Travels in a Polarized Country In the lead-up to the U.S. election, I had the opportunity to travel through several states along the East Coast, visiting friends and university campuses. Even before the final, surprising twist on election night, the polarization amongst Americans was palpable. In Boston – perhaps America’s most educated city – I tuned into the…
Coffee and Politics As I was sitting across the table from my university friend, nearly 10 years later, I couldn’t help noticing the salt and pepper that started sprinkling his hair. We had been roommates for two years while going to school in Los Angeles. Shortly after graduation, he left for graduate studies on the…
It’s hard to believe we’re already past the halfway point of 2016. As usual, this year has already brought a bounty of must-hear music from all corners of the world. New albums have trickled in from established artists on the world music circuit (such as Fanfare Cicorlia), while new artists are being discovered from countries…
Presidential primaries unlike any other. Renewed promise for action on climate change. A refugee crisis that nobody seems to have an answer for. Increasingly brazen acts of terrorism around the world. A vote that may forever change Europe’s course. Through the first half of 2016, the world seemed to spin at an increasingly dizzying pace of change…
The Story If there’s one common theme that underlines politics across the industrialized world in 2016, it is surely the rise of populist movements into the mainstream. Consider the following developments in Europe and North America over just the last month: In Spain, the far-left political coalition Podemos-Izquierda Unida has firmly supplanted the Socialist Party in voting…
Immigration has clearly catapulted its way to the top of the political discourse in North America and Europe in recent months. From debates over refugee policy in Canada and Europe, to the persistence of Donald Trump’s campaign and anti-immigrant soundbites in the United States, it seems that all political actors have an opinion on what to…
A Cuban Conundrum On a sunny day in early February 2014, my partner and I stood at the end of a stone walkway at the entrance of Havana’s Castillo de los tres reyes magos del morro, or “El Morro” for short. We were on a two-week vacation in Cuba, and wrapping up a satisfying afternoon visit of the…
This week marks the one-year anniversary of Pine Tree Republic (and thank you to everyone who has contributed so far to the community through reading, sharing, and commenting on posts!). As we’ve discussed international events over the last 12 months, it’s safe to say that one of the most complex issues has been the mass migration of people…
The Story Sometimes, global crises hit without warning. Natural disasters, such as the massive 2010 earthquake in Haiti, or the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan, are still beyond our ability to predict with precision and accuracy (though the social and environmental problems that followed may have been more predictable). In other cases, we miss the…
The Story Three months after stepping into power, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his Liberal Party face one of their first major governance controversies, over their continued support of a controversial $15 billion (Cdn) arms deal to Saudi Arabia. The deal represents the largest contract to export manufactured goods in Canadian history, and will employ an…
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