Pan-European Anti-feminist and Anti-LGBT Mobilization Published: 1 December 2021 The anti-gender movements in Central and Eastern Europe have led to anti-democratic turns in gender and sexuality policies. The best counterstrategy is to reveal such movements’ underlying objectives, strategies, participants, and stakeholders.
Veiled Bodies of Muslim Nonnormative Sexualities: Notes from a Youth Ethnography in Turkey Published: 1 December 2021 The veiling experiences of two LGBTI+ women in Turkey open questions about the discursive constructions of femininity, masculinity, piousness, LGBTI+ secularity, and how these are used in political rhetoric.
Everyday feminism and the authoritarian right in Poland Published: 1 December 2021 Despite the authoritarian atmosphere, the contemporary feminist and queer movements in Poland are becoming more diverse, informal, intersectional, and focused on countering misogyny and homophobia in locally defined contexts.
From Cairo to Berlin: Architectures of Homophobia Published: 1 December 2021 What does a police raid on a bathhouse in Cairo have in common with a police raid on a queer rave in Berlin? Through an examination of two case studies of homophobic violence in Cairo and Berlin, separated by temporal and spatial dimensions, the architecture of homophobia employed by state and media is revealed.
Political homophobia and the making of a rainbow criminal in Turkey Published: 1 December 2021 In the past months, Turkey has prosecuted students who have displayed rainbow flags in Istanbul, indicating a pattern of state-induced political homophobia and violence against marginalized groups, together with the motivation to delegitimize the political opposition in Turkey and elsewhere.
Women, Queers, and Far-Right Politics in Israel/Palestine Published: 1 December 2021 Israel's embrace of far-right politics rendered the lives of the marginalized Jewish population and Palestinians ever more precarious with forces that promote women’s and queer rights, in tension with forces promoting misogyny and homophobia, all contributing to the contemporary far-right political landscape in Israel.
School as a Battlefield: The Debate on Sexuality Education in Ukraine Published: 1 December 2021 Over the past decade, activists and CSOs have argued with conservative and religious groups in Ukraine over the introduction of the so-called “comprehensive sexuality education” in Ukrainian schools.
Statements From Everyday Life - One Option for the Argumentation Around Identity Politics Published: 1 December 2021 Statements we encounter in conversations about left-wing identity politics which it is important to respond to.
What do queer feminist perspectives have to tell us about our current political moment? Published: 30 November 2021 Against the backdrop of political homophobia and anti-feminism in recent years, a two-day digital conference entitled “Queer Feminist Perspectives on Political Homophobia and Anti-Feminism in the Middle East and Europe” was held in September 2021.
Universalism Versus Identity Politics: Of a False Juxtaposition Published: 30 November 2021 Why are identity politics and criticism of discrimination often equated with one another and what consequences does this have for dealing with the ongoing reality of social violence in a serious way?
“We won’t make progress if we don’t talk about differences in power” Published: 30 November 2021 Lou Herbst talks to Ed Greve about the opportunities and limitations of an anti-discriminatory identity politics, intersectionality and what ultimately leads to a divided society.
„Addressing GBV in the workplace is a journey for many organizations“ Published: 26 November 2021 Physical or sexual violence is part of women's everyday experience in many places - also in the workplace. Often it is about abuse of power. There have also been cases of gender-based violence in some non-governmental organisations in recent years. Protective measures have been taken as a result. But is that enough? An interview with Christine Ash Büchner.
Left-wing Liberal Identity Politics in Bosnia and Herzegovina Published: 23 November 2021 In the 1990s, excesses of ethnonationalism led to the devastating Balkan Wars. Today, left-wing liberal agents are trying to free themselves from these destructive forces.
Thailand’s Silent Pandemic: Domestic Violence during COVID-19 Published: 23 November 2021 Porntip wanted out of her abusive marriage and filed for divorce. But her husband wouldn't leave. Then the Thai government's COVID-19 response locked them both behind the same front door in the northeastern Khon Kaen countryside. His drug abuse continued, and the tensions between them increased. As did the beatings. He often told their two daughters he wanted to kill their mother.
It is Time for Action to end Gender Based Violence Published: 23 November 2021 Gender-based violence is usually defined as violence against a person because of their actual or perceived gender. Discriminatory social norms, attitudes and practices promote notions of male privilege, dominance and violence, leading to widespread acceptance of GBV, but also to its invisibility.
Global energy transition: Inequalities could be exacerbated Published: 22 November 2021 Ms. Silvia Sartori, Senior Project Manager of ENERGIA, the International Network on Gender and Sustainable Energy, speaks about why gender matters in the energy debate, how a ‘victimization narrative’ inaccurately represents women, and what can be expected from the Gender and Energy Compact launched in September 2021.
Media pluralism at risk in Greece Published: 22 November 2021 Media pluralism is experiencing a rapid downslide in Greece. A look at the events and political developments that have accumulated in the last months.
Actually European!? 2022 Published: 23 May 2022 This year’s “Actually European!?” study examines the expectations that citizens have for Germanys EU Policy at the "Zeitenwende”. Moreover, the long-term study, now in its fourth year, surveys what Germans perceive to be the country’s role within the EU.
50 Years of International Environmental Policy Published: 23 May 2022 The conference Stockholm+50 takes place five decades after the 1972 UN Conference on the Human Environment. We not only want to look back at 50 years of global environmental policy, but also look forward and ask: What can we do better so that the necessary transformation still succeeds?
Free, fair and alive Published: 19 November 2021 That was Silke Helfrich’s life, and that is what it will remain. Now we are grieving her, our staff member of many years, our colleague, our friend. We are all shaken that Silke was fatally injured on 10 November. She was torn from this world. Her wonderful work will remain with us and inspire us. We will treasure and promote it. We extend our deep sympathy to her family.
Thailand’s Plastic Waste Conundrum Published: 16 November 2021 Despite the Thai government’s ban of four more types of single-use plastics in 2022, up to 250,000 tonnes of imported plastic waste from other nations continues to flow into the country annually through the international plastic waste trade. Thailand is trying to stay the course with further efforts to mitigate plastic pollution, but there are still challenges in waste sorting and collection on the ground.
Debt Relief for Green and Inclusive Recovery Published: 16 May 2022 The Project Debt Relief for Green and Inclusive Recovery (DRGR) was conceived in the summer of 2020 to advance innovative solutions to address the sovereign debt crisis that many countries in the Global South are facing at a time when social progress is under threat and urgent climate action is needed.
Net Zero Is Not Zero Published: 8 November 2021 Recent carbon-neutrality pledges may seem ambitious, but merely serve to promote a new set of false climate solutions under a different guise. Such pledges may persuade many people, but the climate isn’t buying it.
Giant Satrey: the strength of contemporary Cambodian women Published: 3 November 2021 Violence against women and environmental pollution: current social issues are embodied in contemporary and symbolic pieces by the dance company New Cambodian Artists.
Introduction Published: 2 November 2021 This dossier provides a diverse selection of strong civil society voices from Cambodia. We hope that the analyses and contributions included will lead to a better understanding of the results, impacts and successes of the actions of Cambodian civil society.
New Rights, Old Freedom Published: 2 November 2021 Poetry is an important form of expression for everyday and social issues in Cambodia, providing an important voice in increasingly shrinking spaces. The award-winning poem by Chhoy Phanith gives insights into the aspirations and hopes of young Cambodians.
Collective Feminist Leadership: Unlearning the Me, Me, Me Published: 29 October 2021 This article is an effort to ground feminist leadership in what the author(s) deem to be its essence: transformative collective power for the common good of all nature.
Ambiguously Democratic: Parties, Coalitions, and Candidates in the 2022 Philippine Elections Published: 28 October 2021 Elections in the Philippines is a time of alliances, pundits, politicking within and across party lines. A range of candidates have put themselves forward for the upcoming 2022 elections, though their agendas and positions may still be too cloudy for voters to make a clear bet. Persistent problems around politics are present, although reform via the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) is slowly taking place. There’s still plenty of time ahead for unpredictability, by prospective candidates and the voting population.
Real ambition vs. false solutions: What’s at stake during COP26? Published: 27 October 2021 COP26 takes place against the backdrop of nationalist health policies with daunting consequences, failed promises to adequately scale up climate action and financial support, and an unprecedented push for false solutions that divert global attention from the urgent need to phase out fossil fuels.
Green Hydrogen Published: 4 May 2022 Within the energy transition, international trade in green hydrogen and its derivatives will play an important role. But what opportunities and risks does this entail for exporting countries in the global South? What framework is needed to ensure that investments and trade develop from the start with sustainability in mind? The Heinrich Böll Foundation and Bread for the World are exploring these questions in a joint project.