Ukraine's 2,7 million disabled people are excluded from humanitarian efforts

Disabled people do not have the opportunity to get to shelters in time during bombings, not least fleeing the country due to mobility impairments, writes Jesper Hansén in Omvärlden. Photo: Aleksey Filippov / UNICEF. Source: Flickr.

Of: Julia Lundén Azzeddine

The war in Ukraine has left great traces of destruction and has had serious consequences and changed living conditions for the country's civilian population. A particularly vulnerable group are the approximately 2,7 million Ukrainian residents with disabilities.

April 22, 2022, Notis

Week 15: "Europe's oil and gas kill civilians in Ukraine"

More debaters believe that the EU should stop importing Russian gas. Photo: Giorgio Galeotti. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Of: Ina Carlsson

The past week's debate and leadership pages have been dominated by discussions about how the Western world should handle trade in Russian goods. Debaters have also discussed the financial and food crises that have hit developing countries in the wake of the war in Ukraine.

April 19, 2022, Current debate

Five lessons from Russia's war in Ukraine on aid and development policy

In March, the Social Democratic government announced that costs for Swedish refugee reception would be deducted from development assistance. Magnus Walan, senior policy adviser at Diakonia, thinks the opposite - more aid to, among other things, promote democracy in the world, not less. He writes this in a guest analysis on Utvecklingsmagasinet. Photo: The Social Democrats. Source: Flickr.

Of: Magnus Walan

There is a debate going on about what lessons we can learn from Russia's war in Ukraine. Much of the debate is about NATO, but there are also lessons for Swedish foreign, development and development policy. How can politics become better at preventing conflicts and wars? Magnus Walan, senior policy advisor at Diakonia, lists five lessons.

April 11, 2022, Guest analysis

Week 14: Debaters critical of aid being used for refugee reception

"If Sweden is to continue to be seen as a pioneering country in development aid, we must be prepared to lead - not by creatively trying to circumvent the main purpose of development aid." Several leaders of Swedish aid organizations write about the government's announcement that Sweden's refugee reception should be able to be deducted from the aid. Pictured: informal settlements in Yemen. Photo: EU Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid. Source: Flickr.

Of: Fanny Andersson and Julia Lundén Azzeddine

The leadership continues to be largely dominated by political consequences stemming from Russia's war against Ukraine. But now voices are also beginning to be raised about Swedish development assistance and the need to also focus on other humanitarian issues.

April 11, 2022, Current debate

The world is divided over economic sanctions against Russia

Sanctions against Russia can hit other countries' economies and populations hard. Photo: DimitroSevastopol / 35 images. Source: Pixabay.

Of: Sigrid Wernersson

Raging commodity prices, economic crises and unexpected winners. These are some of the possible effects of economic sanctions against Russia, but far from all countries choose to support the sanctions. Whatever the purpose, sanctions risk being more globally destabilizing than many realize.

April 8, 2022, Analysis

Black students organize their rescue from the Ukraine War via Instagram

Testimonies have emerged about black people who fled the Ukrainian war, but were stopped at the Polish border and allowed to return to Lviv. Now black people are organizing themselves on social media to help each other escape the war. Photo: Taine Noble. Source: Unsplash.

Of: Hibo Yusuf Ahmed

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has resulted in mass exodus of civilians. Among them are thousands of students from Africa, and several of them testify to racism during their flight. In the absence of help for black students in the war zone, they organize their own rescue through Instagram.

April 7, 2022, News

Week 13: "More sanctions against Russia - now"

Torbjörn Becker, head of the Institute of Eastern Economics at the Stockholm School of Economics, calls on the western world to introduce new, tougher sanctions against Russia's leadership. "Sanctions against oil could run out of Putin's money," he wrote. Photo: DimitroSevastopol. Source: Pixabay.

Of: Hibo Yusuf Ahmed and Samira Issa

Why the Western world must increase sanctions against Russia and how Sweden's potential NATO accession can put peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in a critical situation has been debated over the past week.

April 4, 2022, Current debate

Week 12: Debaters disagree about Sweden's refugee reception

"This is a new situation than in 2015, and it is important not to repeat the mistake of trying to backtrack or tighten or pull out." The environmentalists Maria Ferm, Rasmus Ling and Annika Hirvonen write this in a debate article about Sweden's refugee reception. Pictured: Syrian refugees crossing the border between Hungary and Austria on their way to Germany, 2015. Photo: Mstyslav Chernov. Source: Wikimedia commons.

Of: Angel Collin and Lina Kallio

Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues to dominate the media. The war has led to a debate about who should be considered refugees and when economic sanctions should be used.

March 28, 2022, Current debate

Week 11: Debaters pay tribute to civil society's reception of refugees from Ukraine

Demonstration in solidarity with the Ukrainian people in London, one of many similar protests in the world against the war in Ukraine. Photo: Alisdare Hickson. Source: Flickr.

Of: Wilma Sörman Ivarzon

Last week, several debaters praised the support of Swedish civil society to help Ukrainian refugees, while the Swedish Migration Board is accused of lack of responsibility. Sweden's attitude towards NATO and the Swedish civil defense was also discussed on the debate pages.

March 24, 2022, Current debate

Week 10: Debaters disagree on possible NATO membership

Sweden's possible entry into NATO has continued to be a major discussion on Swedish debate and leadership pages during the past week. Pictured: NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. Photo: NATO, North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Source: Flickr.

Of: Frida Lindberg and Julia Carlzon

Last week's debate was also marked by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. In addition to the question of a Swedish entry into NATO and the dependence on Russian natural gas, the climate issue has also found a place in the discussion.

March 14, 2022, Current debate