Week 21: Hijacking, poison scandal and divided opinions about Israel-Palestine

Of: Josefine Hörkeby and Kevin Perera

Last week, Belarus' President Alexander Lukashenko's actions led to widespread criticism from the outside world. Swedish debaters are now calling for sanctions and a new policy towards Belarus and its Russian allies. At the same time, the Israel-Palestine conflict continues to provoke debate. The Swedish metal company Boliden's dark past in Chile is also highlighted by UN rapporteur Marcos Orellana.

May 31, 2021, Current debate

Universal basic income for low- and high-income countries

Campaign ahead of the referendum on national basic income in Switzerland 2016 where the people voted no. Photo: Michael von der Lohe, Flickr

Of: Kevin Perera

Citizens' salaries (also called basic income) are predicted to be able to alleviate economic decline and lead to favorable outcomes. Basically, it is about society offering residents an unconditional financial security, sufficient to cover basic needs. But will basic income achieve similar effects in low- and high-income countries? And if not, what differences are there to consider? There are many indications that low-income countries may find it difficult to reform poverty reduction, from aid to a reliable welfare system, while high-income countries have a much better starting point for using basic income for their own purposes.

April 8, 2021, Analysis

Charging batteries requires responsibility

Thousands of children and adults work in the cobalt mines in Congo, without either approved equipment or a living wage. Photo: Fairphone (CC BY-NC-SA)

Of: Kevin Perera

Imagine a world where emissions are basically limited to the production of a battery. After that, then you are free. Free from the now established climate anxiety, free from slowly but surely manipulating the state of our fine planet. This is your chance to choose a green path for a better tomorrow. Such a tomorrow can […]

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March 25, 2020, Chronicle