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Human rights and justice

Painting of a man in British colonial attire with an Indian child attendant holding a sword, by a tree overlooking a river landscape.

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True solidarity requires Burke’s ‘sympathetic revenge’

Social media utterances aren’t enough. Burke’s stand against colonial injustice shows we must confront our own complicity

by Jack Jacobs

Photo of a small American flag on a metal barrier surrounded by litter at night.

Civic life

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Disappointment is not just a feeling – it’s a political force

When political regimes fail us, don’t turn to optimism. It’s disappointment that holds the radical potential for change

by Rafael Holmberg

Photo of a person in a white vest and jacket with folded hands and a tattoo, viewed through a mesh screen.

Conflict and conflict resolution

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Restorative justice fits human nature more than retribution does

As recognised by ancestral wisdom and Indigenous practices, our need to repair relationships is a deep-rooted instinct

by Flavia Corso

Painting of a seated man looking at a small dog, which has its paw on his knee in a room with a decorated door.

Social history

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How the law soothed broken hearts in 19th-century America

What does a deep dive into the transcripts of historical seduction trials reveal about how we account for hurt feelings?

by Jinal Dadiya

A protest with people holding signs that read ‘We are worth more’ and ‘Strike for 15’; large Ronald McDonald figure in the background

Human rights and justice

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Most protests fail. What are activists doing right when they win?

The science of protest reveals successful tactics and common weak points. Those who want change should take it onboard

by Lisa Mueller

Photo of a toilet paper dispenser on a tiled wall in a dimly lit bathroom.

Human rights and justice

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Public toilets are vanishing and that’s a civic catastrophe

New research shows it is a nightmare for all of us, but especially for people with health issues and marginalised groups

by Guido Corradi

Photo of a person in a wheelchair from behind. Shoes with red details are visible. Pedestrians walk nearby on a city street.

Disability

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Prejudice is more of a problem for some disabilities than others

It’s welcome that there’s more awareness of ableism, but further progress means digging into the varied ways it plays out

by Matt Huston

Photo of a woman in black clothing on a street near a beauty salon with a colourful sign and a travel agency.

Human rights and justice

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The day the Taliban banned women like me from working

With my daughters’ education cancelled, I thought the regime had done its worst. Then a new message came from my office

by Nargis

Painting of a historical scene with ships and a group of people onshore, central figure holding a flag in a tropical setting.

Human rights and justice

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Hidden in translation – Jewish resistance to Spanish empire

Translation as a powerful form of resistance: how a 16th-century Sephardic Jew conquered the colonial narrative from Spain

by Flora Cassen

Photo of a busy city street with blurred pedestrians and taxis at dusk, reflected in a glass window.

Disability

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A few simple steps could empower the world’s largest minority

What makes people like me disabled is not our bodies but the societies we live in. Let me inspire a rethink in your attitudes

by Paras Shah

Black and white photo of protesters holding a banner saying “DON’T CRY: RESIST!” on a city street in the rain.

Civic life

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The origin story of a slogan, ‘the personal is political’

What the radical-feminist origins of the slogan ‘the personal is political’ can tell us about language in our own divided age

by Guy Stevenson

A painting of a figure standing near a bed with a patterned red and cream wall in the background.

Hallucinations and delusions

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Philosophy can help us connect, even in the face of psychosis

How phenomenological tools can help foster a relationship of true listening between clinicians and people with psychosis

by Rosa Ritunnano & Kasim Qureshi