Poverty Inc.

This post was originally published on my Facebook page back in 2017. Tonight a couple of people and I watched the documentary Poverty Inc., it's available on YouTube and quite informative. I know that despite visual impressions being those that actually hit you hardest, 90 minutes are quite long and I can't expect of everyone … Continue reading Poverty Inc. →

Why act?

First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a socialist.Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a trade unionist.Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out— Because I … Continue reading Why act? →

And I’m Still Well Off – Thoughts on India’s Elections

For those who don't know: The world's biggest (not greatest) democracy just re-elected its previous Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a second term. In the words of the satire magazine The Onion: "India Continues Surge Towards Status As First World Nation By Reelecting Racist, Right-Wing Authoritarian". Not just that, but Modi's BJP won more votes … Continue reading And I’m Still Well Off – Thoughts on India’s Elections →

So what’s India like? 10 things I love about India

This article was originally published in 2017 on my blog "Alena in India". In it, I reflect on what makes India lovable. I realize now that I misinterpreted many cultural gestures. For instance, I do not agree with my claim made about political correctness anymore. Nonetheless, I wanted to share this again. "One of the … Continue reading So what’s India like? 10 things I love about India →

Can insisting on human rights mess up the delivery of health care in war zones?

Short answer: Yes, it can. It may be no surprise to those who have been following my blog to read yet another article which is critical of human rights narratives and human rights discourse. However, I want to walk you through why exactly using a human rights language may lead to serious issues in regards … Continue reading Can insisting on human rights mess up the delivery of health care in war zones? →

I got fined – and then wrote an assignment about it

This article was originally written as a small assignment for my "Research Design" class in April 2019. It might be interesting to read this, because the task was to come up with a very mundane example of law and then think about how we could do academic research about it. When boarding public transport, an … Continue reading I got fined – and then wrote an assignment about it →