First ever openly trans athlete qualifies for the Olympics
New Zealandβs Laurel Hubbard has been selected for the Tokyo 2020 womenβs weightlifting team after qualifying requirements were recently modified. A revolutionary decision from Olympic officials is poised to make history and headlines at this yearβs games β in addition to provoking significant controversy. Laurel Hubbard, a weightlifter from New Zealand,...
Current in People
Opinion – Indiaβs cow vigilantes are preying on minorities
(Trigger warning: The following article contains details about physical assault) On 24th May, a video showing a group of men attacking a Muslim meat trader went viral. These attackers called themselves βgau rakshaksβ (cow protectors) and suspected that the trader was involved in the butchering of cows. The police have filed...
Exclusive – Impactr, the app turning social media into social change
Thred has been given an exclusive, pre-launch peek at new app Impactr, the self-proclaimed βanti-Amazonβ about to revolutionise online interaction.Β Whatβs next in social media? Itβs a question people have asked themselves since David Fincherβs The Social Network premiered in 2010, seemingly the swan song of a digital juggernaut that...
Opinion – why sex ed serves as an avenue for social change
Governments and schools now consider sex-ed lessons to be a vital opportunity for furthering greater inclusivity and increasing self-confidence in younger generations. When breaking down sexual education to some of its basic elements: establishing consent, respecting differences, setting boundaries, and regularly checking in with your personal health, itβs clear that...
Indigenous communities on the front line in climate change fight
Climate change is affecting all of us whether we feel it in our day-to-day or not. However, Indigenous peoples who depend on local ecosystems are speaking out more than ever. Indigenous people known as Aboriginals - or First Nations in Australia - are people who have lived in harmony...
Why does isolated conflict lead to a rise in global hate crimes? Israel-Palestine explored
Leaders around the world have expressed their concern about a rise in xenophobia and racism after the recent resurgence of the Israeli-Palestinian crisis. The eleven-day battle between Israeli and Palestinian armies has come to a close, with both sides declaring ceasefire from the 21st of May. At least 230 Palestinians and...
Exclusive β Melati Wijsen on the power of todayβs changemaking youth
The self-proclaimed βfull-time changemakerβ is part of a growing phalanx of Gen Zers determined to shape our planetβs future. I sat down with this pioneering environmental activist to discuss the importance of empowering young people to step up, rather than shut down, against the climate crisis. βUs kids may only be 25% of the population, but we are 100% of the future.β These are the words of Melati Wijsen, an...
Colombians continue to mobilise despite police brutality
The country is bracing for further unrest as citizens protesting a proposed tax overhaul tied to the pandemic face unnecessary violence at the hands of law enforcement officials. Protests against President IvΓ‘n Duqueβs controversial ambitions to raise taxes in Colombia have turned deadly. Intended to fill a pandemic-related fiscal hole and mitigate the countryβs economic crisis, the now shelved reform would have lowered the threshold at which individual salaries are...
Is Peru veering towards a humanitarian crisis like Venezuelaβs?
A Chavez-style socialist who seeks to impose ruinous policies leads Peru's upcoming election, putting human rights under threat. Self-described Marxist-Leninist Pedro Castillo β a far-left socially conservative authoritarian with plans to suppress the media and withdraw protection for gender rights β is currently on course to win Peruβs upcoming election on June 6. At present, the dissident union leader is the top contender for president, after surprisingly beating 17 other candidates...
The pandemic has landed India on the brink of collapse
A devastating humanitarian crisis is unfolding in the country of 1.36 billion as it battles against a record-breaking wave of Covid-19 thatβs overwhelmed hospitals already working at full capacity. Only now is the world beginning to understand exactly how seriously a new wave of Covid-19 is ravaging India and its 1.36 billion residents. During the last fortnight, the second-most populous country on Earth has seen cases surge to an incomprehensible...
