The first Syrians fleeing to Jordan after conflict erupted in 2011 were mostly people staying with relatives. Somewhat like many Europeans on the eve of WWI, they thought that their sojourn would be short and that they would return to their home country after stability returned. But as protests and violence raged on, it became … Read more
If you can just manage to escape war-torn Syria and make it to a refugee camp, you’ll be safe, right? Wrong. Refugee camps are grim places to live, and while the suffering of refugees is well-documented, one of the biggest dangers has nothing to do with guns and violence, but with the lack of clean … Read more
As Americans, half a world away, we are emotionally detached from the refugee crisis and its horrors, so much so that it can seem like a distant, unsolvable problem. Because the discussion about the Refugee Crisis in the United States has primarily focused on refugee immigration and its effects on national security, individual experiences in … Read more
In the span of three years, the Alternative for Germany has grown from a small group of Eurosceptic malcontents into a far-right populist party in a position to undermine Chancellor Merkel’s coalition government. Founded in 2013, the party’s anti-bailout and anti-euro platform initially garnered minimal electoral success. However, the party’s anti-eurozone ideology and desire for … Read more
LGBTQ refugees make up a small percentage of the millions of people headed from Syria to Europe and North America. Many never reveal their sexual orientation for fear of persecution, and so the obstacles they face and the abuses that they suffer remain hidden. These individuals are not only targeted by religious extremists in their … Read more
German Chancellor Angela Merkel frequently used the slogan “wir schaffen das” (we can handle it) to summarize why Germany was allowing so many migrants to cross its borders. However, Germans are becoming increasingly skeptical of their ability to do so. Additionally, certain nations have actively refused to receive refugees. Denmark, for example, went so far … Read more
There is an overlooked refugee and humanitarian crisis occurring in Eritrea, a nation born from decades of struggle to gain independence from Ethiopia. Africa’s second-newest state receives little aid from Western governments and focus from media, despite being one of the largest sources of refugees globally. Isaias Afwerki, a guerrilla leader in the fight for … Read more
“We can do it.” With these words German chancellor Angela Merkel famously refused to close the country’s borders. In rejecting the xenophobic sentiments that led to immigration caps in other countries, Merkel made Germany a bastion of hope for many of those still waiting at the borders of Europe. It was not only the German … Read more
“A message to the silver-spoon-spoiled students of Harvard” read the title of a recent article from the New York Post. In it, author Jonathon Trugman attacked Harvard’s “smug, silver-spoon-spoiled students” for reacting to Harvard’s recent $2 billion loss in endowment value. Trugman’s arguments were at best fallacious and at worst blatantly wrong. Trugman’s first claim … Read more
Americans listening to the speeches at the Republican National Convention in July could be excused for thinking the United States was coming apart at the seams. Speakers preaching fear, decay, and lost greatness tugged at the heartstrings of attendees and viewers. Although the speeches were certainly laced with bombast, the core message was not inaccurate. … Read more