Uncategorized – Future-Proof Development

STOP the Wolf Cull in Western Canada: Re-visiting Human-centric Development

Many of us may consider ‘development’ to be a human problem consisting of economic issues and focusing on economic growth. But what about the environment? If academics and policymakers continue to frame ‘development’ as human-centric, we risk severe consequences. Let’s consider the current wolf cull in Western Canada, specifically in British Columbia and Alberta. It is completely legal, encouraged and funded by the provincial governments to slaughter wolves in Western Canada through methods such as poisoning and shooting these animals from helicopters. The reasoning behind this cull is that the wolf populations are apparently causing a decline in caribou populations in these areas. Research tells us that this reasoning is inaccurate and highlights the issues that arise with ignoring the environmental dimensions of ‘development’.

Economy before equality: China’s Uighur Population Ignored in COVID-19 Response

In 2014, the BBC revealed that the Chinese government had initiated a mass persecution and detention of the Uighur minority in Xinjiang in April 2013. The Uighurs act as an ethnically, culturally, religiously, and economically independent group in China, where the majority of population is ethnically Han Chinese. Religiously, the Uighurs adhere to Islam, while ethnically, they are more comparable to that of Turkish customs and traditions. This has caused strong linguistic, cultural, and religious divisions between the Uighurs and Han Chinese.

No Flights Home: How I Got Stuck In Iraq Due To COVID-19

Since tensions between Iran, the US, and Iraq grew strong in the start of January 2020, my family felt quite nervous about my brother and me travelling to our homeland, Iraq-Kurdistan, for reading week in February. My brother and I had heard about COVID-19 before we left Canada, but it wasn’t a really big deal at the time – little did we know that the virus would prevent us from coming back to Canada just two weeks later.

The Cape Town Drought – Looking Beyond the Lack of Water

When a crisis hits, it is crucial to shine a light upon the various factors that led to the issue, exacerbated its impacts, and hindered its resolution. An insightful example of this is the Cape Town water crisis in South Africa, which received a lot of media attention in 2017 and 2018. The crisis was so pressing at the time, it was anticipated that Cape Town would run their water reservoirs completely dry.

The Global Gag Rule: A Setback for Human Rights and Equality

The Global Gag Rule, reinstated in January 2017 by the United States, has not only reinforced already existing gender inequality, but has also infringed upon basic human rights.

The Essential Guide to Riding a Taxi in Yaoundé, Cameroon

I have traveled to Cameroon on several occasions to conduct field research and learned that getting around can be quite a challenge for newcomers. Catching a ride in the capital Yaoundé involves an intricate social proceeding that’s not for the faint of heart. There are no public city buses; and unlike Nairobi’s colourful matatus or Abidjan’s infamous gbakas, Yaoundé does not feature an improvised urban transit system made up of (more or less regulated) privately-owned minibuses. And although Uber now offers its ride-sharing concept in Lagos, Accra and Abuja, it has not (yet) extended its networks to any other urban centres in Central or West Africa. Instead, Yaoundé’s streets are dominated by a vast fleet of bright yellow share taxis.

Carving my Career in Development: 5 Insights from working with the UNDP

Contrary to popular belief, your undergraduate degree does not limit you to your field of study. As someone who completed a B.Comm. in Human Resource Management at the University of Guelph and is now working at UNICEF Canada, it has been my personal experience that it is a combination of our passion, experiences, and education that steer our career paths.