IN OTHER WORDS
What the story of Kaavan tells us
Amid the sad, the sordid and the sensational, let us look at some other news. On November 30, Kaavan, dubbed the “loneliest elephant” arrived from Islamabad to Cambodia to start a new life.
Efficacy of the home-made mask
The recent back-and-forth debate over the use of face masks to prevent the spread of covid-19 has settled. In the beginning, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said that there was no need for people who are well to wear face masks.
The moral rot that threatens Bangladesh
No two countries that share borders are more different from each other than Mexico and the United States. The contrast between the quality of life in these two countries could not be starker.
The value of writing letters in a digital society
Social media, texting and emailing have revolutionised the way we communicate. These technologies have enabled us to be more efficient and stay in touch more easily. But they have also altered the dynamics of some of our most important relationships.
The changing nature of work
Most of us have serious reasons to worry about the future of work. The development of automation powered by robotics and Artificial Intelligence has enabled higher productivity, increased efficiency, safety, and convenience. At the same time, these technologies pose difficult questions about the larger impact of automation on jobs and wages. But perhaps we need to pay attention to another aspect of work: how we look at work is changing as well.
How volunteering can help the youth
Each year, more than one billion people are engaged in volunteering worldwide. Their actions have economic, private and social values. You may wonder how helping others has economic value when no monetary transaction is involved.
Time to speak up for Palestine
On March 20, 2019, the UN Human Rights Council held an interactive dialogue with Michael Lynk, the UN Special Rapporteur on the
Christchurch: Why this is not an isolated terrorist attack
In the aftermath of the deadly attacks in New Zealand that caused global shock, it is important to explore the broader questions about the ideology behind these acts of terrorism.
Funny Money
All black money is not held in cash. It may be in foreign bank accounts. And all cash is not black money. Many legitimate businesses deal with large amounts of cash. Petrol pumps, restaurants, textile merchants and jewellers often have large cash holdings by the end of the day with many customers paying in cash.
TRUMP WINS: America gazed long into an abyss and the abyss is now gazing back into it
Now that the sickening charade of his campaign is over, it is a good time to ask what exactly he would be like as the President of the United States. Will his presidency be like his campaign?
Who needs science?
How many of us cared about who got the Nobel Prize in Physics and Chemistry earlier this month and for what? What kind of coverage did it get from the media?
A Chinese Whisper
China likes to mind its own business. It wants to have as little involvement abroad as it can get away with. Instead of acting for the “greater good of humanity” it responds pragmatically when its own interests are at stake.
An original sin
A recent report by a UN-affiliated group refuels the long-standing debate over reparations for African-Americans. The group of
A mother and son reunion
Syed Shamsul Haq walked taller than many of us. That's because he left no room in his heart for anything but the old verities of the heart, the old universal truths lacking which any work of art is ephemeral and doomed.
Voices from a small town
The building that houses the Jessore Shahittyo Parishad is not much to look at. From its appearance, it's difficult to get a measure of the impact it made in its heyday.
The power of imagination
When the day is long and the night is yours alone, when you have decided you have had enough, hang on. Inspiration will come from the most unexpected sources, like two public servants, one civil, the other military. They both radiate an inner light, a generosity of spirit, a depth of character which I have not achieved. That's something to work on before I say enough.
Corruption: Nature of the disease
Countries that have managed to keep corruption, embezzlement and fraud under control have done so by adopting a three-pronged approach: the lawyer's approach, the economist's approach and the businessman's approach. It is the first - tougher new laws and tougher enforcement of existing laws - that is usually the topic of discussion in the media and other circles.
Children in war
War remains the decisive human failure of which children are the worst victims. That was my first reaction when I saw the photo of
