BY: KASSANDRA DZIKEWICZ A classroom in a box fitted with everything from solar panels to computers is becoming the future of education in impoverished countries. Since not attending school has become a sense of normality for children in countries such…
Global Stage
#ItsOnUs: New anti-rape PSA brought by the White House emphasizes the importance of consent
BY: KAROUN CHAHINIAN Consent seems like a simple and fairly obvious concept, but if it is, why are there still over 293,000 cases of sexual assault in America every year? One of the most common places where these assaults take…
All Dutch trains will run on wind energy by 2018
BY: SWIKAR OLI A contract between two forward-thinking companies will completely redefine sustainability for the people of the Netherlands within the next few years. Netherlands’ railway giant, Nederlandse Spoorwegen, has inked a deal with Eneco, a local energy supplier, to…
California is about to become the world’s leader on climate change
BY: JESSICA BEUKER California is once again leading the world in climate action. Back in January, California Governor Jerry Brown made a promise to pursue a list of climate goals that were among the most ambitious in the world. He…
The Citizens of Iceland are offering up their homes to over 11,000 refugees
BY: ZOE MELNYK While nations around the world are struggling to create a reasonable solution to the recent refugee crisis, Iceland’s citizens are embracing an “open door” policy – welcoming in thousands of immigrants searching for a brighter future. Although…
This machine shows you what minimum wage really looks like
BY: SWIKAR OLI I worked as a dishwasher at 15 years old. I scrubbed until my arms were sore, burned my hands in scalding water, cleaned out a rotting meat fridge, finding brief respite in its foul but crisp coldness.…
The Italian military is growing pot to combat illness (Video)
M. TOMOSKI Somewhere in northern Italy, there is a warehouse full of drugs called the Florence Military Chemical-Pharmaceutical Plant. The secure site acts as the private pharmacy for the Italian armed forces, but it also helps thousands of citizens each…
Meet the vigilante who’s saving the lives of orphans in Ukraine
BY: SAREEMA HUSAIN “Don’t touch me, just let me die,” the child barks. Gennadiy Mokhnenko stands above him, peering down. The child is laying on the floor, arms and legs contorted and it is clear he cannot walk. Track marks…
Instead of throwing drug addicts in prison, this town is offering help
BY: LISA CUMMING Addiction is a disease. Despite this, drug abusers in the United States are thrown in prison where maybe 11 per cent of them get the rehabilitative care they need and, upon release, 50 per cent of inmates…
Saudi Arabian women can now vote in municipal elections
BY: ZOE MELNYK Saudi Arabia made a leap forward this month by finally allowing woman to register to vote and run for municipal elections, but the battle for women’s rights and freedoms is far from over. The news surfaced last…
Otters aren’t just fucking adorable – they lower carbon dioxide levels
BY: SWIKAR OLI Being a California sea otter ain’t easy. Sea otters are among the smallest mammals in the ocean. Great whites love to eat them. They are plagued by disease, and we manage to disturb their lives in various…
South Korean architects turned this abandoned mansion into an active children’s centre
BY: ZOE MELNYK What was once a crumbling deserted building, rotting in a rural area of South Korea is now a thriving children’s centre that promotes healthy living and education while providing adolescents with a safe, creative atmosphere. The South…
This artist melted 1,527 guns and turned them into shovel heads for planting trees
BY: KAROUN CHAHINIAN One way to fight gun violence is to be a social activist in your community. Another less-conventional way would be to melt down thousands of firearms and use them as artistic tools to contribute to society. It’s…
So apparently the 40-hour work week isn’t just soul-eating, it’s literally bad for business
BY: SAREEMA HUSAIN John likes what he does. He wakes up at six daily, takes a shower, shaves, puts on his suit, and if it’s a Monday, he might shine his shoes before he leaves the house. John doesn’t have…
This is the most absurdly fucked campaign video of all time that just might win your vote
BY: THE PLAID ZEBRA By now we know that much of contemporary politics has become a self-parody. A trust fund baby and former reality TV show star is heading the race for the GOP nomination. A former fetal researcher has…
MDMA and social media are the latest prescription fighting veteran suicide
BY: THE PLAID ZEBRA “We can be there for you—as you were there for us—protecting our country, let us protect you!” This is one of the many heartfelt comments on Send up the Count’s Facebook page. Send up the Count…
California’s prisoners are fighting wildfires for reduced prison sentences
BY: THE PLAID ZEBRA The tree line recedes behind a scorched hillside; the smell of charred timber hanging above the burned-0ver land. For California’s professional firefighters, the smell might remind them that the state is drying up. But for the…
New York City lights up to raise awareness of endangered species
BY: THE PLAID ZEBRA Wildlife can be hard to come by in the concrete jungle—until last weekend, when endangered species were projected onto the Empire State Building. Filmmakers of “Racing Extinction” used New York City’s tallest building as a…
Amy Schumer leads a fight against gun violence after three died in a shooting at her new film
BY: KAROUN CHAHINIAN Comedian Amy Schumer is being recognized for more than her blunt sense of humour after she delivered a powerful speech on America’s gun control problem. On July 23rd, John Russell Houser, a 58-year-old man with a history…
This Is What Our Skyline Could Be In a World Without Any Light Pollution
BY: THE PLAID ZEBRA Stargazing has become quite the anomaly in an age of smelly fumes, smoggy cities and slow moving traffic jams. With a stroke of luck, I am surprised by shooting stars a couple nights out of the…