Category: Global South

Rainforest in Ruin: Bolsonaro and the Amazon

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Photo by Felipe Wernicke

By Isana Raja
Staff Writer

The Amazon rainforest, home to over 3 million plant and animal species and over 120 Indigenous groups, has been and continues to be under threat. Deforestation by means of illegal logging, mining, and land clearance fires have surged at a rate of 55% since 2019. Not only do these practices endanger thousands of species and put Indigenous communities at risk, but they are also one of the greatest contributors to climate change. Much of these rapid changes to the world’s largest rainforest lies within the hands of Brazil’s government. 

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Undervalued Yet Undeterred: Indian Farmers Protest Continues

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Photo by Randeep Maddoke from Wikimedia Commons

By Isana Raja
Staff Writer

Since August of 2020, thousands of farmers across India have taken to the streets in protest. Sleeping on the side of the road in their tractors, enduring the cold, rain, and retaliation from police, has not deterred these farmers. Though the heart of these demonstrations is located in the capital of New Delhi, the movement has permeated every major city. The Indian Farmers Protest started as a few small-scale protests in the state of Punjab. It only took a month for farmers unions across the various states of India to join in on the demonstrations, marching in solidarity to Delhi. The movement calls for the repealment of three agriculture laws passed by Prime Minister Modi in September. The protesters believe these agricultural reforms aim to prioritize corporate interests, in turn, hurting small farmers and their livelihoods. 

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How the Developing World is Coping with COVID-19: The Case of Bolivia

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A Bolivian woman in La Paz covers her face with a mask to protect against COVID-19. 
Credits: Abad Miranda

By Olivia Bryan
Staff Writer

It seems that there isn’t anything new to be said that hasn’t been said already regarding COVID-19. Unprecedented. Once in a lifetime. Unforgettable. Most mainstream media coverage of the pandemic remains fixed on East Asia, Europe, and North America, the three geographical areas that have been hit the hardest. But viruses know no borders, and many smaller, poorer countries are being largely omitted from the coronavirus media narrative. These countries are often the ones most vulnerable to the virus’s externalities: lacking proper medical supplies, social welfare programs, and efficient governance to aid citizens’ health and well-being. 

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