Response to the latest Barbie doll justifies its existence
Mattel’s new doll has Type 1 diabetes, marking another inclusive step for the brand. But response to the launch highlights a persistent lack of education around the disease – and the need to dismantle stigma. Mattel’s latest addition to its Barbie lineup, a doll with Type 1 diabetes, might seem like...
Current in Change
Easyjet’s bag bonus scheme causes outrage
A leaked email shows the budget airline has been rewarding staff for catching oversized luggage. We all have a love/hate relationship with budget airlines. From Ryanair to easyJet, these low-cost alternatives to pricey air-travel have saved more of my girls' holidays than I can count on one hand. But they’ve...
Why Africa must step up following USAID withdrawal
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which represents a fundamental element of American soft power and is one of the most consequential development agencies in the world, is closing its doors. While curtains never truly ‘fall’, there are flagging budget cuts, evolving US foreign policy objectives, and a...
Exclusive – Acclaimed chef Ebru Baybara Demir on driving change through a ‘plate’
I spoke with Ebru Baybara Demir, an award-winning social gastronomy chef from Türkiye, about how gastronomy can impact communities, people, and the environment. Ebru Baybara Demir has been a driving force behind the transformation of a small city in eastern Türkiye: Mardin. Like the butterfly effect, her dream of turning Mardin...
Why is Greece’s farming industry in peril?
The scandal that has made its way up the government’s hierarchy has faced harsh penalties from the EU. However, these may ultimately affect honest farmers. Back in its archaic days, clientelism was central to Greece. This system saw citizens relying on patronage from esteemed parties, normally political, in exchange for...
Why are women’s tears still condemned as weakness?
Rachel Reeves’ display of emotion in the House of Commons has been met with criticism and a stock market nose-dive. Why is the image of an emotional woman still so controversial? The UKs first female Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, cried in the Commons last week. Her tears led to a crash...
Zuckerberg school closures reflect wider shift among US billionaires
The quiet decision to retract funding for a US primary school has caused the institution to shutter – leaving disadvantaged kids in the crossfire. By all accounts, The Primary School in East Palo Alto, California, was designed to be an ambitious experiment in breaking the cycle of intergenerational poverty. Founded in 2016 with the backing of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI), the school offered something few public institutions could: not...
Plastic bag fees are limiting coastal litter
When it comes to the climate, a new study has found that small daily changes are having a large-scale positive impact. In an era where climate headlines often lean toward catastrophe, a rare dose of optimism has emerged. A new multinational study has found that plastic bag bans and fees are having a tangible, measurable impact –coastal litter from plastic bags has nearly halved in regions where these policies...
7 powerful books to read this Pride Month
Your definitive guide to the best queer literature you need this summer. We all know that Pride Month isn’t just a time for celebration. It’s also a time for reflection, community, and storytelling. And what encapsulates this trifecta more than a good bit of queer literature? From books to journals and speeches, the words of queer writers have always been a radical act: a means of documenting desire, identity, loss, love,...
University of Pennsylvania to remove trans athletes from women’s sports
The University of Pennsylvania has revoked a set of records set by transgender swimmer Lia Thomas, apologising to the female athletes ‘disadvantaged’ by her participation in 2022. We’re beginning to see the manifestation of Donald Trump’s reversal of anti-discrimination orders – specifically, when it comes to trans athletes participating in women’s sports. The University of Pennsylvania has this week modified a trio of school records set by transgender swimmer Lia Thomas,...
