International news
It can be easy to get caught up in American Exceptionalism and completely forget that the United States is not the only country facing unrest or addressing societal issues everyday. Especially in the midst of an isolationist trend—worsened by a pandemic— and the 2020 election cycle, keeping informed on international news and foreign policy becomes even more vital. Many issues like that of poverty, homelessness, domestic abuse, racism, sexism, corruption, amongst others, are universal issues that are being addressed differently. Looking at different perspectives and stories of failures and successes can illuminate the solutions to these problems even further. Movements that seemingly stem in the United States, like that of the Black Lives Matter, hold intersectional involvement by the international community. By informing ourselves on people abroad and the universal aspect of issues, we can gain more ideas and garner support in addressing problems plaguing the country and abroad.
Police Brutality
Protesters stand with banners on a truck forced to barricade the Lagos-Ibadan expressway during a demonstration to protest against police brutality and scrapping of Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in Lagos, on October 15, 2020.
Credit: Pius Utomi Ekpei—AFP via Getty Images
Social // October 2020SARS stands for the Special Anti-Robbery Squad in Nigeria. The Nigerian police force has been a subject of major protest in Nigeria for its police brutality and its lack of subjection to the law. The article from TIME Magazine below details what it's like to be a part of the protests and the brutality that protesters face.
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Demonstrators in Medellín, Colombia, protest police brutality Sept. 21. Credit: Joaquin Sarmiento/AFP/Getty Images
Social // september 2020Colombia, like much of Latin America, has a history of racism that is arguably much more severe than in many other parts of the world. The problems of racial inequality have run deep for centuries and affect so many societal issues today. The last words of Javier Ordóñez in Bogota echoed those of George Floyd begging "please no more". Not only have his words been echoed but have followed by similar protests on police brutality.
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