a million barrels a day.” Such observations further suggest the protagonist role that the war in Ukraine is playing in the emerging resource crisis. This, especially, has influenced calls from some governments for Volodymyr Zelensky to enter negotiations with Putin to de-escalate the conflict. Beyond the immediate price increase of oil, the impacts of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries’ decision will perpetuate a common trend in the past year. Energy firms drilling for and selling oil will see profits rise even higher as they continue to reap record profits. British Petroleum (BP) announced $8.2 billion in profit at the end of October, its second highest on record. At the same time, households face even higher costs just as winter begins setting in, with the prospect of energy rationing not out of the question in many European countries.

< Back New Student Initiatives Are Announced By Cameron Sterling October 31, 2021 After a week of heavy campaigning, results for the student initiatives have been released! The administration has named Alwanat, Initiative Sciences Po Pour Le Sahara Marocain, Le Zadig, Les Républicains, Med Liban, MentonLoves, Pose, Racing Club de Menton, Sciences 360o, Solidaritee, Student Support Alliance, and UNICEF Sciences Po Menton as “recognized” student initiatives for this semester. For those who are not aware, student initatives are “selected student projects of a limited duration carried by one or several students in the fields of culture, knowledge, sport, environment, solidarity, health, the fight against discrimination, and civic engagement.” Status as a “recognized” student initiative is an important resource for a student association or project. Student initiatives are eligible for grants amounting to a maximum of 500 euros, which “aim to facilitate communication for events held at SciencesPo; to encourage the emergence of events and activities organised jointly by associations from different campuses; to enable associations organizing events that require a first-aid station to meet their obligations in terms of the security of persons and property; to enable associations to meet their insurance obligations and to enable associations scheduling films, audiovisual or theatrical events, to pay licence fees to the copyright-holders.” Student initiatives can also apply funding for special projects intermittently. The process of becoming a “recognized” student organization entails multiple steps. Students are given the opportunity to vote for three different student organizations. If 5% of the student population on a given campus votes for a project, the results will be communicated to the Council for student training, which ultimately evaluates if the organizations comply with existing regulations. On the subject of choosing which initiatives to vote for, 1A Gayle Krest said: “I voted for the initiatives that I am a part of or the ones that I thought needed money. I felt that some initiatives were more like clubs, but others were more important because they were charities that were trying to do events.” 1A Lucie Charbonneau, Board Member at MentonLoves, agreed with Krest on the subject of campaigns, claiming that she did not feel the need to campaign for the organization to become a student initiative because that “we [MentonLoves] have a pretty big membership on campus, and I was sure that everybody in the group would be voting.” New student initiatives have a wide range of objectives. On the subject of UNICEF’s goals, 2A Zoé Kunegel asserts that “[UNICEF] hope[s] to utilize SciencePo’s resources for carative (sic) events but also to raise awareness in the most efficient way, through conferences and creative initiatives.” Kunegel’s aspirations are in line with Krest’s comments: many organizations see their status as student initiatives as a means to enable philanthropic work. Other organizations, such as MentonLoves, plan to facilitate campus events and take an active role in student life. The president of the organization, when asked about their plans for the year, stated that “MentonLoves wants to invest in merch, like stickers and tote bags, and sell them in order to invite speakers on site; plan free events like the drag queen/king show in a venue and some other parties while still covering costs for the legal aspects such as association insurance and treasury.” This semester’s student initiatives are a diverse group of organizations, featuring efforts for on-campus activism, student events, mutual aid, cultural exploration, political advocacy, and education. Together, they represent the range of intellectual and recreational interests that students on this campus possess.

< Back Life on the Streets of Menton Stanimir Stoyanov Introduction Whether it's the person asking you for change in front of the grocery store, a person sleeping on the sidewalk or singing on а busy street, many of us have had the experience of walking around Menton and encountering people living on the streets. Most people avoid them and some are even afraid of them, but have you ever wondered what their story is and how they ended up in their situation? This article will explore the topic of homelessness in Menton from a different and more personal perspective. France’s struggle with homelessness According to the latest official government statistics from 2012, there were at least 141,500 homeless people in metropolitan France. Still, a 2024 report from the Abbé Pierre Foundation shows that the number might have increased to around 330,000, of which only around 93,000 have access to social housing. Due to rising concerns about the issue, the French National Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies and the National Institute for Demographic Studies are currently conducting a new survey of the homeless population in France that will conclude in 2025. According to European statistics from 2023, France has the second-highest count of homeless people in the EU. The issue garnered global attention when, in preparation for hosting the Olympic games in 2024, the French government started relocating people from the streets of Paris to other cities in the country. In 2019, a UN report concluded that France is abusing human rights due to its inability to tackle the issue. The issue continued in 2023 when the UN condemned new French legislation against squatters’ rights. Still, addressing the rising numbers of people in need of a home, the French government has increased efforts in recent years to provide temporary accommodation and social aid. What about Menton? There is no precise information available regarding the number of homeless people living in Menton, but according to data from July 2023, 2,572 people were being housed by the government in the Alpes-Maritimes department. In Menton, especially at night, you can see people sleeping in front of store windows or parks. During the day, some walk around the city, ask for help, perform music and some even cause public unrest. During my work on this article, I spoke with Jean, a 38-year-old Parisian living on the streets of Menton. When we met, he was standing outside a local supermarket, hoping people would give him their spare change. He was quite friendly and happy to chat. Jean used to be a waiter in Paris but lost his job and moved to Menton in hope of better conditions. When I asked him why Menton, he replied, “the weather and the sea”. I asked where he found shelter, and he replied, “here, the street”. He told me that at the moment, he doesn’t have a job or a place to stay. About his current situation, he commented, “I don’t know, that’s it.” Like Jean, many people without a roof opt to relocate to cities in the Côte d'Azur due to the more favourable weather conditions. In the summer, many go to tourist hotspots such as Nice, where the city even implemented anti-begging rules, which were later overturned. But as winter approaches, even in sunny Menton, the weather becomes harsh. In Menton, there is a day shelter operated by the Local Social Action Centre (Centre communal d'action sociale), but night shelters are only available in nearby cities such as Cannes and Cagnes-sur-Mer. In my research, I contacted CCAS and they informed me that in winter, the city finds emergency shelters in Menton as well, with some local hotels offering help. Social workers from CCAS support people in dire situations and can be contacted directly at their office on “ 4 Promenade du Maréc”. Additionally, 115 is a free-of-charge national hotline for people looking for emergency healthcare. This social emergency number also offers help and shelter to migrants and victims of domestic abuse. How can I help? There are many initiatives for helping homeless people in Menton and the region. If you would like to help, you can try contacting CCAS directly or search for organisations such as ALC or the Red Cross that have initiatives helping people in such situations. If you ever see a person in need on the streets, you can contact 115 or CCAS on their behalf, both of which can send a social worker and provide them with emergency housing. In the colder months, life on the streets is harder than ever and homeless people are especially vulnerable, so if you believe a person is in need of medical attention, it might be a good idea to contact emergency services. Homeless people are at a high risk of alcohol and substance abuse, which might lead to health complications. We often overlook people on the streets, but sometimes they might really need our attention. Recently, a number of Sciences Pistes have voiced they feel uncomfortable walking the streets at night, so if you ever encounter a person on the street who can be a danger to themselves or others, you should probably contact the authorities to help the person and keep others safe. Conclusion Walking through the streets of sunny Menton, we can’t help but notice the silent stories unfolding around us of people like Jean, each faced with their own journey. By embracing empathy and taking small actions—a smile, kind word or supporting local initiatives, we can foster a community where everyone feels seen and valued. The issue is very relevant in France, and while the trends are worrying, there is hope for the future. Previous Next

Eurocentrism, Brexit, and conservative populism have been increasingly popular conversation topics across continental Europe. The European Society of Menton discusses the implications of a rising far-right and secessionist sentiment. < Back Rising Euroscepticism in EU countries following Brexit: Will other countries leave the Union too? By Veronica Marcone and Barna Sólyom October 30, 2022 On June 23, 2016, the United Kingdom, then part of the European Union, held a referendum to vote on whether to leave the union. It resulted in a slight majority of the British population wishing to part ways with the continental collaboration, with precisely 51.89 percent of voters voting in favor of Brexit. The United Kingdom then officially separated from the union in 2020. Since then, other union members have grown fond of Euroscepticism, prompting the formation of internal political parties intending to follow the in the kingdom’s footsteps. Unlike the states in America, countries in the European Union lack a robust cultural identity which may negatively affect member states’ sense of belonging. Will this identity deficit cause other countries to walk away from the union, or will the economic and political benefits of membership be enough to convince the current nations to stay and work on building even stronger ties? According to Ankita Dutta, “The main reasons for the rise of Euroscepticism have been notions that integration weakens national sovereignty and the nation-state... The union is too bureaucratic and elite-driven... encourages high levels of migration... or is a neoliberal organization which benefits the business elite at the expense of the working class.” She explains that both sides of the political spectrum have reasons for their Euroscepticism, although it is more common among right-wing parties in union countries. The reasoning for such is based on the desire to preserve sovereignty and national identity. Despite being one of the countries that benefit the most from being part of the union, Germany is experiencing rising support for the right-wing Alternative für Deutschland party. Robert Grimm explains that the party’s argument for opposition to the Eurozone is the mounting tensions rooted in the separation between donor and debtor countries that the common currency brought. Since the end of the Second World War, Germany has been working on achieving long-lasting peace and rebuilding the economy; the Euro, according to former Chancellor Angela Merkel, is a necessary tool for maintaining peace. So, while it has been claimed that the Euro's employment brought serious economic drawbacks, it is still a guarantor of peace. Italy recently had elections that resulted in the victory of the center-right coalition, most of which have shared a somewhat anti-European stance in the past, which could move the country in a Eurosceptic direction. Nicolò Berti posits that an increasing number of Italians, especially following the pandemic, have seen the union as the cause of internal problems and that introducing the Euro in the country was detrimental to the economy. In 2020, the disapproval rate towards the union reached 42 percent, compared to just 26 percent two years prior. According to the above chart, Italy has the highest disapproval rate. Still, since 2020, the trend has slowly declined from 47 percent to 34 percent Germany, instead, follows the trends of the combined union countries, which have a consistent rate of under 30 percent for the past five years. The pandemic brought severe economic blows across the union, and this shared experience could have affected the trust people have in the union, both positively and negatively. The countries most affected by the pandemic could increasingly doubt the European project if they are not supported effectively. The more stable ones are tired of continuously offering their support to the former. This might cause the different country groups to gradually shift away from each other because of economic differences. According to the European Council on Foreign Relations, the pandemic's effect was mixed but tended towards a positive consolidating experience among the union's citizens. As shown in the chart, no one surveyed felt less European than before the pandemic despite the fluctuating collaboration between countries and the closure of all borders. It is then safe to conclude that, although right-wing parties have been spreading Euroscepticism among their citizens and proposing more nationalist stances, none of the member countries have had a dangerous increase in negative views of the union. The Anti-union propaganda brought around these countries has not reached an effective percentage to consider leaving as a viable option. As of now, all union countries will most likely not follow the steps of the Brits as citizens still believe that, despite many flaws, the union has brought more benefits than not within their country.

Bien qu’il soit très important de protéger sa peau grâce à un écran solaire lors d’une exposition prolongée, les crèmes solaires sont aujourd’hui nocives pour l’espace marin, selon une étude de Environmental Health Perspective. < Back L’Impact de la Crème Solaire sur l’Environnement/ Sunscreen’s Impact on the Environment By Esther Boulekouane September 30, 2021 Les faits : Bien qu’il soit très important de protéger sa peau grâce à un écran solaire lors d’une exposition prolongée, les crèmes solaires sont aujourd’hui nocives pour l’espace marin, selon une étude de Environmental Health Perspective. En effet, elles contiennent des composants nocifs comme l’oxybenzone, le benzophénone pour ne citer qu’eux. Lorsqu’ils se retrouvent dans la mer, ces composants se décomposent très lentement et peuvent être absorbés par la biodiversité marine. L’oxybenzone provoque notamment le blanchissement des coraux et perturbe les niveaux d’hormones des animaux. Ainsi au Mexique, certaines plages interdisent la crème solaire sur les baigneurs. Selon National Geographic, entre 14 000 et 25 000 tonnes de crèmes solaires se retrouveraient chaque année dans les océans. Quelle alternative ? Puisqu’il est hors de question de ne pas protéger sa peau du soleil, comment pouvons-nous agir ? Très simplement, les vêtements offrent une bonne protection contre les UV. Toutefois pour aller à la plage, il existe également des écrans solaires plus respectueux de l’environnement comme ceux qui portent le label Ecocert, Protect Land + Sea. Alors la prochaine fois que vous achetez de la crème solaire, pensez à vérifier qu’elle ne contient pas d’oxybenzone et qu’elle est éco-certifiée ! The facts : Although it is crucial to protect our skin from sun exposure, sunscreens are a big issue for marine life nowadays, according to Environmental Health Perspective. Indeed, they contain toxic elements such as oxybenzone, benzophenone — just to mention a few. When these components end up in the sea, they take a long time to degrade and are therefore absorbed by marine life. Oxybenzone causes coral bleaching and damages animals' hormonal systems. To remedy this issue, in Mexico, some beaches have been declared “sunscreen free” to protect the environment. Based on the searches of National Geographic, 14.000 to 25.000 tons of sunscreen could end up in the oceans each year. What can we do? Because it’s unthinkable to not protect our skin from the sun, we have to ask, what are the sustainable options? First of all and very simply, wearing covered swimming gear (such as a full swimming costume) is the best protection against ultraviolet rays. As for the beach, one can find labelized sunscreens such as Ecocert and Protect Land + Sea. So next time you buy sunscreen, check the ingredients, make sure there’s no oxybenzone and always choose a sustainable one!

“Les yeux sont le miroir de l’âme” dit-on souvent. Et dans Incendies de Denis Villeneuve, les yeux se font le reflet d'âmes agitées, tourmentées, torturées mais aussi exhumées. < Back Critique du Film: Incendies By Salim Ouartini November 29, 2021 “Les yeux sont le miroir de l’âme” dit-on souvent. Et dans Incendies de Denis Villeneuve, les yeux se font le reflet d'âmes agitées, tourmentées, torturées mais aussi exhumées. Le regard possède une place éminente dans la compréhension et la contemplation du film, tant il est porteur de sens et miroir de la décadence psychologique des personnages. Selon moi, l’essentiel du film pourrait être résumé à travers l’analyse du regard. Le regard de l’enfant face caméra dans la séquence d’ouverture, grave et noirci, qui a tout à envier à la blanche candeur d’un regard enfantin, et qui vous scrute et se rapproche tant la caméra s’en approche, brisant le 4e mur et déroutant le spectateur dès les premières minutes. Ce 1er regard qui fait écho au dernier. Celui de l’adulte qui observe la tombe d’une mère qu’il n’aura connu qu’à travers son absence, son viol et sa mort. Mais le regard qu’il nous sera donné de voir le plus souvent et qui ponctuera le film est sans aucun doute celui de Nawel, la mère. Du regard vide et traumatisé d’une mère à qui l’on arrache l’enfant et tue le compagnon, au regard déterminé et brave d’une mère qui traverse un pays en guerre pour retrouver son fils, qui se transformera en un regard de terreur et de désolation qui succède à l’absurde boucherie du bus, et qui murera en un regard de rancoeur et de haine qui poussera au meurtre, faisant place à un regard de folie et d’agonie humaine dans la prison de “Kfar Ryat” avant de retourner à ce 1er regard glacial, emplit de vide et de traumatismes mais regard qui cette fois-ci sera conjugué au visage de la mort. Et par un montage parallèle, le regard de Nawal du “Passé” se superpose à celui de sa fille Jeanne au présent qui lui aussi se modifie et s’intensifie au rythme des révélations toujours plus obscures et tragiques. Il conviendra donc de saluer le talent des acteurs qui ont su faire parler leur regard pour mieux nous porter dans l’histoire. Car si l’on nous donne souvent à voir le regard des personnages, ce regard, et donc le point de vue qui l’accompagne, est celui que nous adoptons également. Car lorsque l’on assiste à la scène du massacre du bus, avec une camionnette transpercée de balles et aspergée de sang et d’essence avant de se consumer dans des flammes aigres d’atrocité, notre regard ne peut que s’assombrir et notre coeur s’alourdir. Toutefois, il arrive que le film, à coup d'ellipses et de hors champ, nous épargne quelques images noires et “malséantes” telles celles du viol, mais en n’en laissant juste assez pour susciter effroi et horreur. On se fait spectateur d’une tragédie recque faite d’une mère, de jumeaux, d’une quête de sens, de violence, de meurtre, d’inceste, de catharsis, de coup de théâtre…. Certaines caractéristiques telles l’enfermement pendant 15 ans, la quête de sens dans un monde absurde, l’inceste entre parent et enfant annoncé en plot twist de fin semble faire écho au film sud Coréen “Old Boy” de Park Chan-Wook qui lui aussi laisse une marque indélébile de par la consternation qu’il provoque en nous. Plus encore, ce film à travers les regards qu’il nous montre et tout ce qu’il force notre regard à voir, cherche peut être également à changer le regard que l’on porte sur notre réalité, sur le monde qui nous entoure. Car l’absurdité d’une guerre qui provoque massacre et destruction pour des raisons politiques et religieuses n’est pas quelque chose qui relève uniquement de la fiction mais également d’une réalité qui a existé, va exister ou continue d'exister . La référence faite au Moyen Orient (peut être particulièrement à la guerre civile au Liban qui oppose Chrétiens et musulmans) semble assez évidente sans pour autant être au centre des considérations faites par le film. Car ce que l’on retient d’abord, c’est que peu importe le camp, la guerre est ignoble. Si l’on nous montre tant de regards que l’on n’aimerait jamais voir, c’est peut être parce qu’il nous faut les voir pour nous rappeler de la chance que l’on a d’avoir notre regard.

If you asked me the most glorious time to be alive, I would say, beyond a doubt, the period between 1960 to 1970. Why? These were the years when the Beatles were making music. Hit after hit, from Here Comes the Sun to Yesterday, the Beatles’ music lives on through die-hard fans and casual listeners alike. Spend a week in England, and you will without a doubt hear one of their songs. After all, the Beatles are forever. < Back Strawberry Fields Forever Rebecca Canton January 31, 2025 The average beetle lives for a couple of months or up to several years. With a rather short lifespan in the scheme of things, irrelevant and overlooked, the beetle is an unusual pet and an even more obscure favorite animal. Sacrificed for often more beloved pets such as snakes and lizards, it is difficult to imagine that a group of them, or a swarm, would become one of the most famous, recognizable and long-lasting groups in the world. Enter the Beatles, or what I would personally call: the greatest band of all time . Hailing from Liverpool England in 1960, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr redefined British music, becoming legends of rock music. The Beatles , often considered the most influential rock band of all time, is probably the best thing to come out of Liverpool, perhaps even England. If you asked me the most glorious time to be alive, I would say, beyond a doubt, the period between 1960 to 1970. Why? These were the years when the Beatles were making music. Hit after hit, from Here Comes the Sun to Yesterday , the Beatles’ music lives on through die-hard fans and casual listeners alike. Spend a week in England, and you will without a doubt hear one of their songs. After all, the Beatles are forever. Evidently, the Beatles are not a group of the six-legged kind. Lennon is not a ladybird, McCartney a mosquito, Harrison a housefly nor Ringo Starr a silkworm. The differences between the band and the insect could not be more distinct. Such a rather obvious idea has only been exacerbated by the recent revival of many Beatles songs. Songs like Hey Jude have seen a resurgence in popularity through social media platforms like TikTok. The song became an anthem for England fans at the Euros 2024; fans sang it for England and Real Madrid footballer Jude Bellingham. Released in 1968, Hey Jude remains a timeless classic 57 years later, transcending cramped football stands and a £6 burger. The revival of such a song benefits from the fact that one of the most popular English footballers, Jude Bellingham, happens to share the same name, yet it is not the only song seeing a rebirth. Other classics like Let It Be are enjoying renewed popularity. In his biographical piece on the Beatles, Richie Unterberger claims the Beatles’ “ supremacy as rock icons remains unchallenged to this day,” but what is it about the Beatles that ensures its status as a cult classic for years to come? A common nickname for the Beatles is the ‘ Fab Four ’ and it is not challenging to understand why. After signing with EMI in 1962 and producing their first hit Love Me Do in 1963, ‘Beatlemania’ swept England. By 1964, the Beatles were household international names, reaching unprecedented levels of success. They became the best-selling music act of all time, a title they still hold. They are the most successful act ever on the U.S. Billboard charts, hold the record for most number-one albums and have won seven Grammy Awards. Their list of achievements could fill an entire article. The greatest thing about the Beatles, in my opinion, was their musical innovation. The Beatles did not just change the music industry. They revolutionized it. Before the Beatles, the recording studio was simply a space, a two-dimensional area to make music. With their arrival, the studio became a place of creativity. The Beatles were among the first bands who utilized the recording studio imaginatively and unconventionally, seeking advancements in how records were made. Due to the Beatles, new techniques like Artificial Double Tracking for vocals, which enhances the sounds of voices or instruments, were discovered . Looping, a pretty common technique in the music industry, was popularized by the Beatles and can be seen in songs like Tomorrow Never Knows . Almost every modern hit has a music video, but it was the Beatles that pioneered this. The concept album—think To Pimp a Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar—likewise was created by the Beatles with albums such as Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. What becomes astronomically clear is that the Beatles paved the way for the future of music. Lennon-McCartney, the songwriting partnership between Lennon and McCartney, is one of genius. Inspired by Indian music and culture, this duo was one of the first to experiment across genres, songs like Love You To , from the 1966 album Revolver , feature a sitar, a string instrument used in Hindustani classical music. Yet it was the lyric writing that was central to this brilliance. Lyrics range as large as their discography, from straightforward pop to introspective narratives, melancholy to joy. In the beginning, Lennon-McCartney’s lyrics featured in simple universal hits like I Want to Hold Your Hand (1964) that resonated with the world through catchy refrains. As the Beatles saw success and matured as musical icons, so too did their music, with masterpieces like In My Life offering reflection and heartfelt musing. The Beatles’ later work demonstrates Lennon and McCartney’s unparalleled talent for storytelling. Lennon’s surreal streams of consciousness in Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds and McCartney’s haunting portrayal of loneliness in Eleanor Rigby combine accessibility with artistry. Their lyrics could be both personal and universally relatable; this is what made them so great—listeners could find themselves in every song. What defines the Beatles is that they were not just a band—they were social activists. Vocal about social and cultural issues, the Beatles advocated for peace and an end to racial segregation, famously refusing to perform for segregated audiences during their 1964 U.S. tour in Jacksonville, Florida. In 1969, in Amsterdam, Lennon and his wife Yoko Ono held a series of non-violent protests including a famous ‘bed-in’ against the Vietnam War, gaining widespread media attention and support. The Beatles’ commitment to peace and equality, especially from Lennon, is reflected in their music. Songs like Blackbird , a melody about racial discord in the American South serve as messages of hope against racial discrimination. Furthermore, tracks like Revolution call for social change, with the lyrics of ‘we all want to change the world’ reflecting a desire for peaceful social transformation. And change the world they did. While the Beatles may no longer be making music, songs like Imagine , albeit a solo work by Lennon, have become anthems for the anti-war movement. The Beatles’ legacy and music does not just reflect its era, it transcends it. Their disposition to address social issues marked a transition in how artists can use their platform for activism. They were not just musicians, they were cultural catalysts, with their messages of peace and unity echoing and resonating for generations to come—reminding us that all we need is love in troubling times of disruption and hostility. Take away the lyrics, innovation and music, one key fact remains that sets the Beatles apart: its inter-generational appeal. The first time I listened to the Beatles was when I was 12; my friend's mother played them on the way back from field hockey practice. The song was Let It Be and I remember it very clearly. It is the sort of song that sticks with you, the one you hear in the back of your head constantly. As I came home I asked my father if he had heard of the Beatles. Such a question was almost insulting to him. That was the moment my love for the Beatles started, but looking back it is hard to overlook the universal love for the group. Parents and grandparents who grew up during Beatlemania, for example, my father, share their love for the Beatles with younger family members, fostering continuity. In an age where generations seem millennia apart, their music provides a link between generations, sparking conversations and moments that few artists can claim. Their songs remain relevant due to their timeliness, messages of love, growth and social change, making them just as meaningful to listeners today as they were in the 1960s. What sets the Beatles apart is their cultural resonance, they were never a group to stay within the boundaries of pop or rock music, constantly reinventing themselves. The Beatles will forever be relevant, as they represent the three things necessary for a lasting music legacy: creativity, innovation and collaboration. Whether as a source of comfort, a personal soundtrack, or just good background music, the Beatles remain cultural legends. The long and winding road may be reaching its end, but one thing is certain: the Beatles will always matter. The truth is that they are a genre in itself. You can hate rock and love the Beatles. You can despise the ‘70s but yearn for the croons of Lennon. You can love classical symphonies and still be moved by Eleanor Rigby— because oh look at all the people who love this band. Great art knows no limits of time or age when their names are John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. Photo credits: Boer, Netherlands

China has long been cracking down on political dissent shared via social media. The nation’s development of its surveillance has reached terrifying levels in recent years: by 2015, the nation’s surveillance camera system, SkyNet, had already reached 100% coverage of Beijing. The United States should brace itself for a long-term battle for internet freedom and democracy in what could be the next Cold War. < Back China’s Surveillance State is Triggering a Digital Cold War By Celeste Abourjeili January 30, 2022 Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai’s disappearance was the social media equivalent of an 8.0 earthquake. For the first time in a long time, American eyes were drawn to China’s dystopian surveillance system. Yet, this story has already become obsolete, without any Chinese concessions. Shuai remains missing. In the past few months, headlines have called attention to China’s quick cover-up of Shuai’s #metoo confession regarding the former vice-premier, Zhang Gaoli. Any mention of Shuai’s story was completely removed from social media and even private messaging groups within 30 minutes of her original confession. The story, however, should not have come as a surprise to the media, nor the American public. China has long been cracking down on political dissent shared via social media. The nation’s development of its surveillance has reached terrifying levels in recent years: by 2015, the nation’s surveillance camera system, SkyNet, had already reached 100% coverage of Beijing. Near-instant facial recognition technology allows Beijing to monitor all of the movements and behaviors of its citizens with an unprecedented level of precision and detail. China’s Great Firewall project further employs millions in the crime of regulating, censoring, and slowing down domestic internet traffic. That plus the nation’s exclusive use of domestic social media platforms means that China has achieved the great dream of many an authoritarian state — an independent, or “sovereign,” internet. Russia could only dream of attaining such a status. While other illiberal democracies might quake in the face of social media scandals, China shamelessly uses its control of the internet to shut down scandals on the domestic playing field. After a while, international media gets desensitized and moves on from the Peng Shuais of the world. However, China’s surveillance state poses a real and tangible threat to the United States. The nation’s dystopia means that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has a tight grip on the peoples’ ability to spread ideas or even think freely. A basic review of survey data from the World Values Survey demonstrates that Chinese people have submitted to lower democratic values and no longer understand democracy for what it is today, due to stringent censorship measures. For instance, the data demonstrated that, in China, the people greatly support democracy, however they believe that their government is democratic on the whole, even though China is an illiberal democracy. Meanwhile, the people showed altered perceptions of democracy with the belief that the government has the right to conduct surveillance and limit the privacy of the internet, or that the majority of Chinese journalists and media are uninvolved in corruption. In fact, there are no privately owned TV or radio stations in China according to the CIA World Factbook, and the Central Propaganda Department ensures that all domestic media outlets must gain approval from the government for all programming, so these beliefs are deeply misguided. What is particularly troubling, besides the rights violations, is the fact that China is already in the process of selling and exporting these technologies to other illiberal regimes — 18 countries are already implementing this system. China is considered a “major exporter of broadcasting equipment world-wide” according to the CIA World Factbook’s 2020 data. This approach to the internet and surveillance technologies demonstrates China’s intention to degrade global internet freedom and public unity on social issues. The CCP aims to restrict the flow of information not just in its own country but abroad. The party hopes to spearhead this movement — one can only imagine the control that such surveillance powers will leave to China on an international scale. China’s flashy new tools for social control and surveillance are here to stay and to spread. The United States should brace itself for a long-term battle for internet freedom and democracy in what could be the next Cold War.

What was supposed to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to travel across the globe and encounter a culture and civilization parallel to their own quickly became 38 days in prison, thousands of kilometers away from their home country. < Back The Illegitimate Detention of Two Brazilians in Germany and the Current Approach to Security in Airports By Catarina Vita for Sciences Defense January 31, 2024 What was supposed to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to travel across the globe and encounter a culture and civilization parallel to their own quickly became 38 days in prison, thousands of kilometers away from their home country. Jeanne Paolini and Katyna Baia, both in their forties and married for twelve years, were flying from Goiania, Brazil to Frankfurt, Germany, to celebrate Paolini’s veterinary residency in one of the best universities in Brazil, the University of Brasilia. Upon arriving in Frankfurt, the two women were detained in the airport’s prison, accused of carrying forty kilos of cocaine in their baggage. The cocaine, however, was proven not to be theirs. One day later, they found themselves outside the airport, but in the city’s prison for women. It was found that the name tags in their baggage were displaced to luggage filled with drugs, by the Brazilian airport staff. Their case was a gateway to a massive scheme of drug trafficking from Brazil’s biggest airports to European metropoles. The Case The couple flew from the capital of their Brazilian state, Goiania, to Frankfurt, for a connecting flight to Berlin, but their bags were intercepted in one of Brazil’s biggest airports, the Guarulhos Airport in São Paulo. The couple would only revindicate their luggage in Berlin, their final destination. Upon disembarking from their flight to Frankfurt, they were detained and imprisoned on March 5, 2023. They stayed in custody for 38 days. The couple alleged mistreatment by the German police, and were denied access to the winter garments in their hand luggage despite -3 degree temperatures in Frankfurt. Preceding the interception of Paolini and Baia’s luggage, two employees at the Guarulhos Airport were caught on security footage examining each of the women’s suitcases and removing them from the rest of the luggage reaching Frankfurt. In sequence, two women with cocaine-filled luggage encountered the employees and helped with placing the couple’s name tags in the new drug-filled suitcases. Paolini and Baia’s luggage was still sent to Berlin, but without their name tags. It is important to note that airlines, not airports, are responsible for employees handling baggage. As the Brazilian Federal Police (PF) became aware of the case, allied to the Brazilian Public Ministry (MP), they compiled a total of 200 hours of security footage which enabled these bodies to identify the ones responsible for displacing the name tags. The couple’s lawyer highlighted that the trip was booked months before their departure date, and both women had health insurance, showing that they did not have a profile of a drug mule. These people, who have the role of smuggling drugs often through high security scenarios (especially in between international borders), are often not provided with health insurance or plane tickets bought in advance, since they will only be in the country of destination for a short amount of time and only to deliver drugs. On April 5, 2023, the women were heard in German court in face of the evidence provided by Brazilian authorities. They were found to be innocent, but the German authorities requested evidence incriminating the airport staff for having exchanged Paolini and Baia’s suitcases, as the Brazilian government alleged. When this was presented around eight days later, Paolini and Baia were released. The Operation Collateral Effect Paolini and Baia’s case introduced the Operation Collateral Effect by the Brazilian police. As stated previously, Paolini and Baia’s luggage were apprehended by employees at the Guarulhos Airport. The Brazilian Police Force noticed that similar cases occurred in 2022 and 2023 in the same airport to Portugal and France, respectively. The Operation culminated in “14 mandates of temporary prison, two mandates of preventive detention and 27 mandates for search and apprehension,” according to G1 Brazil . The Brazilian police commenced their operation by questioning the airport employees involved in Paolini and Baia’s case. Out of the six questioned, five of them denied their involvement in the crime and one of them confessed. All six of them were arrested with supporting evidence. The Brazilian Police Force was able to trace the cases of drugs being smuggled to Portugal and France to the same group of employees, but also identified other cases of cocaine smuggling also from the airport of Guarulhos with the same modus operandi as the smuggling to Germany, nonetheless without evidence that the group had responsibility. Upon increased investigation on how the group thought and acted to smuggle drugs from Brazil to Europe, the police authorities discovered that they divided themselves into working at the airport, to observe in whose name they would send drugs to. Another subgroup simulated a check-in, but in the domestic flight part of the airport, with the actual drug-filled suitcase, but the other members of the group that worked at the airport made sure the luggage did not pass the metal detector. Continuing, the drug luggage was smuggled into the international section and then the name tag displacement process initiated. What This Means for International Security Katyna Baia and Jeanne Paolini’s illegitimate detention showed Brazilian and international defense authorities the extent to which the drug trafficking business has adopted in the present, and how this can come at the expense of innocent tourists’ rights. It also showcased how the drug business is everywhere, even hidden inside airport staff. What was perceived to be one of the most secure places in Brazil, the country’s biggest airport in the largest city in Latin America, was responsible for at least three massive 20 kilogram smuggling operations of illicit drugs. Airport authorities are shown to be keen on security checks on passengers and even in migration control, but this case shows that there is corruption from within the system as well. While being interviewed by G1 Brazil , Brazilian PM Officer Felié Faé Lavareda said (contextualized translation from Portuguese): “The link in the Guarulhos Airport to Europe (in drug trafficking) was dismantled today.” In fact, the Guarulhos Airport implemented a few measures to attempt to keep the security in the restricted areas of the airport, in which the criminal group displaced name tags and smuggled drugs, such as prohibiting cell phone usage. Nonetheless, nothing indicates strict background checks on airport employees, or a further investigation on the drug smuggling cases the PF could not trace back to the criminal group. The Guarulhos Airport communicated to CNN Brazil that the airlines, not the airports, are responsible for luggage-dealing employees and are thus supposed to be held accountable for anything relating to luggage. However, especially when it concerns tourists from your own country leaving for Europe, a shared effort between airport authorities, airlines, and even government authorities is fitting — particularly because the criminal group acted under surveillance cameras and nothing was noticed. In light of this illegitimate detention and according to CNN Brazil, Brazilian authorities aim to implement a new regulation: photographing the dispatched bags with the passenger’s respective names. The efforts from the Brazilian authorities and police to investigate Katyna Baia and Jeanne Paolini’s case is a result of disciplined work ethic and intricate scrutiny in the gathered evidence. However, taking pictures of suitcases and the passenger it belongs to barely scratches the surface of the problem. Baia and Paolini’s case surrounds the lack of surveillance in airports and the omnipresence of drug smuggling in Brazil – their experience exemplifies that further scrutiny and security measures in airports must be implemented in conjunction with airlines and national authorities.

Although, some may look at the involved parties in black and white as either heroes or traitors, it seems far more relevant to see politicians such as Yasser Arafat and Yitzhak Rabin as compromising realists.  < Back The Oslo Accords: 30 Years Later October 31, 2023 30 years ago, in 1993, the world was full of hope. A future was being drawn in which a resolution was envisionable in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The Oslo I Accords were signed in September 1993, a breakthrough in Israeli-Palestinian diplomatic efforts to find a peaceful solution to a conflict which has lasted from the creation of the state of Israel in 1948 up to this day. In the current context of the Israel-Hamas war, it seems all the more important to reflect on this event. Although, some may look at the involved parties in black and white as either heroes or traitors, it seems far more relevant to see politicians such as Yasser Arafat and Yitzhak Rabin as compromising realists. It is impossible to claim that the built-up resentment on both sides from decades of tensions and murderous wars was suddenly eradicated by envisioning the possibility of peace. Quite on the contrary – each party, the Israeli government and the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), arrived with personal backgrounds and differing interests. What is crucial to take away from this, and which is still a reason for hope to this day, is that despite resentment and experiences of war, a compromise was reached. It was not perfect in anyone’s perspective, but it gave hope that the Palestinian state could finally be accepted, and gave Israel hope for further security and acceptance. To this day, the Oslo Accords are the closest that Israel and Palestine ever came to peace. In the context we are living in, both sides tend to demonize each other as terrorists and tend to reject the vision of the context which led up to the suffering that we see now. Israel’s right wing extremist government and Hamas both use this suffering in à ‘PR war’ which can know no winner. The reminder of the vision that was held by Rabin and Arafat is all the more crucial in such a context as their message was that for the region to develop peace had to prevail. The Accords came out of a backdrop of instability in the Middle East and in the wake of the First Intifada of 1987 — a series of riots by Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank and Israel against the occupation of Palestinian territory. Most importantly, the Accords came from a notion that the Arab-Israeli and Israeli-Palestinian conflicts were disastrous for the entire region’s ability to move forward into an era of progress. This conflict was seen by all sides as an ever present fear, hindering the notion of complete unity and stability in the region. Before the Gulf War, king Fahd of Saudi Arabia had referred to the conflict with Israel as a plaguing fear. At the dawn of the twenty first century, peace was no longer simply an option — it was the only way forward. A crucial outcome of this was the mutual recognition of Israel and the PLO, permitting further negotiation and opening up the doors to a future with two recognized states and an open peace process. 30 years later, the Oslo Accords are but a distant memory. In the circumstances we are living through, witnessing the violence and pain that is still a recurring vision in Israel and Palestine, it can be difficult to think that after 75 years of fighting and mutual rejection, there can be a solution. However, it is important to remember that peace processes and accords can still be found. There is more international support for peace now than ever before, and there is a real need on the ground as the current situation is creating unbearable chaos and bloodshed. The governments (from any side) may not be willing to make the steps towards peace now, but it is crucial to remember that this can change, there is nothing predestining this conflict to continue its ravages. On this note, it is important to remember that the most tragic aspect of attacks that target civilians is that those are often the same people who want peace the most and have nothing to do with policies run by Hamas or the Israeli government. As an example we can look at the concert goers and peace activists murdered and kidnapped by Hamas on Oct. 7 whose misfortune is being used as a reason for Israeli bombing when their families express specific rejection of this.