Perspective: Recent Episodes
FRANCE 24 English
Every morning, FRANCE 24 speaks to a key business, social or cultural player, or a leading voice in the field of humanitarian action, sport or science. From Monday to Friday at 8.40 am Paris time.
Amnesty International is accusing Denmark of using artificial intelligence in a way that targets people with disabilities, low-income families, migrants and anyone who is marginalised in society. The NGO is voicing deep concern about a new welfare system in the country that uses AI. The algorithm tools are used to flag people for potential social benefit fraud investigations. Amnesty says the situation is already creating an atmosphere of fear through mass surveillance, as it warns against the use of AI in similar situations around the world. In Perspective, we spoke to David Nolan, a senior investigative researcher at Amnesty Tech.
Two jets of Elon Musk – the world's richest man, who is set to join the incoming Trump administration – jointly discharged as much CO2 in just 25 days as 834 years' worth of emissions generated by the average person. That's just one of the shocking statistics in a report by the charity Oxfam ahead of the COP29 climate change summit, which is now underway in Azerbaijan. The report says the carbon emissions of the world's richest 1 percent increase hunger, poverty and deaths. In Perspective we spoke to Josie Lee, policy and advocacy lead for Oxfam Australia, who is at the summit trying to persuade governments to take action.
It is known by experts as an invisible threat - but one which is unravelling marine life, food chains and entire economies. That is the conclusion of new research on the critical threat of ocean acidification. Scientists discussed the problem at the COP16 biodiversity conference in Colombia last month; and it is among issues at the COP29 climate change conference, which is underway in Azerbaijan. In Perspective, we spoke to post doctoral researcher at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Dr Sabine Mathesius.
Women and girls in Sudan are being targeted specifically for rape because of their identity, according to Human Rights Watch. This as the 18-month-long civil war in the country has killed over 20,000 people and forced many others to flee their homes. The accusation is levelled against members of the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group, which has been recently beaten back by the Sudanese military in some areas of the country. The group though continues to hit back, still controlling large areas of the capital Khartoum, and at least 120 people were killed in one town alone last month in east-central Sudan. In Perspective, we spoke to the director at Human Rights Watch for the Horn of Africa, Laetitia Badder.
As the dust begins to settle on the US presidential election, thoughts are now turning to why Donald Trump won, and what went wrong for Kamala Harris. Attention is also turning to what comes next. Will President Joe Biden try to Trump-proof more of his policies before he leaves office, and what happens to the legal cases surrounding Trump? In Perspective, we spoke to US domestic and foreign policy specialist Laurie Dundon.
With polls showing the US presidential election on a knife edge, our guest says Americans will decide how to cast their ballots based on domestic issues. US domestic and foreign policy specialist Laurie Dundon says the economy and abortion rights remain the key subjects on voters' minds, rather than foreign policy. She joined us in Perspective.
If you think of the major axes of the world, the big borderlines, you might think of migratory routes like through Africa into Europe, or through the Americas. You might also think of trade routes, like the Silk Road, or you might even think of the route into space. Those axes of humanity and how they shape our geopolitics are all covered in a new book by one of FRANCE 24’s regular guests. General Dominique Trinquand commanded a battalion in Lebanon in the early 90’s and in the former Yugoslavia, and has held a number of other senior positions with NATO, the EU and the UN, including former head of the French military mission to the UN. He spoke to us in Perspective about his book “D’un monde à l’autre” – or “From one World to Another”.
A multiple International Chocolate Award Gold medal winner has spoken to FRANCE 24 about his love for the tasty treat. As several hundred chocolate makers gather in Paris for the Salon de Chocolat, Mikkel Friis-Holm told us of his mission statement "Best in the world – best for the world". The Danish chef has much of his cacao supplied by farmers in Nicaragua, and aims to ensure he has the best quality beans at the right prices to ensure the farmers are also paid a fair wage. He spoke to us in Perspective.
The UN agency for children, UNICEF, is warning that children are bearing much of the pain and suffering in Ukraine. As the war sparked by Russia's full-scale invasion grinds on towards the three-year mark, the loss of essential infrastructure, the lack of power and the lack of a proper health service and schools are all having a devastating impact. We spoke to France's former secretary of state for childhood and family affairs, Adrien Taquet, who is just back from visiting the south and east of Ukraine with UNICEF France, of which he is now a board member. He joined us in Perspective.
It's been described as a searing account of the refugee exodus sparked by the Arab Spring and ensuing Syrian civil war. "The Strangers' Case" is a new film that follows a series of characters, most notably a Syrian doctor and her young daughter who decide to flee their homeland. The characters come together to illustrate the devastating consequences of war. The film premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival earlier this year and stars French superstar actor Omar Sy, among others. Brandt Andersen, an activist, writer and the film's director, joined us on Perspective to tell us more about it.
The UN's Environment Programme (UNEP) is warning that crunch time for the planet is now a reality, and that any time left for climate delays has already run out. It warns that extreme heatwaves, storms, droughts and floods are already ravaging communities, this with global temperatures rising less than 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels to date. The UNEP says that what is now needed is political courage to end the world's fossil fuel addiction. In Perspective, we spoke to the director of the UN Environment Programme's Copenhagen Climate Centre, John Christensen.
One of the lawyers defending the international environmentalist and anti-whaling activist Paul Watson has spoken of his outrage at his client’s further detention. A Greenland court has granted a fourth extension of Watson's time in jail for another three weeks, pending a decision on his possible extradition from Greenland to Japan. Watson is accused of injuring a whaler and causing damage to a whaling ship in the Antarctic in 2010. He and his team claim the charges are politically motivated. William Julié spoke to us in Perspective on the day that Watson, who had been living in France until his July 21 arrest, requested French nationality.
The lives of women living in Afghanistan under the strict regime of the Taliban have been captured in a new photography exhibition. The project, entitled "No Woman’s Land" – an intimate look at the battle for women’s rights in Afghanistan – saw its co-authors travelling the country to document and capture the lives of women. This comes as Human Rights Watch warns that the situation in the country continues to deteriorate, with women risking stiff penalties – including lashings – if they break the rules. We spoke to co-authors Kiana Hayeri and Mélissa Cornet about their project, which has been awarded the prestigious Carmignac Photojournalism Award by the Carmignac Foundation.
Huge numbers of Russians who have fled the country amid the full-scale invasion of Ukraine are turning to a website set up to try to help them. The Ark is a project founded two and a half years ago by Anastasia Burakova, a Russian woman who left her homeland shortly before the invasion as her organisation faced intense intimidation from the authorities. It now assists people with accommodation, as well as legal and psychological help. Anastasia Burakova spoke to us in Perspective.
What do African forest elephants, leatherback turtles in Guyana and river trout in mainland France have in common? The answer is that all three have been highlighted in the latest Living Planet report from the World Wide Fund for Nature. They are linked in a far from positive way, as the report says they are part of a long list of endangered species of wild vertebrate populations that have declined by 73 percent since 1970 alone. That report as global environmental leaders gather in Colombia for COP16, the UN's biodiversity conference. In Perspective, we spoke to Chief Executive Officer for WWF France Véronique Andrieux.
Filmed from the point of view of a young foreigner in the Gaza Strip in 2018, "Journey into Gaza" shows intimate moments between friends, bustling street scenes and people gathering for the "Great March of Return" border protests. The film, which will be released next month, was completed before last year's October 7 attacks, but is still undeniably political — denouncing the lack of freedom for Gaza residents under the control of both Hamas and Israel. However, as filmmaker Piero Usberti tells FRANCE 24's Perspective programme, the goal was first and foremost to share with viewers the "beauty and poetry" that he found in Gaza before the war.
Greenpeace is sounding the alarm over what it calls an environmental and public health disaster in Ghana, pointing the finger at fast fashion. The clothing is imported and meant to be sold in Accra's largest second-hand market, but it's of such bad quality that stall owners are unable to sell it and have to throw it away. In Perspective, we spoke to Sam Quashie-Idun, head of investigations at Greenpeace Africa.
From farmers-turned-pirates in Bangladesh to jihadists in Iraq using drought as a recruiting tool, a new book by environmental journalist Peter Schwartzstein explores the link between climate and conflict. "The Heat and the Fury: On the Frontlines of Climate Violence" tells the stories of those affected by climate-conflict crises around the globe. While Schwartzstein tells FRANCE 24 that climate violence is "mostly playing out in poorer parts of the world", he says it is also starting to affect wealthier regions, in parts of North America and Europe. A key takeaway from the book, he says, is that we are "systematically underestimating the amount of violence that is connected to climate change because we are not really looking at how climate change is acting on other drivers of instability like corruption, like inequality, like misinformation".
This year alone more than 360 thousand people will be diagnosed with breast cancer ... while many will die of it without being diagnosed at all. And yet if it is detected early, the 5-year relative survival rate of breast cancer stands at an incredible 99 percent. This month is Breast Cancer Awareness month and we talk to oncologist Dr. Ines Vaz Luis to discuss the progress in fighting the disease and what more can be done.
Amnesty International says there have been horrifying cases of torture and degrading treatment of Palestinian detainees, with a failure to investigate incidents in custody. Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch says Israeli forces have published degrading photographs and videos of detained Palestinians, including children. To discuss these serious accusations about the treatment of Palestinian prisoners, we spoke to Ahmed Benchemsi, Advocacy and Communications Director for the Middle East at Human Rights Watch.
As the war continues to widen in Lebanon, it's estimated that 1.2 million people have already been displaced from their homes. The risk of a humanitarian crisis is real as people continue to be forced to flee, notably from the south of the country. Many are now left living on the streets of Beirut, which has itself also become unsafe amid Israeli bombardment. We spoke to Maya Ibrahimchach, the president of the charity Beit el Baraka in Beirut, and as well the director of program quality for CARE Lebanon, Maya Andari.
Gaza has become "a much darker reality than anyone ever thought possible". That's the description from a spokesman for the United Nations Children's Fund, UNICEF. James Elder, who was in Gaza himself last week, told us how the people of the enclave are now able to live on just 15 percent of the land. They have lost their homes, their livelihoods and often many family members and friends. As the threat of widespread disease continues to rear its head, Elder spoke to us in Perspective.
The cousin of a slain Israeli hostage has spoken to FRANCE 24 about how Israel should have put her life and the lives of the other hostages at the top of the agenda right from the start. Gil Dickmann says the Israeli government did not do that, and as result they were lost. His cousin Carmel Gat was killed by Hamas at the end of August, along with five others. Gil Dickmann also called for a deal to be reached urgently to save the remaining hostages. He spoke to us in Perspective.
A world-renowned naturalist and environmentalist, who is credited with discovering a new species of lemur, has spoken to FRANCE 24 about her latest discovery. Dr Patricia Wright has found a 14-square-kilometre tropical rainforest in a remote part of Madagascar. She has been working with a team of scientists who have been documenting its natural wonders. Their work has been captured in a new documentary that's to be shown on French television next week. Dr Wright is the founder and executive director of the Institute for the Conservation of Tropical Environments and Centre ValBio, which is a world-renowned research campus in Madagascar. She spoke to us in Perspective.
A writer who grew up in Jamaica under the strict supervision of her Rastafarian father has spoken to FRANCE 24 about her ambition to write about what happened to her and ensure people don't simply think about the picture-postcard image of her country. Safiya Sinclair's book " How to Say Babylon" has now been translated into French, under the title "Dire Babylon". In it, she tells of her childhood ruled by her father's strict patriarchal views and his aim to ensure she remained protected from Babylon, or more Western influences. She spoke to us in Perspective about her new life as a writer and poet.
A woman who captured on film Brazil's presidential election and the subsequent coup attempt as supporters of far-right former president Jair Bolsonaro stormed the National Congress has spoken to FRANCE 24 about how her film has become a real historical document. Sandra Kogut had given out cameras and asked people from both sides of the polarised political spectrum to record the run-up to the election. She did not expect the level of violence that followed, and the quality of film that she and her citizen filmmakers managed to capture. On Perspective, she spoke to us about her film "At This Moment, in the Nation's Sky".
Amnesty International is accusing big tech platforms of playing an active role in fuelling racist violence. The accusation comes after riots erupted in the UK this summer following the publication of false information on social media, but it also applies to many other issues and conflicts around the world. The issue of online content and free speech are also at the forefront of the US presidential election campaign. In Perspective, we speak to Head of Big Tech Accountability at Amnesty International, Pat de Brún.
Amnesty International is accusing big tech platforms of playing an active role in fuelling racist violence. The accusation comes after riots erupted in the UK this summer following the publication of false information on social media, but it also applies to many other issues and conflicts around the world. The issue of online content and free speech are also at the forefront of the US presidential election campaign. In Perspective, we spoke to Head of Big Tech Accountability at Amnesty International, Pat de Brun.
As ocean temperatures in the Great Barrier Reef reach their hottest for 400 years, there is new hope that it may be possible to adapt coral to make it climate resilient. As the quality of the reef continues to decline, scientists are becoming more and more worried for its future, as they try to think of new ways to save it. In Perspective, we spoke to Dr Line Bay, research program director for the Reef Recovery, Adaptation and Restoration Programme at the Australian Institute of Marine Science.
Sudan is experiencing a starvation crisis of historic proportions, according to NGOs, which call the silence from the international community "deafening". It is estimated that more than half of the population of Sudan is affected, or nearly 26 million people. The hunger crisis comes amid the war in the country that has raged for almost a year and a half. The fighting has now spread to Sudan's central and southeastern food production areas. In Perspective, we spoke to Will Carter from the Norwegian Refugee Council, who joined us from Port Sudan.
A women’s rights group here in France has spoken to FRANCE 24 about the need for change once the court case that has shocked France and world is over. In the mass rape case, Gisèle Pelicot was drugged and raped by her husband, who also invited more than 50 other men via the internet to do the same while he filmed what went on. Elsa Labouret from Osez le féminisme! (Dare to be a feminist!) said that while the ongoing trial is shocking and disgusting, she and her team deal with many of the same issues on a weekly basis. “It’s showing a lot of things that we’ve known for a long time about violence against women”, Labouret said, pointing out that “over half of sexual violence happens in relationships”.
A survivor of Hamas’s attacks on Israel on October the 7th last year has spoken to FRANCE 24 about what happened to him and his family on that day, and his hopes for a way out of the current conflict. Amir Tibon told of how Hamas fired bullets into his home as he, his wife and two young girls sheltered in a room in the back. 15 people were killed in his Kibbutz, and 7 were kidnapped. They are still in the hands of Hamas. Tibon has now written a book called “The Gates of Gaza” to document what happened, which also looks to the future of the region. The book is also available in French “Les Portes de Gaza”. He spoke to us in Perspective.
One of France's leading Paralympians has spoken to FRANCE 24 about his motto in life, as he reflects on the success of this summer's Paralympic Games here in Paris. Stéphane Houdet told us that "everyone has two lives, and the second one starts when you understand that you have only one". He says sport is about communication and what we can do together worldwide. Houdet is a three-time Paralympic tennis doubles champion – in 2008 in Beijing, 2016 in Rio and 2021 in Tokyo, as well as a silver medallist in singles and a bronze medallist in doubles at the 2012 London Games. He was also world champion in 2012. At this summer's Paralympics, he was squeezed out just before the medal stage, but has already said he will be competing in Los Angeles in 2028. He spoke to us in Perspective.
An award-winning writer and poet has spoken to FRANCE 24 about her motto "Do it Afraid", as she prepares to launch her latest book of poems. British Nigerian poet Theresa Lola first became known six years ago when she was awarded the Brunel International African Poetry Prize, and the following year was the Young People's Laureate for London. She holds a Masters in Creative Writing from University of Oxford, earning a distinction. Her second poetry book "Ceremony for the Nameless" is due out in a month or so. She said she would always encourage others who wish to write to follow in her line of work, saying the initial fear is worth taking to avoid a potential lifetime of regret.
An Iranian woman who fled to France after taking in protests in Iran two years ago following the death of Mahsa Amini has spoken to FRANCE 24, saying her actions against the Iranian regime were worth it. Marjane Jangjoo escaped after 30 men came to her workplace to arrest her and her colleagues for joining the demonstrations. She spent several months in hiding before making her way across snowy mountains to cross the border. She says the Iranian regime is like a robe which little by little is shredding a thread, and that one day real change will come so that she can return home. She spoke to us in Perspective.
Two loggers, part of a team of people who had a license to cut down trees in the Peruvian Amazon, have been killed by bow and arrow after they allegedly encroached too far into land inhabited by the largest uncontacted tribe on the planet, the Mashco Piro. The tribe have lived on the land for years – surviving a traumatic history of massacres and enslavement. The Mashco Piro number little over 750 people, but their habitat and lives are increasingly under threat from the encroaching loggers around them. In Perspective, we spoke to Teresa Mayo, Researcher and Advocacy Officer at the human rights organisation Survival International.
As the world remembers the tragic events of 9/11 exactly 23 years ago, an international security expert has told FRANCE 24 how they were a pivotal turning point for the United States. He says 9/11 changed George W. Bush's perspective on what his administration needed to do in the world. The politicians witnessed the events and decided on a course of action that led to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. It is only now, more than 20 years later, that the war on terror appears to be coming to an end. Elie Baranets, a researcher in International Security at the Institute for Strategic Research (IRSEM), a research institute of the French Ministry of Armed Forces, spoke to us in Perspective.
This year would have been the 100th birthday of one of the most beloved African-American writers of all time – James Baldwin. The accomplished author grew up in Harlem, New York but spent much of his later life living in France. Baldwin was a novelist, playwright and poet as well as a legendary activist for civil rights and the LGBTQ+ community.
An award-winning photojournalist joins FRANCE 24's Stuart Norval to share how he uses his art form as a way to advocate for the people he is bringing to life in his photos. Hugh Kinsella Cunningham’s images offer us an intimate view of the ongoing brutal conflict in DR Congo, known as the "forgotten war," as the government continues to battle the Tutsi-led M23 rebel fighters in their latest insurgency.
The only Palestinian competitor at this year’s Paris Paralympics spoke to FRANCE 24 of his experience participating in the Games which came to a close on Sunday. A para-athlete from Gaza, Fadi Aldeeb, who has lost over 15 family members to the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, said Paris 2024 delivered important messages of “peace”, “human rights” and “humanity”.
The president of the sea charity founded by anti-whaling activist Paul Watson, who was arrested in Greenland over a month ago, has hit out at the judge in the case as well as at Japan. Lamya Essemlali, president of Sea Shepherd France, told FRANCE 24 that the judge is refusing to examine evidence provided by the group that she says proves his innocence.
Human rights groups are reacting with fury after a further curtailing of women’s rights in Afghanistan. New laws brought in last month impose severe new restrictions on women that oblige them to not only cover their faces, but also forbid them from raising their voices or reading aloud in public. Although Western countries and blocs like the US and EU have condemned the new laws, NGOs say much more could and should be done. In Perspective, we spoke to Heather Barr, interim women's rights deputy director for Human Rights Watch.
French President Emmanuel Macron is continuing his search for a new prime minister, almost two months after inconclusive snap elections. He’s meeting with two of his predecessors, François Hollande and Nicolas Sarkozy, as well as two other senior French politicians who are both tipped as candidates to be the next premier. The latter are Bernard Cazeneuve (pictured), a former member of the Socialist Party, and Xavier Bertrand, a member of the conservative Les Républicains party and president of the northern Hauts-de-France region. For the first in a new series of Perspective we spoke to Renaud Foucart, a senior lecturer in economics at Lancaster University Management School.
Western leaders gather in Washington to celebrate NATO’s 75th anniversary amid growing concern over the Alliance’s future, which could be endangered if former president Donald Trump is re-elected in the upcoming US elections. A Trump victory could also spell the end of US aid for Ukraine. German Marshall Fund Research Fellow Gesine Weber spoke to us in Perspective.
France’s next prime minister may not come from the left despite the left-wing alliance New Popular Front’s (NPF) winning the most seats in the French legislative elections. Despite the NPF’s victory, it failed to secure a majority in parliament which the centre and the right could achieve if they banded together. Senior Lecturer in economics at Lancaster University Renaud Foucart joined us in Perspective.
France needs to watch out for the ongoing rise of the far right as the National Rally prepares for the presidential election in three years' time. That's the view of an expert on the far right, who says that after the party's loss in the legislative elections it can once again present itself as the outsider in French politics. Jim Wolfreys from Kings College London says the party is still prepared to adopt discriminatory, racist measures and is prepared to be more authoritarian than others, but that it now has time to properly prepare its candidates for the 2027 election, weeding out those with controversial pasts. He spoke to us in Perspective.
"The nation rallied against the National Rally." That's the analysis from our political expert after France's legislative elections returned a hung parliament, with the far-right bloc finishing third. He says that France's left wing stood down its candidates where required, and that in the end the country as a whole chose to not endorse the far right. Andrew Smith, a lecturer in liberal arts at Queen Mary University of London, joined us in Perspective.
Fourteen months of intense conflict have left Sudan facing the world’s worst hunger and displacement crisis. That's according to the International Rescue Committee's country director. Eatizaz Yousif told us there has been a huge displacement of people as they flee the fighting between the army and the RSF paramilitaries, and that the number of safe places people can escape to continues to shrink. In the last few weeks alone, it's estimated that more than 55,000 people have fled the Sinja region in southeastern Sudan. In all, tens of thousands of people have been killed across the country since war broke out in April of last year. Eatizaz Yousif spoke to us in Perspective.
This Wednesday is the last day of campaigning before the UK's general election, which is expected to produce a major change. According to the latest polls, the opposition Labour Party is predicted to sweep to power with more than 480 seats in the 650-seat parliament. That's far more than even Tony Blair won in his 1997 landslide victory for Labour. The Conservatives, who have been in power for the last 14 years, are predicted to drop to around only 60 seats, which would be the fewest since the party was founded in 1834. In Perspective, we spoke to Nigel Fletcher from King's College London. He is also co-founder of the Centre for Opposition Studies, an independent research organisation focused on promoting the study of political opposition.
He began his quest to ensure everyone on the planet has access to fresh water when he was just six years old. Now 33, Ryan Hreljac has founded his own charity, Ryan's Well Foundation, and become its executive director, bringing fresh water supplies to 1.5 million people in 17 different countries. He spoke to us in Perspective.
Nothing is settled yet, but French President Emmanuel Macron has lost his bet. That’s the view of one political analyst, who called the results of the first-round legislative elections here in France "terrifying" after the far right came out on top. Andrew Smith, a lecturer in liberal arts at Queen Mary University of London, reminded us that a few weeks ago Macron reportedly said, rather crassly, that he wanted to throw a grenade at people's legs and see what happened. But for Smith, it has gone off in his hands instead. He spoke to us in Perspective.
A Turkish activist and lawyer has spoken to FRANCE 24 about her joy at being able to take part in France's Gay Pride parade in Paris this coming Saturday. She admitted, however, that her thoughts will be with members of her own LGBT community back home in Turkey, who hope they will be able to do the same at their own Pride march. Hayriye Kara is in Paris with Amnesty International to talk about the difficulties that LGBT people face in Turkey. Same-sex relationships and queer or trans people are not illegal there, but there is no legal protection from discrimination. She spoke to us on Perspective.
Climate and aviation experts are warning that levels of turbulence, and incidents of severe turbulence on airplanes, are likely to get worse due to climate change. The warnings come after a British man died and more than 100 people were injured on board a Singapore Airlines flight from London to Singapore last month. Severe turbulence caused the plane to plummet 1,800 metres in just minutes, forcing it to make an emergency landing in Bangkok. In Perspective, we spoke to Nicolas Bellouin from the University of Reading, who is also Chair in Aviation and Climate at Paris's Sorbonne University. He explained what turbulence is and why it's expected to get worse. He also advised passengers to keep their seatbelts fastened at all times.
Almost 10 years after the Islamic State group launched its conquest of the Mount Sinjar region in Iraq as part of its takeover of the country, a new film tells the stories of the Yazidi people, who suffered a genocide under the extremists' rule. Several thousand Yazidis were killed or captured, while half a million others fled. The film "Sinjar, the Birth of Phantoms" talks to survivors about how their lives have been turned upside down, and how they still fear violence could return. Its director Alexe Liebert told how she hopes the film will ensure their voices are heard.
Ahead of Friday's snap presidential elections in Iran, a leading critic of the regime has spoken to FRANCE 24 about the vote and how little the result is likely to change things in the country. Kasra Aarabi, from United Again Nuclear Iran, told us that all six candidates allowed to stand have been personally approved by the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. He also spoke to us about the regime's race to obtain the nuclear bomb, saying the West only has eight months to prevent that from happening. He joined us for Perspective.
New research shows that the death of at least 23 migrants, with many more missing and injured, could have not only been prevented, but may also have been partly instigated by the police in Morocco and Spain. The migrants died exactly two years ago as they tried to enter the Spanish North African enclave of Melilla from Morocco. Both countries have always denied being complicit, but the research by Border Forensics sets out to prove otherwise. In Perspective, we spoke to Charles Heller, director of research at Border Forensics.
June 20 marks World Refugee Day and this year's theme is solidarity with refugees. Our Perspective guest is someone who understands the plight of refugees only too well. Sally Hayden is an award-winning journalist and the author of "My Fourth Time, We Drowned: Seeking Refuge on the World’s Deadliest Migration Route". She spoke to us about the dire situation of those who try to cross the Mediterranean and end up stuck in Libyan detention centres, where they face multiple human rights abuses.
How do you get information out of someone if they are reluctant to open up? That's the subject of a new book that aims mainly to help researchers conducting fieldwork. Yet "The Interloper: Lessons from Resistance in the Field" also contains very useful information and ideas for everyday life. Professor Michel Anteby from Boston University says that if a researcher or individual is being pushed away by someone they want to talk to, they must embrace the problem and understand why they are being turned away. He also says any pushback will also reveal information one can learn from. He joined us for Perspective.
Paris is a city of huge positives but also negatives. That's the view of the author of a new book on what he calls an "Impossible City". Simon Kuper, a journalist for The Financial Times, describes in the book how the French capital is not at all simply the picture-postcard city we tend to think of. While 2 million people live in central Paris, another 10 million live in the banlieues, or suburbs. Kuper says he's hopeful that plans to open 68 new metro stations will connect the two parts of the metropolis better. He spoke to us in Perspective.
The head of one of the world's major environmental groups has told FRANCE 24 that a third major crisis is affecting the world and we need to pay more attention to it. As well as Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the crisis in Gaza, she says we need to urgently address climate change. Pam Pearson, the founder and director of the International Cryosphere Climate Initiative, says that just a 2°C degree rise in temperatures would mean that all of the Earth's frozen regions would experience "irreversible" damage, with disastrous consequences for millions of people and for nature. Her organisation says that already a 3-metre rise in sea levels can no longer be stopped, but that if we act now it can be slowed so it takes up to a thousand years to happen. Pearson, a former US diplomat with 20 years of experience working on global issues, spoke to us in Perspective.
The co-director of an Israeli charity that sends food into Gaza to help Palestinians has told FRANCE 24 that he and his fellow workers cannot witness people starving and facing famine as if they themselves have nothing to do with it. This as far-right Israeli settlers are trying to block the aid from getting through. Alon-Lee Green is the co-director of the charity Standing Together, which takes humanitarian supplies into Gaza. For many he is a hero, for others a traitor. He spoke to us in Perspective.
A British photographer who has lived in Ukraine since 2020 has spoken to FRANCE 24 about his mission to help the Ukrainian people since Russia's full-scale invasion. Mark Neville has set up a charity called Postcode Ukraine that makes deliveries of humanitarian aid to frontline towns. Once there, he takes photographs of the people he meets. Those pictures have now been put together in a new book, "Ukraine 2022-2024: Diary of an Aid Worker". He spoke to us in Perspective about some of the pictures, notably one of a good friend who was killed on the frontline just a day previously.
A woman who spent several years in a British prison and now spends time trying to help other prisoners has told FRANCE 24 that picking up the pen whilst she was behind bars saved her life. Lady Unchained now spends her time running workshops inside prisons to encourage others to take up writing or poetry to channel their emotions. She now also presents a radio programme on the British prisons' radio station, which encourages its listeners to call in their raps and has been nominated for several awards. Lady Unchained spoke to us in Perspective.
Shock and gamble are the two words most frequently being used in newsrooms across France and Europe after French President Emmanuel Macron announced snap parliamentary elections. The first round will be held in less than three weeks' time, leaving political parties struggling to work out how to tackle such a short campaign. Macron made his announcement after the far-right National Rally scored over 30 percent of the vote in the European elections in France – twice as much as any other party there. In Perspective, we spoke to Andrew Smith, a French modern history expert and lecturer in liberal arts at Queen Mary University of London.
Commemorating D-Day is crucial to remind us of the horror of war. That's the view of an historian who has spoken to FRANCE 24 about the fears that we are in a pre-war period with the threat of a third world war, and that this week's commemorations should be a wake-up call to the world. Curtis Young has spent years researching the African-American soldiers killed in World War I here in France, but his interest and enthusiasm to uncover the truth extend into the Second World War as well. He spoke to us in Perspective.
Has the general election in India been free and fair? This crucial point is debated and discussed across the country and abroad as the results of the vote come in. While Prime Minister Narendra Modi's BJP party will still be the largest in parliament, it has done less well than expected. Has India's election commission done its job properly? In Perspective, we spoke to Mukulika Banerjee, a professor of anthropology at the London School of Economics and Political Science.
FRANCE 24 speaks to Sven Biscop, director of the Europe in the World Programme at the Egmont Institute, and the author of "This is Not a New World Order", about the upcoming European elections. We delve into how issues like the war in Ukraine, competition with China and the green transition are shaping the vote. Concerning the rise of the far right in Europe, he says their policies are "counterintuitive", noting that they are both "extremely nationalistic" yet "allow themselves to be instrumentalised as agents of hostile powers such as Russia".
Céline Bardet, a lawyer and international criminal investigator specialising in war crimes, speaks to FRANCE 24 about the legal implications after Ireland, Spain and Norway began formally recognising Palestine as a state Tuesday. “It changes everything for the position of Palestine, it would put the state of Palestine equal to other[s],” she said. Bardet, however, also said that while international legal bodies are doing everything they can to end the war in Gaza, “justice is not here to stop war”.
David McCloskey worked in CIA field stations across the Middle East throughout the Arab Spring and conducted a rotation in the Counterterrorism Center, briefing Congressional oversight committees, senior White House officials, ambassadors and military officials. He has since written several novels, including "Moscow X" and "Damascus Station", which has just been published in French. He joined us on Perspective to tell us more about his former life as a spy, what pushed him to write and the fine line between fiction and reality.
A new documentary is aiming to lift the lid on the unrecognised Black heroes of D-Day. It follows an all-African American battalion of men whose crucial role in the Normandy landings was never revealed. One member of the company was even nominated for a Medal of Honor, but amid racial segregation in the US at the time, it was impossible for him to ever be granted it. The documentary follows the work chronicled already in a book, "Forgotten: The Untold Story of D-Day's Black Heroes". Its author Linda Harvieux joined us for Perspective.
Taiwan’s newly sworn-in President – Lai Ching-te – will face a difficult start as he prepares to lead the country with a minority government, Taiwan Research Hub Director Chun-Yi Lee at the University of Nottingham told FRANCE 24. Lai, who is seen as pro-independence by China, will need to navigate the already-strained relationship between Taipei and Beijing, Lee said. Lai will also face challenges at home as he seeks to boost Taiwan’s slowing economy, she added.
A 2024 Global Citizen Prize winner – Andrew Ddebme – spoke to FRANCE 24 about the joys of having his work recognised by the international organisation. Ddebme is the founder of MobiKlinic, a digital solution that has helped rural communities in Africa access better healthcare. Ddebme also told his own personal story that led him from the slums of Kampala to becoming an entrepreneur.
As France and China celebrate the strong ties between the two countries with the state visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Paris last week, France’s main Asian art museum – Guimet Museum – is marking the 60th anniversary of France's recognition of the People's Republic of China with a whole year of exhibitions and events lined up. We spoke to the museum’s director Yannick Lintz, and the world-renowned Franco Chinese artist and designer, Jiang Qiong Er in Perspective.
One of the winners of this year’s World Press Awards spoke to FRANCE 24 about how it feels to be recognised, and how important it is for photojournalists to continue carrying out their work. The awards are given out to those who have worked in some of the world’s hotspots like Gaza and Ukraine, but also to some of those who have taken pictures telling lesser-known stories around the world. Lee-Ann Olwage’s award-winning picture shows a grandfather, who has Alzheimer’s disease, with his granddaughter. Little is known about dementia in Madagascar, where those who are diagnosed with the illness are often stigmatised.
What does it mean to be a human, or more specifically a humanist? Is it about culture, morals, principles, science, freethinking, feelings or optimism? Or is it all of the above? The author of the new book "Humanly Possible: Seven Hundred Years of Humanist Freethinking, Inquiry, and Hope", says it is all of those things and more. Sarah Bakewell spoke to us in Perspective.
The Olympic flame arrives in France from Greece this Wednesday. Some 10,000 people will have the honour of carrying the torch for part of its relay around the country, from ordinary citizens to VIPs. One of these torch bearers is a Paris-based, Sri Lankan-born baker who only came to France for the first time in 2006. Since then he has worked as a cook, then at a bakery, and now runs his own establishment. His baguettes are credited with being so good that they won the prize for the best Parisian baguette of 2023. Tharshan Selvarajah spoke to us in Perspective.
It's estimated that more than 53,000 people have fled extreme violence in the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince, which equates to 80 percent of the city's population. Haiti has been without a president since the assassination of Jovenel Moïse in 2021. The country has been ravaged for decades by poverty and natural disasters. But since February, Haiti's powerful gangs have joined forces to attack police stations, prisons and the airport. An internationally-backed transitional council has been formed and is now beginning to assess how to take back control. One expert has told FRANCE 24 that she believes any kind of top-down international intervention in Haiti is not the answer. Rosa Freedman, a professor of law, conflict and global development at the University of Reading, spoke to us in Perspective.
Chinese support for Russia over the war in Ukraine, renewed tensions over Taiwan and a row over Chinese subsidies giving China's companies an unfair advantage over European competitors: these are the main issues up for discussion as Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron on his first state visit to France since 2019. In Perspective, we spoke to Isabelle Feng, a senior researcher at the Asia Centre and a member of the China Horizons project.
A Rohingya refugee who fled Myanmar as a child with her family has spoken to FRANCE 24 about how heartbreaking it is to see what has happened to her people since. She and her siblings have all made successful careers for themselves outside of Myanmar, but she spoke to us about her life as a child feeling extremely afraid, hiding from police in the jungles of Malaysia and having no access to education. Noor Azizah is now co-founder of the Rohingya Maiyafuinor Collaborative Network. She spoke to us in Perspective from Sydney.
Large swathes of Asia continue to swelter though a dramatic heatwave that has topped temperature records all the way from India to the Philippines. Bangladesh has faced the hottest April on record, with temperatures forcing millions of children to stay home from school and making working in the scorching heat difficult for millions. The heatwave is also leading to water shortages. But that term is one that water supply expert Isha Ray from the University of California, Berkeley does not like. She has been speaking at a conference in Paris called "Facing Environmental Crisis in South Asia" and told us in Perspective why she thinks the term is misleading.
An internationally renowned photographer has spoken to FRANCE 24 about how he's been able to use his profession to help support causes he's become passionate about. Gwenn Dubourthoumieu began his professional life working for humanitarian NGOs in Africa. He soon developed a love for photography as he visited beautiful but often difficult places. He now considers himself a photographer activist. His latest project illustrates the state of the rainforest in DR Congo. He spoke to us in Perspective.
China dominates the market across Africa in the search for raw materials, but other regions such as countries in Europe can offer more mutually beneficial alternatives for the continent. That's the view of economics consultant and political risk analyst Theo Acheampong. In a new report for the European Council on Foreign Relations, he explains how Europe can work alongside African governments to try to ensure both sides mutually benefit from mineral extraction that's crucial for the green transition. He spoke to us in Perspective.
Thousands of people in Portugal are marking the fiftieth anniversary of the country's Carnation Revolution – a military coup that put an end to Europe's longest dictatorship and to 13 years of colonial wars in Africa. The 1974 revolt, which was led by a group of idealist left-leaning young military captains, quickly turned into a popular uprising as the troops were joined by jubilant crowds. It was nicknamed the Carnation Revolution after the flowers that protesters placed in the soldiers' guns and tanks, in a rare example of a military coup being staged to install democracy. Yves Léonard, a professor and researcher at Paris's Sciences Po University, is the author of numerous books on Portugal's modern history. He spoke to us in Perspective.
Amnesty International is accusing Israel of a flagrant disregard for international law during its offensive in Gaza. The organisation's annual report says the situation is being compounded by the failures of Israel's allies to stop the indescribable civilian bloodshed being seen in the Palestinian enclave. It is one of the main criticisms in the report, which says the world is seeing a near-breakdown of international law, amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and massive human rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar. In Perspective, we spoke to one of the researchers on the report who worked specifically on the Middle East. Palestinian writer Budour Hassan reiterated Amnesty's call for Israel to allow to human rights investigators and journalists "unfettered access" to Gaza.
Africa's Sahel region now accounts for almost half of all deaths from terrorism worldwide. That was the stark warning heard at a high-level summit in Nigeria that aims to counter terrorism across Africa. It comes as the threat of Islamist extremist attacks is on the rise. International troops, notably French forces, have been forced to leave Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger after a series of coups. In Perspective, we spoke to Stig Jarle Hansen, a professor of international relations at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences and the author of "Horn, Sahel and Rift: Fault-lines of the African Jihad". He told us that the withdrawal of French troops has inevitably led to the spread of Islamist militant attacks, and that a "Cold War" is playing out amid increased Russian influence in the region.
Indians begin voting on Friday in what will be the world's biggest-ever election, with nearly a billion registered voters. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist BJP is seen as the favourite, but faces a challenge from a huge centre-left opposition coalition. We speak to Louise Tillin of the King's College India Institute about what's at stake. She says that at the heart of these elections lies a battle for the future of India's democracy, amid concerns about unequal media coverage, election financing and the arrest of opposition leaders at the start of the campaign.
Exactly five years after the fire that destroyed the roof and badly damaged the rest of Paris's Notre-Dame Cathedral, one of those who worked on the project has spoken of the camaraderie of the team reconstructing the edifice and the skill of their achievement. Valentin Pontarollo is a carpenter who finished working on the roof just a few weeks ago. The carpentry of the structure is now complete. In Perspective, he told us of his joy at what the team has achieved, five years after tons of 13th-century oak either caught fire or was sent crashing down into the nave below.
A 21-year-old bird watcher or birder, who is quickly becoming one of the world's leading lights on environmental issues, has spoken to FRANCE 24 about her passion for birds and the environment. Mya-Rose Craig talked about her early introduction to birding and how magical she found the creatures to be. It has led her to become a major campaigner to ensure their habitats survive, something that has grown into other campaigns to help the environment. She is also the creator of the charity Black2Nature, which aims to help Black and minority ethnic children see and understand nature. Her book "Birdgirl" has now been published in French. She joined us for Perspective.
A world-renowned political and social economist, who is in Paris to receive a new international award for his work, has told FRANCE 24 how economists have forgotten a vitally important fact. James K. Boyce says that what matters is "not simply the total size of the economic pie, but also how it's distributed". Boyce is now applying the problem of inequality to the environment and the economic issues surrounding it. He spoke to us in Perspective.
As the war in Gaza continues, France's former ambassador to Israel has told FRANCE 24 how Israel has "shifted to the right, even to the far right" since he was in post. Gérard Araud, who also served as envoy to the US and UN, says he is not surprised by where Israel is today, having watched the gradual political drift. He also spoke of how difficult the situation is for US President Joe Biden ahead of the presidential election, and how he believes that Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu will soon "stab Biden in the back" as he wishes to see Donald Trump return. Araud's new book is called "Israël : le piège de l'histoire", which translates as "Israel: The trap of history". He joined us for Perspective.
As part of our coverage of International Women’s Day, FRANCE 24 spoke to Düzen Tekkal who is the founder of the NGO HÁWAR, which aims to empower women, children and minorities who are subject to religious, ethnic or gender based persecution or discrimination. Journalist turned activist, Tekkal told us about her origins and the plight of Yazidi women forced to flee from Iraq into Iraqi Kurdistan with the rise of the Islamic State Group in 2014.
President Joe Biden and his predecessor Donald Trump romped through more than a dozen states on Super Tuesday, all but cementing a November rematch. According to the head of the Paris office of the European Council of Foreign Relations, Célia Belin, Europe is already beginning to put in place new rhetoric and even new structures to cope with a potential reduction or withdrawal of military support from the US, in the event that Trump wins the presidential election. Belin says the potential doubt over Trump's full military support for Europe means that nations have no choice but to reassess their defence, as well as Ukraine's defence, should Trump abandon Kyiv. She spoke to us in the wake of Super Tuesday for Perspective.
A respected and passionate author has spoken to FRANCE 24 about her desire to ensure democracy, rights and freedoms and to speak up for women. Lola Shoneyin is a Nigerian author and poet. One of her latest projects is a stunning poem entitled "A Fragile State". It's part of a project undertaken by the Financial Times, centered on the theme of "Democracy 2024". She joined us for Perspective.
A respected French journalist, who was Jerusalem correspondent for French daily Libération in the 1990s, has told FRANCE 24 how he hopes a temporary peace deal between Israel and Hamas can be achieved, but that longer term both sides need to try to see the situation from the other's point of view. Pierre Haski spoke to us about his time covering the Israeli-Palestinian conflict during the signing of the Oslo accords and the famous handshake between Yitzhak Rabin and Yasser Arafat. He also told us about his new book "Une terre doublement promise. Israël-Palestine : un siècle de conflit, which translates roughly as "A land doubly promised. Israel-Palestine: a century of conflict". He joined us for Perspective.
In this edition of Perspective, we take a closer look at India as a political force in the world. How does the planet's most populous country operate as a geopolitical player, especially amid the conflict in Ukraine? And how does India interact with superpowers, particularly the US? Dr Ashley Tellis, a former senior advisor to the US ambassador to India, describes the relationship between New Delhi and Washington as one of close friends, but not "full allies". He spoke to FRANCE 24's Gavin Lee in Perspective.
A Ukrainian man who was one of the first to experience Russia's full-scale invasion of his country has told FRANCE 24 of his harrowing experience, and asked us never to forget about what is happening in Ukraine. Until two years ago, Oleksandr Mykhed lived just north of the capital Kyiv with his wife and their pet dog. But his life was turned upside down as he heard the explosions on the first day of the Russian invasion. He has since joined the Ukrainian army, but still manages to find time for his real passion of writing. He spoke to us in Perspective.
An award-winning Indian filmmaker tells FRANCE 24’s Perspective show that the fear of something happening to her clouds her life. Nausheen Khan’s film “Land of My Dreams” documents the protests in India against the country’s Citizenship Amendment Act. The bill provides an accelerated pathway for citizenship for many illegal migrants, but crucially, it does not mention Muslims. The film follows Khan's journey as she discovers more about her identity as a Muslim woman amid the protests. She now says she is who she is today thanks to the female demonstrators she met while making the film.
Russian President Vladimir Putin needs to ensure his country remains in a permanent state of war. That's the premise of a new book, published by a French political scientist as the world has been marking the second anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Marie Mendras is an expert on Russian and post-Soviet studies at the CNRS in Paris, and a professor at Sciences Po University's Paris School of International Affairs. She says Putin does not think rationally like the rest of us and "has the logic of a paranoid leader".
“Provocative and chilling”, it was lauded as one of the best books of 2021, receiving praise from the likes of former US president Barack Obama. “The Final Revival of Opal & Nev” tells the tale of a fiercely independent young woman pushing against the grain in her style and attitude. The book's author, Dawnie Walton, is our guest for Perspective. Her work explores identity, place, and the influence of pop culture.
When sailor Clarisse Crémer was dropped by her sponsors a year ago after starting a family, the move sparked widespread outrage in France and the offshore sailing world. She's since managed to find a new team and is looking forward to competing in her next challenge, the Vendée Globe round-the-world sailing race, in November. The French skipper and navigator joined us for Perspective to tell us more about the challenges of competing in such a gruelling race. She is also the author of the graphic novel "J'y vais, mais j’ai peur" (I'm going for it but I'm scared").
Exactly four months after the Hamas attacks on southern Israel, more than 100 Israelis remain in captivity, with very little known about their fate. The families of those held captive are continuing to urge their government, and the international community, not to give up on their loved ones. We spoke to Eyal Kalderon, whose cousin Ofer was kidnapped by Hamas from the Nir Oz kibbutz on October 7, and remains a hostage in Gaza. Ofer's two children were kidnapped with him. Both Erez, who turned 12 in captivity, and 16-year-old Sahar were released on November 27. But there has been no news of Ofer, a 53-year-old Franco-Israeli citizen, since his kidnapping. "We need to strive to get a deal; this is the best way to bring them all [home] alive," Eyal Kalderon told Perspective.
Ahead of European Parliament elections in June, should the bloc be preparing for a sharp turn to the right? And if so, what does that mean for European policy, and by extension, European unity? Simon Hix, Professor at the European University Institute in Florence, believes the European Parliament's far-right Identity and Democracy group – home to France's National Rally and Germany's AfD – could be on track to become the third-largest bloc, with likely knock-on effects on everything from climate and immigration policy to the appointment of key parliament positions. He joined us for Perspective.
Almost two years on from Russia's invasion of Ukraine, hundreds of thousands of men have already been called up to fight and a new mobilisation bill is due to be debated by parliament this week. According to Anna Colin Lebedev, a senior lecturer at Paris Nanterre University and specialist in contemporary Ukrainian history, one of the major questions facing Ukrainian society today lies in the mechanics of the draft. She sees it as a balancing act between the need to provide able fighters to the front line and a desire to protect the youth, who will one day be charged with rebuilding the country. She joined us for Perspective.
Paradise was a small town in the US, located in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada in California and full of apple orchards. But back in 2018, it burnt to the ground. Eight-five people were killed in the most devastating wildfire on record in the state. The award-winning French photojournalist Maxime Riché captured the town in the aftermath of the fire and returned again in 2021 as the town grappled with a second inferno. His book "Paradise" is an incredible canvas of documented images of the town and its people. He tells FRANCE 24's Gavin Lee that it's a story of the effects of climate change, offering a glimpse of the next place that will have to go through healing after a similar disaster.
Former US president Ronald Reagan once said that the nine most terrifying words in the English language are "I'm from the government and I'm here to help". It's a rhetoric that struck a chord with his conservative base, with the idea that a smaller government can allow an individual or private organisation to operate more effectively. But it's just one of the many myths promulgated to tell a narrative that serves the business elite, according to renowned author and Harvard Professor Naomi Oreskes. She calls the idea of a free market a construct created to gain popular support to defend corporate power. Her latest book is "The Big Myth: How American Business Taught Us to Loathe Government and Love the Free Market", co-authored with Erik M. Conway. She spoke to FRANCE 24's Gavin Lee in Perspective.
One of the world's top violinists has spoken to FRANCE 24 about his passion for his art and for helping people less fortunate than himself. The Russian-born Austrian classical violinist Yury Revich was named Young Artist of the year back in 2015 and has now performed at all the great venues worldwide, from Carnegie Hall in New York to La Scala in Milan. His next venture is a special concert in conjunction with UNICEF at the Salle Pleyel in Paris on March 7. He is also UNICEF's Austria Honorary Representative. He spoke to us in Perspective.
A major exhibition at the Festival of Photojournalism, the Visa pour L’Image, in Perpignan in southwest France is currently showcasing the power of women as Iran continues to clamp down on women's rights. A year ago, Iranian woman Mahsa Amini was arrested by the religious morality police for not wearing a hijab. Amini was beaten and later died as a result of police brutality, sparking widespread women-led protests in Iran. Journalist Ghazal Golshiri, who coproduced the exhibition, speaks to FRANCE 24.
A young cartoonist from the Philippines told of how he uses his pen to fight against injustice in his country. Zach draws cartoons to show the oppression that journalists face as the government continues to clamp down on media freedom. Human Rights Watch says little has changed in the Philippines since the election of President Ferdinand Marcos Junior last year. The Southeast Asian nation continue to witness killings and other violence amid intense political pressure. Zach joined us for Perspective.
Do we have too much stuff? That's the central theme of a new book by a leading anthropologist who goes back in time to ask whether our discovery of tools was in fact the beginning of the end of the human race. Since then, our desire to grow and build has led to the environmental consequences of today, as we drown in rubbish and the problems of climate change take effect. Chip Colwell's book is entitled "So Much Stuff: How Humans Discovered Tools, Invented Meaning, and Made More of Everything". He spoke to us in Perspective.
The 10th edition of the Rugby World Cup opens this Friday, September 8 with a blockbuster match. Hosts France will face New Zealand in one of the most powerful match-ups in the sport's history. This year, organisers are also expecting record attendance for the tournament, highlighting how professionalisation has transformed the sport in recent years. For more, Paul Rouse joined us for Perspective. He's a professor at University College Dublin and a specialist in the history of Irish and global sport.
Forced exile, grief, pressures of assimilation and generational trauma are recurring themes for many, if not most narratives about the refugee experience. They're at the heart of author Cecile Pin's first book, “Wandering Souls”, which recounts the lesser known stories of Vietnamese boat people who fled to the United Kingdom. She joined us for Perspective.
The French motto of "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity" can be seen everywhere in France, a constant reminder of the Enlightenment-era ideals the Fifth Republic says it holds dear. But our guest Nabila Ramdani says that a closer look at recurrent street protests, entrenched economic and social inequality and an all-powerful president reveals the cracks in the system. Ramdani is a Franco-Algerian journalist and the author of "Fixing France, How to Repair a Broken Republic". She joined us for Perspective.
Our Perspective guests are two anthropologists who are challenging established critical thinking that violence, oppression and inequality are the natural order of things. They criticise the well-established work of professors like Steven Pinker, Jared Diamond, Yuval Noah Harari and Jordan Peterson – claiming that their views on male dominance being the natural order are "fantasy posing as science". Their new book "Why Men" is their riposte, and uses parables of the toilet frog and the life of baboons to back up their theory. Nancy Lindisfarne and Jonathan Neale speak to FRANCE 24's Gavin Lee.
Our Perspective guest is Europe's first professor of Black Studies. Dr Kehinde Andrews argues that whiteness is a psychosis, the late Queen Elizabeth II was the ultimate symbol of White supremacy and that Nelson Mandela was a sell-out. He's fully aware of the clickbait element of his statements, which have led to run-ins with right-wing TV presenters and social media commentators, something which he says opens up a wider debate on Black consciousness. His new book, "The Psychosis of Whiteness", is out now. He spoke to FRANCE 24's Gavin Lee.
She's documented war and conflict – and its devastating aftermath – in Ukraine, Syria, Iraq and Gaza, and shone a spotlight on women's struggles in India and Egypt, with her images appearing in the likes of Le Monde, Libération, The Washington Post, Newsweek and Stern Magazine. She's back in France for the Rencontres d'Arles photography festival. Our Perspective guest is award-winning photojournalist Chloe Sharrock, who works for the MYOP photo agency.
In the past two weeks, authorities in Brazil have seized what's thought to be the biggest ever consignment of shark fins, a culinary delicacy in China that's banned across much of the world. The fins of an estimated 10,000 sharks were discovered after checks on two fish export companies in São Paulo. Authorities say the fins came from two different species: the blue shark and the shortfin mako shark. Our guest Claire Nouvian is a passionate marine conservationist who's spent a career trying to raise awareness to end the shark fin trade. The focus of her Paris-based NGO BLOOM is on the urgent issues of the ocean, which include damaging fishing techniques. She joined us for Perspective.
A man who spent six months behind bars accused of a murder he did not commit has spoken to FRANCE 24 about how he fought to turn his life around. After the case against Kenny Imafidon was dismissed by a judge, he was named the most outstanding Black student in the UK. He's also been named one of 100 young leaders across the globe making a social impact to transform our world. Imafidon is co-founder and managing director of ClearView Research, a leading research company which focuses on young people. He's now documented his life in a book entitled "That Peckham Boy: Growing Up, Getting Out and Giving Back". He joined us for Perspective.
An Egyptian artist, whose work has resonated particularly across the Middle East, has told FRANCE 24 how his life as a teenager amid the Arab Spring and the fall of Hosni Mubarak has influenced his work. Abdullah Miniawy is a singer, poet, composer and international actor. Born in Saudi Arabia, he moved to Egypt when young and performed in Tahrir Square during the anti-Mubarak protests. He's now in Paris working on a series of projects. He spoke to us in Perspective.
A renowned Iranian filmmaker who's now based in France says it's very important for her to make films that tell the truth about her childhood and life inside Iran. Sepideh Farsi says she is able to give an independent view as to what happens in the country, unlike filmmakers who still live there. She spoke to us on Perspective about her latest film "La Sirène", or "The Siren". The animated feature tells the story of a teenage boy named Omid at the start of the 1980s Iran-Iraq war, during the siege of the city of Abadan. Farsi herself was a teenager the same age as Omid at the time.
A radical rethink is needed in terms of how population numbers are framed, according to the UN's sexual and reproductive health agency. It says that government policies to raise, lower or maintain fertility rates are often ineffective and can actually erode women's rights. So are we asking the wrong questions when it comes to the global population? Diene Keita, Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund, joined us for Perspective to give us her take.
To what extent is the well-being of a country's youth a barometer for the state of society at large? Do dictatorships or geopolitical isolation affect citizens' sense of direction? And can love or friendship save people from the deepest depths of despair? These are some of the themes explored in Russian director Marusya Syroechkovskaya's film "How to Save a Dead Friend". She joined us for Perspective.
While the right to asylum is enshrined in both European and international law, asylum seekers and refugees are confronted with a host of administrative and social challenges, with the recurring shipwrecks in the Mediterranean serving as a grim testament to these obstacles. In reaction, ordinary citizens have stepped up to extend their support, endeavoring to make asylum seekers and refugees feel more welcome. The Refugee Food Festival stands as a prime example of such initiatives. Participants Guillaume Schwoob and Haitham Karajay joined us for a discussion on Perspective.
French President Emmanuel Macron is hosting foreign leaders in Paris for a summit focused on how to help the world's poorest countries deal with increasingly catastrophic events linked to climate change, without being saddled with huge debts. The big focus is on reform of the decades-old Bretton Woods institutions: the World Bank and the IMF. One of the key attendees at the summit is Laurence Tubiana, one of the architects of the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement. She joined us for Perspective.
The world should abandon its constant race for economic growth. That's the idea behind a new book written by the UN's Special Rapporteur on human rights and extreme poverty. In it, Olivier De Schutter argues that the system is now counterproductive in rich countries and that the Earth cannot continue to provide the resources we demand of it. "Infinite growth is not possible on a finite planet," he told us in Perspective.
This week, Paris is aiming to send a message to world leaders that the major issues facing the planet such as extreme poverty and climate change have to be tackled now. The "Power Our Planet" concert on June 22 in front of the Eiffel Tower is being organised by the NGO Global Citizen, an organisation that has already raised over $40 billion worldwide to fight poverty. The event is being held as world leaders meet in Paris for the Summit for a New Global Financing Pact. In Perspective, we spoke to Global Citizen's Chief Policy, Impact and Government Affairs Officer, Michael Sheldrick.
The world's first international treaty to protect the high seas is set to be adopted at the United Nations later this Monday. Amid rising sea temperatures, overfishing and even the fear of underwater mining, countries have come together to forge an agreement to try to protect international waters. The text is being seen as a huge step forward after more than 15 years of talks. In Perspective, we spoke to Jessica Battle, a senior expert on global ocean policy and governance at the WWF.
"4,211 km" is the distance between Tehran and Paris. It's also the title of a new play by French-Iranian director Aila Navidi showing at France's famed Avignon theatre festival next month. The show centres around a young woman named Yalda Farhadi, born in France to Iranian dissidents who never give up their dream of returning to their home country. Navidi says the play is almost completely autobiographical and that writing it felt "very necessary – like an emergency." More than 40 years after the Islamic revolution, she says her parents' generation has more hope than ever of one day going back, particularly since the protests sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini nine months ago.
"I Will Live" is the best-selling account of the challenges faced by a young woman growing up within the confines of a strictly religious Turkish-Dutch family, and her efforts to break free of that conservative culture. Upon its publication in 2021, Lale Gül was greeted with a wave of condemnation, including death threats from members of her own Dutch Muslim community. The award-winning author joined us for Perspective to tell us more.
Born and raised in a small coal-mining town in eastern Ukraine, our guest lost her family home in 2014 when the region was occupied by Russian-backed separatists, and her parents and sister were forced to flee as internally displaced people. Her poetry offers powerful glimpses into how one woman finds herself affected by a life-altering conflict. Her latest collection is entitled "Apricots of Donbas". In Perspective, we spoke to award-winning Ukrainian poet, playwright and screenwriter Lyuba Yakimchuk.
In the classic Scheherazade myth, a Persian queen tells stories to captivate an evil ruler, saving herself and thousands of possible victims from death. The children's book "Sharzhad and the Angry King", by Montreal-based author and illustrator Nahid Kazemi, is a wonderful retelling of that legend. It's about a little girl who helps a tyrannical leader evolve through stories. Kazemi grew up in Iran – a country that knows a thing or two about tyrants – but she says her book is not all about dictators. It sends a message to children that they can bring change through conversation and wisdom, rather than war and violence. In Paris for the release of the French translation of the book, Nahid Kazemi joined us for Perspective.
The number of wild mountain gorillas, who are at risk from humans, is increasing for the first time in years. This is thanks to the efforts of conservationists like Uganda's first-ever wildlife veterinarian, Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka, who says they are truly gentle giants. There are just over a thousand mountain gorillas left, mostly high in the mountains in Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Kalema-Zikusoka has also written a book, "Walking with Gorillas", charting her life from young enthusiast to wildlife campaigner.
It's a feat that hasn't been repeated by a French player since 1983. It's been exactly forty years since Yannick Noah thrilled the crowds at Roland Garros – and audiences across France – when he beat Sweden’s Mats Wilander in the final of the French Open. Our guest for Perspective is Benjamin Rassat, director of the documentary "Noah-ed", which features testimony from the seven competitors the then-23-year-old beat to become France's last home champion for decades.
It's hard to overstate just how pervasive and permanent plastic pollution has become, with microplastics now found in almost every corner of the world - from the bottom of the oceans, to the peaks of the Himalayas, to our own stomachs. Talks have been taking place in Paris aimed at limiting global plastic pollution - the second phase of ambitious UN negotiations with the goal of reaching a legally-binding international treaty by the end of 2024. France 24 spoke with Elise D'Epenoux, the communications manager for The Sea Cleaners, who has participated in the talks. She says reducing plastic production is key, but that plastic-producing nations and lobbies are intentionally seeking to delay the negotiations.
Although climate change has been conspicuously absent from Nigeria's political agenda, the tangible effects of global warming are undeniably present. The country has one of the highest rates of desertification in the world, many of its cities are under threat from rising sea levels, and the 2022 floods resulted in hundreds of fatalities and displaced over a million people. Amid the politicians' tardiness in prioritising climate action, youth activists are emerging as a proactive force. Adenike Oladosu, one of these young leaders joined us on Perspective.
Democracies across the globe are facing a crisis. Deepening inequalities, social injustices, and failure to effectively tackle global warming have fostered a widespread sentiment that elected officials no longer cater to voters' interests. The shortcomings of current democratic governance have even fuelled a sense of pride in so-called illiberal democracies. But what if a more collaborative model, truly respecting rule by the people, were achievable? Claudia Chwalisz, founder and CEO of DemocracyNext, joined us on Perspective to delve into this further.
On May 30, 2023, a collective of artists, art historians, writers, and academics will convene at the Musée Quai Branly in Paris to mark the tenth anniversary of "Black Portraitures: Imagining the Black Body in the West". This conference delves into the positioning of Africa and the African diaspora, as well as their depiction in Western art. Among the attendees is art historian Cheryl Finley, who leads The Atlanta University Center of Art History and Curatorial Studies. She joined us on Perspective.
For today’s Perspective, FRANCE24 takes a deeper look at how President Recep Tayyip Erdogan won the Turkish election once again, after 2 decades in power.
She's a self-described cultural agitator and social troublemaker. Poet Carol Sansour is co-creator of the Shaeirat project, which promotes and features contemporary Arab poetry, written by women. She joined us for Perspective to tell us more about the initiative.
It's a story of ambition, mutiny, heroism and survival; a voyage that swiftly descended into a nightmare at sea; a grueling test of endurance that lasted 13 months, pushing the crew of the Belgica whaling ship to the depths of despair and even madness. But the 1897 Belgian Antarctic expedition would also serve as an example for subsequent missions to the South Pole. Julian Sancton, writer, journalist and author of "Madhouse at the End of the Earth", joined us on Perspective to tell us more about the expedition.
"Business and sustainability can go hand-in-hand," says a Nigerian-born business expert who is working to ensure businesses – notably in Africa – do their bit to ensure a limited impact on the environment. Kenneth Amaeshi is Professor of Sustainable Finance and Governance at the School of Transnational Governance at the European University Institute in Florence. He told us in Perspective about the importance of reducing the negative impact of a business to make it sustainable.
There is reason to be optimistic that the latest ceasefire will hold in Sudan, according to Andreas Krieg, a senior lecturer at the School of Security Studies at King's College London. He says that this time around there is a clear framework in place for the ceasefire, which comes into effect this evening, with an international oversight committee to oversee it. However, he warns that if the truce holds, it is for humanitarian reasons only, and it does not provide as yet any concrete basis for longer-term peace talks. He spoke to us in Perspective.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has been shunned internationally for over a decade, due to the brutal repression of anti-government protesters and the use of chemical weapons by his regime during the country's civil war. Despite numerous reported atrocities, the leader has clung onto power with the sole support of two major powers: Iran and Russia. Now though, he's slowly being welcomed back into the diplomatic fold by returning as a member of the Arab League, where he's received the red-carpet treatment for a summit in Saudi Arabia. He's also been invited to this year's COP28 climate summit in Abu Dhabi.
It's been ten years since the start of the conflict in the Central African Republic opposing the Seleka and anti-Balaka militias. What quickly turned into a third civil war has left thousands of people dead and over half a million displaced. Behind the staggering numbers are countless civilians forced to make radical decisions to continue their lives in unimaginable circumstances. In partnership with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), Canadian photographer Adrienne Surprenant put faces to these stories for her photodocumentary "The Events". She joined us for Perspective.
In a push evocative of the Soviet Union's efforts to bring Africa into its sphere of influence, the Kremlin has stepped up its presence across the African continent in recent years. From military campaigns to involvement in domestic politics, few African nations have been spared Moscow's interest. Russia claims it's fighting Western neocolonialism, but to what extent is it mirroring the methods it criticises? Samuel Ramani, author of "Russia in Africa: Resurgent Great Power or Bellicose Pretender?" joined us on Perspective to share his insight.
The cinema industry in Nigeria, known as Nollywood, is the second-largest on the planet in terms of films produced, after Bollywood. Over the next few days, the best TV and films from across Africa are being showcased in Paris for the tenth edition of Nollywood Week. The festival celebrates the newest voices on the scene, highlights the best that African cinema has to offer and brings it to a French public. This year, it features South African sci-fi, a security guard's story in Nairobi and a brotherly tale of fighting for survival on the streets of Lagos. Nadira Shakur, the co-founder of Nolywood Week, told Gavin Lee what to expect.
Deja Foxx, 23, has just been awarded the Global Citizen Prize for her activism on women's reproductive rights. Deja first came to prominence at just 15 years old, when she challenged a Republican senator in Arizona over the right for women to have free access to birth control pills. Since then, she has worked as the youngest ever strategist and influencer on the election campaign of US Vice President Kamala Harris. She's also founded an organisation championing young women called GenZ Girl Gang, models for Ford Models and is planning on becoming a future US president. Deja has achieved all this after growing up in poverty. She joined us for Perspective.
The severe poverty and climate crisis the world is suffering should be a moment for us to completely reassess the way our political and social structure is formed. That's the view of Daniel Chandler, an economist and philosopher based at the London School of Economics. His new book "Free and Equal: What Would a Fair Society Look Like?" makes the case for a new progressive liberalism with suggestions such as free childcare for all, no fee-paying elitist schools and higher taxes to spread wealth more evenly. The author spoke to us in Perspective.
Wildlife photography is about making people care. That's the hope of one of the world's top photographers, whose work has taken him across the planet with the aim of capturing the best images he can. Graeme Green says his aim is to get people thinking about habitat loss, poaching and climate change as they look at his pictures. He's put together a collection of more than 200 stunning wildlife photos by some of the world's leading photographers for a book called "The New Big 5", which is a celebration of wildlife photography. He joined us for Perspective to tell us more.
The coronation of Britain's King Charles III will be the first in the lifetime of anyone below the age of 70. For more on the ritual and its evolution, historian and author Joanne Paul joined us for Perspective. She explained that the ceremony goes all the way back to the 7th century, with the first anointing of a British monarch. While that "unction" continues, not without controversy, the ceremony has always adapted to be a reflection of the times. One regular feature: royal mishaps, from the procession of Henry VIII getting stopped by pouring rain to Queen Victoria's "absolute shambles" of a ceremony.
Ione Gamble was diagnosed with Crohn's disease when she was 19, right around the time when a new wave of internet-driven "girlboss" feminism took off. Managing a chronic illness opened her eyes to the movement's blind spots, and led her to reconsider her own relationship with femininity and empowerment. She founded the zine "Polyester" to give a platform to critical feminist voices, and published the essay collection "Poor Little Sick Girls," exploring how capitalism has warped radical feminist concepts like self-care. She joined us for Perspective to discuss contemporary feminism, inclusivity and navigating the "hellscape" that is social media.
In Reporters Without Borders' 2023 Press Freedom Index, Turkey is ranked 165th out of 180 nations for the environment facing journalists. Among the reasons for the worsening conditions is a crackdown ahead of presidential elections in May, as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan faces his toughest re-election battle yet. Ozgur Ogret, a journalist and Turkey representative for the Committee to Protect Journalists, joined us on Perspective to tell us more about the situation.
In April, Washington's city council unanimously approved the first reading of a bill that would inaugurate Swann Street near the Dupont Circle neighbourhood of the US capital. The bill honours William Dorsey Swann. Born in 1860, he was the first known person to dub himself a drag queen. His legacy is just one part of the larger influence the African American queer community had on Black emancipation in the US. Historian and journalist Channing Gerard Joseph joined us for Perspective to tell us more.
The brutal power struggle unfolding in Sudan has no clear end in sight, with over 500 people already killed and thousands forced to flee. After the joy and hope of the democratic protests that led to the fall of Omar al-Bashir, the country has been unable to escape the shadow of his regime and the men who wish to succeed him. Nicholas Westcott, director of the Royal African Society, says he was sadly not surprised when the fighting began a fortnight ago between Generals Burhan and Hemedti, two longstanding rivals. He says a peaceful outcome is possible, but will require a unified response from international powers to convince key players like Egypt that prolonged conflict isn't in their best interests.
Since the fall of the Islamic State group, jihadism has largely receded from the public debate in Europe, but the threat is far from over. In a new book entitled "La colère et l'oubli" – which roughly translates to "anger and forgetfulness" – researcher Hugo Micheron explains that European governments tend to make the mistake of forgetting jihadism as soon as the terror threat declines. But over the past three decades, the movement has taken advantage of periods of retreat to focus on recruitment and come back stronger. Micheron joined us for Perspective.
Award-winning photographer, artist and filmmaker Tomas van Houtryve was selected to visually document the devastation wrought by the massive blaze that ripped through Paris's Notre-Dame Cathedral four years ago. Over the course of 12 months, he enjoyed rare access to the monument and the teams assigned to painstakingly restore it to its former glory. His exhibition "Notre Dame: Rebuilding an Icon" can now be seen outside the cathedral, where it will remain until next summer. He joined us for Perspective.
Every minute, a child somewhere on the planet loses their battle against malaria. Four African nations account for just over half of all deaths worldwide: Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania and Niger. Global health chiefs say extreme weather events are driving sharp increases in both infections and deaths, particularly in countries like Pakistan and Malawi. Dr Saschveen Singh, Tropical Infectious Diseases Advisor at Doctors Without Borders, joined us for Perspective to mark World Malaria Day. She told us that vaccines are "no magic bullet" but "another tool to add to our toolbox".
They share a determination to reduce US and Western influence. Observers say autocratic leaders – from Russia to China to India – are united by a belief that it's time to re-shape the current world order, which emerged in the aftermath of World War II. Our Perspective guest is one of those observers. Julien Théron is a political scientist and lecturer at Sciences Po, and also author of "Le Pacte des Autocrates". For him, autocratic leaders wrongly insist that democracy is only for Western countries.
Since the Taliban retook power in Afghanistan in August 2021, women have been robbed of their right to learn, work and move freely. Their exclusion from public life is having dire consequences for the entire country. We discuss the situation with Melissa Cornet, a human rights researcher who works with the NGO CARE. She notes that the lack of new female graduates means that there will soon be no more women teachers, doctors or nurses in Afghanistan. She also points out that while bans on female aid workers are having a devastating effect, many NGOs are closing not because of the bans, but due to lack of funding – with only 5 percent of Afghanistan's humanitarian needs currently being met.
Leading Russian political scientist Ekaterina Schulmann was in Russia when the invasion of Ukraine began last year. In April, she accepted a fellowship in Berlin, and just days after she left for Germany she was labelled a "foreign agent" by Moscow, making it impossible for her to return to her home country to teach. She continues to comment regularly on Russian politics, with over 1 million subscribers on her YouTube channel. Schulmann joined us for Perspective to discuss her experience being designated a "foreign agent", the challenges of assessing public opinion in Russia, and the impact the war has had on the stability of the Russian regime.
Africa is one of the continents worst affected by climate change. An estimated 600 million people there don't have access to electricity, while even greater numbers live without clean cooking fuels or technologies. The continent currently accounts for less than 6 percent of global energy consumption and 2 percent of cumulative global emissions. Experts say it has the potential to play a leading role as the planet's energy systems transition to a net-zero future. For more, Dr Rebekah Shirley, Deputy Director at the World Resources Institute Africa, joined us for Perspective.
Whether out of genuine ideological adherence or fear of the increasingly ruthless crackdown on dissent, a substantial portion of Russians have wholeheartedly adopted Moscow's rhetoric on the war in Ukraine. Franco-Russian journalists Ksenia Bolchakova and Veronika Dorman travelled the country for a look at a how the population is being nursed on a culture of violence and propaganda for their documentary, "Russie: Un peuple qui marche au pas” (Russia: An obedient people). They joined us on Perspective.
It is the most populous city in the Americas and the fifth largest city in the world: Sao Paulo, Brazil, a city evoking everything from bustling skyscrapers full of financial opportunity to rampant corruption, inequality and violence. The country's richest city, it is also the setting for British author Joe Thomas's latest book, “Brazilian Psycho”. He joined us on Perspective.
In an eagerly-awaited decision, the nine members of France's Constitutional Council will rule this Friday on whether to accept, modify or reject Emmanuel Macron's unpopular pension reform. They'll also be deciding whether to authorise a public referendum that would cap the retirement age at 62. In Perspective, we found out more about the potential outcomes and what might come next with Paul Smith, an Associate Professor in French and Francophone Studies at the University of Nottingham.
Reed Brody, a top US and international lawyer, tells FRANCE 24 he does not see Americans voting collectively for another four years of Donald Trump. After Trump last week became the first former US president to be indicted on criminal changes, Brody says the indictment – and other more serious potential charges ahead – could rally ardent Republican supporters behind Trump in the short term. But he says many US voters in the middle of the political spectrum are "tired of crazy" and want to see normal politics again. Brody joined us for Perspective.
Our guest not only moved from New York to Paris without speaking any French, but has now become a stand-up comedian here in France, managing to perform in both English and French. Sebastian Marx has created a one-man show based on taking the mickey out of the French – both the language and the culture. He's not afraid of doing the same for Americans, too. So how does it all go down with French audiences? He joined us for Perspective to tell us more.
The author and compiler of a new unique book of wildlife photographs has told FRANCE 24 how people need to see for themselves the animals and species that are at risk in order to connect with them. Graeme Green's book "The New Big 5" immortalises a range of species of wildlife from across the planet. The title comes from the old colonial hunting idea of the Big Five, which was a list of animals that hunters most liked to kill. Green joined us for Perspective to tell us more about the book and the importance of raising awareness about endangered species.
Shakespeare wrote in "Hamlet" some 400 years ago: "There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy". According to our guest, everything we've been told throughout the generations about the universe could be turned on its head in the coming years, because of a new branch of astronomy based on gravitational waves. Gianfranco Bertone calls it multimessenger astronomy. He is a professor in the physical theory of astroparticles at Amsterdam University and his new book is called "A Tale of Two Infinities". He spoke to FRANCE 24's Gavin Lee about what it all means.
On November 9, 1989, the Berlin Wall fell, symbolising the beginning of the end of the Cold War. Plenty of books, essays and documentaries have been devoted to the historic turning point, but hearing from East Germans about how they experienced the four decades of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) is harder to come by. Historian and journalist Katja Hoyer's book "Beyond the Wall: East Germany, 1949-1990" offers a comprehensive history of the GDR, integrating first-hand accounts. She joined us for Perspective.
It's now been 20 years since Recep Tayyip Erdogan rose to power in Turkey. Either way you look at it, he has undeniably transformed the country. For his supporters, he has turned Turkey into a regional powerhouse and rolled back secularism often associated with the West. But for critics, he has put the country on a more Islamist, even authoritarian path. Claude Guibal is a journalist specialised in the Middle East and creator of a podcast series on the Turkish president. She joined us for Perspective.
The dismantling of the Jim Crow segregation system in the United States and the suffragette movement giving women the right to vote are just two examples of mass changes brought about through civil disobedience. For a growing number of activists, confronting climate change is no different. Many argue that only civil disobedience campaigns will spur the radical changes necessary to prevent irreversible disaster. Oscar Berglund is a researcher and lecturer at the University of Bristol specialised in civil disobedience and climate activism. He joined us for Perspective.
In Nigeria, a phrase is said to be used by some older people to describe the younger cohort. They call them the "coconut head generation": an insult meaning lazy and apathetic. Our guest, filmmaker Alain Kassanda, has taken that name for his documentary, which goes a long way to show quite the opposite: how many young Nigerians are politically involved and fighting for more for their country. It focuses on the lives of students at the country's oldest university, in Ibadan. Alain joined us for Perspective, along with the film's visual director, Obayomi Anthony Ayodele.
Jake Adelstein, the author of Tokyo Vice and the creator of its television series, has released a new book that delves deeper into his experiences in Japan. Tokyo Detective follows Adelstein's life as a private detective in the country, investigating the mafia who have evolved into legitimate businessmen. While his original book chronicled his 12-year journey as an American reporter for a Japanese newspaper in Tokyo, this new work offers a more nuanced perspective of Japanese society's underbelly. Recently published in French, the book will be available in English next year, coinciding with the second season of the Tokyo Vice series. Adelstein spoke to Perspective about his latest work.
It is crucial week for the future of the French government’s plans to reform the pension system. Another huge strike is planned by the unions for Tuesday, and any significant dip in the number of people taking part in demonstrations will weaken their cause. If the numbers hold up, will the government offer an olive branch to try to calm the situation? For the unions, however, olive branches will not be enough: they want the plans to be simply withdrawn, or at least paused. For Perspective, we spoke to Richard Werly, France correspondent for the Swiss newspaper Blick.
Rose Valland was one of the most highly decorated spies during World War II, credited with playing a leading role in saving thousands of looted artworks during the Nazi occupation. She was a Parisian art historian who spied on powerful Nazi leaders such as Hermann Göring over a period of four years. Rose's information enabled soldiers to know what to look for when recovering the stolen artworks. But she remains a relatively unknown figure in popular culture. Journalist Michelle Young is aiming to change that. She has uncovered more information about Rose's life, and her new book "The Art Spy" tells that story. She spoke to FRANCE 24’s Gavin Lee for Perspective.
Taha Siddiqui is an award-winning former FRANCE 24 journalist who fled Pakistan after escaping a kidnapping attempt. He's now exiled in France and has since discovered he's on a kill list in Pakistan and can never return to his home country. In 2020, Taha opened a bar in Paris to help people in exile like himself, called The Dissident Club. That's also the name of his autobiographical story, which has just been published in France – not as a traditional first-person account, but in comic book format. He spoke to Gavin Lee on Perspective.
The Gulag is synonymous with some of the worst mass human rights abuses of the 20th century, and also some of the lesser known. As many as 24 million people were imprisoned and some 1.6 million killed in the Soviet prison system. But no one was ever held accountable for the crimes, begging the question of how the legacy of the Gulag has impacted modern-day Russia. Michaël Prazan's book "Varlam" retraces the story of Russian writer and Gulag survivor Varlam Shalamov. The author joined us for Perspective.
For all the good that social media has done, it's increasingly difficult to ignore its dark sides. Many studies show links between heavy social media use and a decline in mental health. Isa Watson had her own reckoning with the dangers of relying on the virtual world for validation. To counter the more toxic aspects of social media, she founded Squad, a mobile application centered on nourishing friendships. The US entrepreneur has now written a book entitled "Life Beyond Likes: Logging Off Your Screen and Into Your Life". She joined us for Perspective.
After getting a law degree, Michael Sengazi began to dabble in theatre and ultimately decided to ditch his future career as a lawyer to become a stand-up comedian. While his parents were initially a bit upset about seeing their law school investment used to tell jokes, he eventually won them over – along with all of Burundi. As the fifth child in a family of seven kids, with a Burundian father and Rwandan mother, family is one of Sengazi's favoUrite subjects. He also tackles taboo topics like sex, though he says there are some subjects he refuses to joke about. While in Paris to perform as part of the Africapitales festival, he joined us for Perspective.
As Iranians continue to brave a deadly crackdown to protest against their regime, Iranian exiles living abroad have joined the movement in any way they can. For French-Iranian opera singer and composer Ariana Vafadari, that’s meant rallying support through music. She left Iran at age five and was later deeply affected by the assassination of her father, a leader of Iran's Zoroastrian community. Much of her music incorporates that philosophy, which she describes as one based on freedoms and equality between women and men. She joined us for Perspective to mark the six-month anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death and the start of the women-led protests.
As Tropical Cyclone Freddy leaves around 100 people dead across Malawi amid a trail of destruction, a charity in Scotland is already doing its bit to try to mitigate the effects of climate change there. Malawi has been highlighted as one of the most vulnerable countries in the world to climate change. At the COP26 summit in Glasgow in 2021, an initial £2 million was pledged by Scotland in "loss and damage" funding, followed by another £5 million at last year's summit in Sharm el-Sheikh. In Perspective, we spoke to Ben Wilson from SCIAF, the Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund, one of the charities helping to spend the money.
Since the start of the year, Republican lawmakers have put forward hundreds of bills in dozens of US states targeting transgender people and other members of the LGBT community. Many of them restrict access to gender-affirming healthcare, which research shows is crucial to the wellbeing and survival of trans people. According to activist and researcher Erin Reed, the current wave of anti-trans legislation is the result of a "sustained fear campaign" led by far-right groups. She joined us for Perspective to discuss the importance of gender-affirming care, the main reasons that people detransition, and problems with media coverage in outlets like The New York Times.
Nigerian crime is synonymous with cyber crime, and variants of the original so-called 419 scam. These are emails where the suspect claims to be a prince or princess without access to their riches, and promise to share their windfall if we help them out financially. The victim's bank account is then emptied and the suspect is never heard from again. Our guest is a journalist who has spent years uncovering the massive scale of a Nigerian mafia that dominates parts of Marseille and is globally connected. A new book called "Mafia Africa" is the work of Célia Lebur from French news agency Agence France-Presse and Joan Tilouine, the head of investigations at Africa Intelligence. Célia spoke to FRANCE 24's Gavin Lee about the book.
From brutal attacks to the spread of zoonotic illnesses, urbanisation has made relationships between people and wild animals increasingly conflictual. But in rare cases, humans and wildlife can coexist peacefully and even rely on one another, in relationships mirroring those between parents and children. In the Oscar-nominated documentary short film "The Elephant Whisperers", Kartiki Gonsalves documents the intimate connection between a couple and an orphaned elephant in southern India. She joined us for Perspective.
Sunday March 5 marks the 70th anniversary of the death of Joseph Stalin. The sudden demise of the Soviet dictator marked the end of an era, but it wasn't the major turning point it could have been in US-Soviet relations. In his book "The Last Days of Stalin", activist and scholar Joshua Rubenstein writes that the administration of US President Dwight D. Eisenhower missed a narrow opportunity to improve relations with the Soviet Union. He joined us for Perspective to discuss Stalin's final months, the dictator's death and its repercussions.
The Persian-Kurdish word "Kolbar" can be translated to "one who carries a load". It's used to describe those who carry goods illegally across the mountainous border between Iran and Iraq, and elsewhere in the region. Kolbars in Iranian Kurdistan turn to the job out of economic desperation and dozens of them die each year – the majority shot by Iranian border guards. A new graphic novel from Iranian cartoonist Mana Neyestani sheds light on their difficult circumstances. "Les Oiseaux de papier" or "Paper Birds" is a gripping account of one Kolbar expedition, interwoven with a love story that also condemns Iranian patriarchy. Author Mana Neyestani joined us for Perspective.
Thousands of illegal gold miners are accused of destroying the lives of the indigenous Yanomami people, who have lived for centuries in the Amazon rainforest on the border between Venezuela and Brazil. Miners have flooded into the area, poisoning rivers, attacking people and even raping women and girls. Under Brazil's new government, the issue is now coming under the spotlight, as federal police have opened an investigation into possible genocide. In Perspective, we spoke to Fiona Watson, Director of Research and Advocacy at Survival International.
The woman behind a new Oscar-nominated film that documents the lives of two French volcanologists has described it as the story of a "love triangle" between two human beings and volcanoes. Katia and Maurice Krafft roamed the planet for two decades, chasing volcanic eruptions and taking hundreds of hours of film of their exploits, before their tragic death in 1991. Their footage has now been turned into the documentary "Fire of Love". Director, writer and producer Sara Dosa spoke to us on Perspective.
The economic situations in Lebanon and Egypt are both dire, but for now the ramifications are more manageable in Egypt. That's the view of Timothy Kaldas from the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy. He told FRANCE 24 that while parallels can be drawn between the countries, there is reason for more hope in Egypt, simply because the country is too big to fail. This despite Egyptians facing inflation of 26 percent, with food prices rising by up to 50 percent. Kaldas joined us for Perspective.
All year long, cartoonists around the world have been putting their pens to paper, interpreting and documenting the events in Ukraine. To mark the one-year anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion, international network Cartooning for Peace has released a special edition book featuring 120 drawings from cartoonists around the world. Among them are six illustrations from award-winning Ukrainian cartoonist Vladimir Kazanevsky. He joined us for Perspective to talk about how Russia's invasion has drastically changed his work, and what it means to him to see cartoonists from around the world expressing their support for Ukraine.
To some, they're creepy and crawly; to others, they're buzzy and beautiful. But whatever your feelings about insects, they are the humming undercurrent to life on Earth and without them, our world would grind to a halt. That's the view of biologist Dave Goulson, author of "Silent Earth: Averting the Insect Apocalypse". His book is both a love letter to insects and a wake-up call about their devastating decline. He joined us for Perspective to discuss his early passion for insects, their key roles in our ecosystems and how we can all do our part to protect them.
In a world driven by economic markets, and increasingly by digital and technological innovation, are we losing a sense of ourselves and a sense of solidarity with other living things? Renowned philosopher Achille Mbembe reflects on these issues in his new book "The Earthly Community". He joined us for Perspective to tell us more.
A new book critiques the juxtaposition of rich and powerful people preaching to the rest of us on climate change. Author and political scientist Édouard Morena looks at how the ultra wealthy have re-shaped the global discussion on climate change, often to suit their own needs, whilst ignoring more obvious ways to save the planet. Issues such as billionaires defending their use of private jets, or one of the world's largest oil producers hosting the next round of UN climate talks are among those under the microscope. Morena spoke to us on Perspective about his book "Fin du monde et Petits Fours", or "The end of the world and appetisers", which has just been published in French.
Many parts of our lives are defined by turning points: fleeting or extended moments where life as we know it is changed forever. These can be a person we meet, a travel experience or a bereavement. For Robert Douglas Fairhurst, it was being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, an unpredictable and still misunderstood illness. As a literature professor, stories played a key role in helping him make sense of the diagnosis. He recounts the journey in his book "Metamorphosis: A Life in Pieces". The author joined us for Perspective.
How can the United States end its epidemic of racist police violence? The question is raised with new urgency in the wake of each new death - from George Floyd to Breonna Taylor, to the recent killing of Tyre Nichols. While that case was complicated by the fact that the officers who beat Nichols were also Black, Social Psychologist Jack Glaser explains that scientific evidence shows Black police officers hold "the same kinds of negative stereotypes of Black civilians that White officers do."
A French journalist who spent five years in the US as the correspondent for the Libération newspaper, has turned her attention to fiction and written a book about the dark debate over US abortion rights. While in Washington, Isabelle Hanne spoke to Americans involved in the issue; from those seeking abortions, to those working in the industry, to those deeply opposed to it. Instead of just writing factual articles for her paper, she also wrote her book, creating characters to tell the story.
Our lives, whether we like it or not, are being molded by the algorithms governing every facet of technology we have today. This is the theory behind a new book that looks at how the digital revolution is not only affecting our personal relationships, but also our most intimate choices and even who we fall in love with. For Perspective, we spoke with University of South Wales Professor Anthony Elliott, about his book "Algorithmic Intimacy: the digital revolution in personal relationships".
"When is our suffering going to end?" is a common sentiment among Syrians after years of war, hunger, and now a devastating earthquake which hit the region a week ago. Deputy head of Oxfam’s mission in Syria spoke to FRANCE24, agreeing with the UN’s aid chief on the feelings of abandonment plaguing Syrians. Latest figures from the UN showed that more than 4300 have already died, with the death toll set to increase. Matilde Gomis Perez joined us for Perspective from Barcelona, after her Damascus trip ended Saturday.
Award-winning French journalist Samuel Forey joins us for Perspective to discuss his newly-released book, which retraces six years of reporting from the Middle East. He tells us more about why he decided to become a war reporter and also reacts to the devastating twin earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.
As the desperate search for survivors continues after the devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria, the WHO warns that up to 23 million people could be affected across the region. Our Perspective guest is Louise Bichet, Middle East Manager at Médecins du Monde (Doctors of the World), which has been working in the region for many years. She tells us more about the humanitarian response to the disaster, particularly in Syria. "There is a need for much wider humanitarian access so that we are able to reach those who are most in need, without any consideration of political agenda or military agenda," she said.
From withholding nearly $40 million in tax revenue from the Palestinian Authority, to pledges to expand West Bank settlements and the Israeli security minister's controversial visit to the Al-Aqsa mosque compound, the first months of Israel's most far-right government in history presage a bleak outlook for peaceful relations between Israelis and Palestinians. So what might the near future hold for both sides? Israeli activist Yehuda Shaul, co-founder of Breaking the Silence, joined us for Perspective.
After 20 years working for a big IT firm and spending his vacations connecting with the natural world, Gautum Shah decided to quit his job and use his skills to do something he truly cared about: preserving wildlife. His production company Internet of Elephants makes games using real conservation data. The idea is to boost preservation efforts by helping people feel closer to wild animals. After projects based on research into apes, leopards and other creatures, an upcoming game, "Fathomverse", will allow players to look through and label real images from ocean rovers at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute. Shah joined us for Perspective.
It's sometimes said that art records what the history books cannot, giving us a sense of how it may have felt to live through a particular moment in time. It also allows us to question the official narrative of events. "Hairline Crack [a dialogue]" by visual artist Niamh McCann is on display at the Irish Cultural Centre in Paris. It explores people's relationship to the border between Ireland and Northern Ireland, just over a century after the island's partition. The artist joined us for Perspective.
An eminent scientist is calling for urgent new work to protect and even enhance underground fungal networks that could provide part of the solution to climate change. Toby Kiers is an evolutionary biologist known for her pioneering research on the flows and architecture of plant fungal networks that store huge amounts of carbon. She says more work must be done to protect existing networks, with the potential to artificially create new ways of sucking up carbon, which could help in the fight against climate change. She joined us for Perspective.
Africa's Lake Victoria is a source of joy and livelihood for those living along its shores, but the waterway is being overrun by pollution. Kenya's Rahmina Paullete is not just tackling the scourge, but transforming waste particles into furniture, coasters and bags. She's the founder of the "Let Lake Victoria Breathe Again" campaign. The young activist joined us for Perspective.
As a child of Holocaust survivors, singer and writer Judith Mok grew up without grandparents, aunts, or other extended family. But that painful past was always present through her parents' silences and whispers, and when her elder half-sister revealed that she witnessed their grandparents' arrest, Mok decided to finally bring her family's history into the light. The result is her memoir "The State of Dark", a moving commemoration of her relatives' passionate lives and the pain of their absence.
In November of 1995, a Jewish extremist murdered Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, marking a turning point in the country's history. For some, Rabin's assassination partially catalysed the death of a certain path towards peace with Palestinians and a sense of unity among Israelis. Nearly three decades later, Israel has sworn in a coalition of ultra-nationalist and religious parties, its most extreme government ever. But what connections can be made between these events? Itamar Rabinovich, a former Israeli ambassador to the US, joined us on Perspective.
Developing nations bear the brunt of the climate crisis, even though they have the world's smallest carbon footprints. This is all the more consequential for indigenous populations, which often have more direct reliance on the natural environment. But are global leaders doing enough to alleviate the effects of climate change? A member of Chad's Mbororo pastoralist community, Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim advocates for the inclusion of indigenous groups in climate change discussions. She joined us for Perspective.
The war in Ukraine, climate change and food insecurity are three issues blighting the world. Africa, though, is perhaps the continent set to be hardest hit by all of them. France’s development agency AFD is publishing a report on the African economy, which aims to provide an overview of the continent’s major economic and social problems. In Perspective, we spoke to Thomas Melonio, the AFD's Executive Director of Innovation, Strategy and Research.
Award-winning filmmaker Cécile Allegra joins us on Perspective to tell us about her new feature, "Songs of the Living". It tells the story of a group of migrants, or survivors as she prefers to call them, as they try to settle in the Aveyron region of France. These survivors are people who have escaped torture in Libyan camps, and are now being helped by her own French charity Limbo, the brothers of the local monastery and the people of the town. Together, they use music to try to bring some semblance of calm to the lives of those who have experienced hell on Earth.
When Chowra Makaremi came to France from Iran as a child, she had to leave her mother behind. Several years later, in 1988, her jailed mother was one of thousands killed in mass executions. Now an anthropologist, Marakemi explains that the Iranian regime has long used state violence for control, setting up a sort of "contract" to keep society within their "red lines". She says the current protests are a sign that Iranians are no longer accepting the regime's "game of terror". Marakemi tells us that a generation of Iranians who, like her, lost family members to state violence have transmitted "a memory of resistance", adding that the protest movement is being fuelled not by fear, but by anger.
With over a million refugees and more than 200,000 asylum seekers, Germany is Europe's largest host country for those in search of refuge abroad. Our Perspective guest is one of last year's winners of the prestigious Global Citizen Prize, awarded for her work with female refugees in Germany, Greece and Syria. Anuscheh Amir-Khalili is an German-Iranian activist and co-founder of the social startup Band of Sisters.
The luckiest generations witness at least one major milestone in space exploration. For baby boomers, it was the first Moon landing. But what about our generation? Since it sent its first images in July of last year, the James Webb Space Telescope has given the world an unprecedented look deep into the universe, reawakening curiosity about life beyond our planet. Nathalie Cabrol, an astrobiologist and researcher at the SETI Institute in California, has built her career on exploring the origins and future of life on Earth and elsewhere. She joined us for Perspective.
Exact numbers are difficult to verify, but hundreds of thousands of Russians have fled the country since the start of the war in Ukraine. The reasons vary, while some wanted to escape the mobilisation order, others chose exile over a rising crackdown on dissent. For journalist Taisia Bekbulatova, being labeled a "foreign agent" ultimately led her to escape to Georgia months before the war turned independent journalism into an impossible mission. She joins us on Perspective.
From the outset of the Russian invasion, one of Ukraine's key concerns was that its Western allies would eventually feel war fatigue. But nearly a year into the conflict, there's no sign of slowed support for Kyiv. Several Western nations announced a new wave of military aid this week. But what about support for the Kremlin? Who are its allies and what form does their support take? For more, Samuel Ramani, an associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies, joined us on Perspective.
Aid groups are warning of a dire situation in Afghanistan following the Taliban's banning of female NGO workers. Many major international aid groups have suspended their operations, including the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC). We spoke to the NRC's Afghanistan director, Neil Turner, who said that organisations like his need female employees in order to access the women they serve. He called on the Taliban to live up to their promises, and warned that if the ban is not reversed the effects will be devastating, with millions losing access to food, safe drinking water and vital protection services. "This is a red line for us. We will not resume [our operations] without our female employees," he told us in Perspective.
A woman who is leading what is quickly becoming a worldwide campaign to stop sexual violence has told FRANCE 24 why she believes consent education in schools is the best way to drastically reduce the problem. Chanel Contos was sexually assaulted at just 13 years old and at the time didn't even realise that what happened to her was wrong. She says that sexual violence had become part of the local culture. Today, she is behind the "Teach Us consent" movement in Australia that has ensured sexual consent is taught in schools there. The movement also spurred the "Everyone's Invited" campaign in the UK and is now spreading elsewhere as well. She joined us for Perspective.
French Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne is meeting the major players involved in, or largely opposed to, the government's pension reform plans. The reform is set to be the big political battle of the next six months, with President Emmanuel Macron promising to push it through before the summer. But the plans face considerable opposition, particularly from France's powerful unions, with protests expected. In Perspective, we speak to Bruno Cautrès of CEVIPOF, the political research wing of Sciences Po university. He says "there is no support in the population for the pension reform", adding that Macron has not explained the "social philosophy" of the reform and that "it can't be just a budgetary issue".
Between left-wing leader Lula returning to power and the death of football legend Pelé, it's been a hugely significant New Year for Brazil. Marieke Riethof, a senior lecturer in Latin American Politics at the University of Liverpool, joined us for Perspective to give some insight into this new chapter. Riethof says the two events will positively shape Brazil for many, with Lula's inauguration representing a promise of economic and social recovery, while mourning for Pelé helps unite the country. However, she notes that Brazil remains highly polarised and at risk of political violence – divisions that former president Jair Bolsonaro will benefit from as he plots his expected political comeback.
Three months after the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini sparked a mass protest movement, renowned exiled French-Iranian photographer Reza Deghati says he believes the end of Iran's Islamic Republic is near. He spoke to FRANCE 24 from Baku, Azerbaijan, where he's travelled in order to quickly enter neighbouring Iran in the event of the regime's collapse. Reza hailed the generation of young people who have led the protests, saying they are clever, connected and above all, fearless.
When the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021, photographer Roya Heydari was taken completely by surprise. She'd already spent six years of her life exiled in Iran during the Taliban's first rule. When they returned, she was forced to leave for a second time, a decision that devastated her. As a photographer, Heydari has dedicated herself to capturing the beauty of Afghanistan's people, culture and places – wanting to show the world a brighter image of her country.
In many ways, last month's COP27 climate summit was yet another disappointment. Critics describe it as the moment the dream of limiting global warming to 1.5° C above pre-industrial levels officially died. But the summit did see a breakthrough agreement on "loss and damage", through a funding scheme for the nations most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Rwandan youth activist Ineza Umuhoza Grace conducts research on loss and damage in developing nations. She joined us for Perspective.
Early on in the war on Ukraine, Russia passed laws making it illegal to criticise the invasion, the military or even to describe the war as such. Along with thousands of arrests for anti-war protests, several high-profile opposition activists face lengthy prison sentences for speaking out against the war. Russian artist Alexandra Skotchilenko is among them. Arrested in April, she's accused of spreading "false information" about the Russian army. Her associate Maria joined us for Perspective to tell us more.
What would you do if you inherited millions of dollars? Would you reimburse your debts? Go on a travelling spree? Or lobby your government to take it away from you in the name of tax justice? Austrian heiress Marlene Engelhorn was left with millions of euros from her family business. But as co-founder of the organisation Tax Me Now, she wants the government to take around 90 percent of her wealth through a more equitable taxation system. She joined us for Perspective.
Two weeks after the COP27 wrapped up in Egypt, negotiators are meeting in Montreal, Canada for a UN summit focused on biodiversity. Countries will be setting their targets to protect the world's ecosystems, with the goal of coming up with a Paris-style agreement. It comes as the planet is facing a sixth mass extinction event – one that, as Australian ecologist Mark Burgman explains, humans are responsible for – both because of how and what we consume and how quickly we do so. He joined us for Perspective.
From its numerous controversies to its diplomatic match-ups, the World Cup in Qatar has been a gold mine for anyone interested in the intersection between sports and diplomacy. As the tournament heads into the quarter-finals, we speak to Simon Rofe from the Institute of Sports Humanities about the fierce criticism of the host country, the historic concept of the Olympic Truce and the key diplomatic moments of the tournament so far.
Climate change is having an immense impact on African countries and people need more information and awareness. That's the view of a leading climate activist from Kenya, who has her own climate podcast and spoke recently at the COP27 climate summit in Egypt. Abigael Kima has seen the effects of climate change on her home community in the west of Kenya and has now turned her attention to trying to change attitudes. Africa is only responsible for less than 4 percent of global emissions but is disproportionately affected by climate disasters. Kima joined us for Perspective.
An award-winning Ukrainian cartoonist has told FRANCE 24 that he draws his cartoons to fight against the propaganda of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The work of Vladimir Kazanevsky is currently on display at the cultural centre of the Ukrainian embassy in Paris. He was forced to leave Ukraine when the war broke out, so he uses his talent to do what he can for the war effort. Kazanevsky is also in Paris to take part in a roundtable discussion on freedom of the press in times of war, alongside FRANCE 24 reporter Elena Volochine. He joined us for Perspective.
As the international advocacy officer at Ukraine's Center for Civil Liberties, Oleksandra Drik works to rally global support for Ukraine and fight against Russian disinformation. On a recent trip to Kenya and Ethiopia, she found that many wrongly consider the invasion of Ukraine as a proxy war between Russia and the West. Drik also fights for accountability, notably calling for a special tribunal to prosecute the crime of aggression. She says that the Center for Civil Liberties has documented over 27,000 Russian war crimes since the invasion began nine months ago. In October, the group was jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Drik joined us for Perspective.
World AIDS Day is dedicated to raising awareness and remembering those who lost their lives to the illness. Although the world has come a long way in terms of both destigmatising and treating HIV/AIDS, much remains to be done. The United Nations says different forms of inequality are still preventing progress in ending the epidemic. For more, Nathan Lachowsky, assistant public health professor at the University of Victoria, joined us for Perspective.
Human history is a long arc of progress. Thanks to technological innovation, we've never lived longer or healthier. But the distribution of that progress is uneven. According to the World Bank, global inequality is rising for the first time in decades, while even within developed nations, gaps between the rich and poor are expanding. So what drives progress and its unequal distribution? Economist Oded Galor's book "The Journey of Humanity" explores these questions. He joined us for Perspective.
Sporadic protests, arson attacks on enlistment offices and an open letter signed by dozens of local officials calling for Vladimir Putin's resignation: these are just some of the ways ordinary Russians are resisting the war in Ukraine. Despite these small-scale examples of resistance, there have been little signs of mass protest. For more on how the invasion has affected Russian civil society, Dmitry Petrov joined us for Perspective. He's the former deputy chair of a local council in Moscow.
Brazilian surfer Maya Gabeira spends much of her life in the ocean. She's seen and felt it changing over the past 20 years: from acidity levels to fewer fish to encountering plastic pollution everywhere she goes. She compares the task of protecting it to navigating a massive wave, both topics she knows a lot about as a record-holding big wave surfer and as UNESCO Champion of the Ocean and Youth. Curretly in Paris for UNESCO's "Université de la Terre", Gabeira joined us to talk about her love of the ocean, climate change, carving out her place in a male-dominated sport and using her platform for good.
In 2009 the archipelago of Mayotte, nestled in the Indian Ocean between Madagascar and the African coast, voted in a referendum to become France's newest overseas department. Many hoped the change would help the territory avoid the violence that plagued the nearby Comoros Islands, which opted for independence in the 1970s. But 13 years on, violence in the overseas department is worse than ever. Mayotte lawmaker Estelle Youssouffa, who warns that the islands even risk descending into civil war, joined us for Perspective.
New York City's Harlem neighbourhood became the center of Black American culture in the 1920s, and another "Harlem Renaissance" has been taking place in more recent years, this one driven by immigrants from sub-Saharan Africa. The new book "Africans in Harlem: An Untold New York Story" shines light on the African cultural influence shaping the neighbourhood. Author Boukary Sawadogo, associate professor of cinema studies at the City University of New York, explains that three quarters of African arrivals to the US came after the year 2000, many of them economic migrants from French-speaking countries like Senegal, Mali and Burkina Faso. Sawadogo joined us to chat about the African affinity for Harlem, the relationship between Africans and African-Americans, and the power of seeing Black heroes on screen in films like "Wakanda Forever" and "The Woman King".
When nine-year-old Naza Alakija left Iran with her mother, they were stopped by morality police because she was not wearing a hijab. The experience made her aware of her body at a young age. As an adult, Alakija founded the SAGE foundation, an NGO dedicated to education, women's empowerment and the environment. She joined us for Perspective to discuss the challenge of reconciling religion and feminism, as well as the global outcry over attacks on women's rights from Iran to Afghanistan to the United States.
US photographer Scott Langley began documenting the death penalty more than 20 years ago, after he was moved by an experience he had standing outside a prison "death house" in his native Texas. His photos are currently on display at the 8th World Congress Against the Death Penalty, which is taking place this week in Berlin. They aim to expose the "inhumanity" of capital punishment by allowing people to imagine the executions, which take place behind closed doors, often in the dead of night. Langley joined us for Perspective to discuss why the United States remains an outlier when it comes to the death penalty, and what he would say to the families of victims who wish to see perpetrators executed.
There's no official family photo on the schedule for this year's G20 summit, an indication of just how much the war in Ukraine has complicated global cooperation efforts. Without directly naming Russia, China's President Xi Jinping said the threat of nuclear weapons was unacceptable. Similarly subtle, Indian PM Narendra Modi called for a ceasefire. In a more open condemnation, Western leaders blamed Russia alone for the war. For more on the summit, geopolitics professor Yves Doutriaux joined us for Perspective.
"The world is on a highway to climate hell" and has the choice between "a climate solidarity pact or a collective suicide pact". With each passing climate summit, the words of the UN Secretary General grow increasingly alarming. Although COP27 in Egypt has seen the usual speeches with lofty goals, there's been little substantive progress so far. German youth climate activist Luisa Neubauer, one of the main representatives of the Fridays For Future movement in Germany, joined us for Perspective to give us her take.
The World cup, now just under a week away, is the world's most-watched sports competition. But between accusations of corruption and rights abuses in this year's host country Qatar, the 2022 World Cup is arguably among the most controversial. In early November, French sports journalist Vincent Duluc published "le Dictionnaire Amoureux de la Coupe du Monde" ("Loving Dictionary of the World Cup") which through a series of anecdotes in dictionary format recounts some five decades of World Cup history. He joined us on Perspective.
Photography is more than just an art form. Photojournalism specifically is an essential component to understanding major global events, especially conflict. The war in Ukraine is a perfect illustration: how else can the world understand the scale of destruction or the transformation of daily life but through visual accounts? Kateryna Radchenko is the director of the Odesa Photo Days festival, which works to showcase Ukrainian photographers and foster dialogue. She joined us for Perspective.
In 2014 the peaceful city of Raqqa in northern Syria was proclaimed the capital of the Islamic State group's so-called caliphate. For nearly four years, residents there lived under a reign of terror. A new book out in French brings their stories to the world. "L'Asphyxie : Raqqa, chronique d’une apocalypse" ("Asphyxiation: Raqqa, Chronicle of an Apocalypse") is co-written by French reporter Céline Martelet and Syrian journalist Hussam Hammoud. Hammoud has just arrived in France where he has been granted asylum after an initial rejection by French authorities. The two authors joined us for Perspective.
The UN's annual climate change conference grows more urgent every year. With just over 1.1°C of warming above pre-industrial levels, the world is already seeing devastating consequences. As COP27 opens in Egypt, we discuss the stakes at this year's summit with Inger Andersen, executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme. She explains that current pledges remain largely insufficient and calls on G20 countries – responsible for more than 75 percent of carbon emissions – to ensure climate justice. Her message to all those disappointed with current climate action: Elect leaders who will be sure to make it a priority.
Fintech startups increased in value by more than 80 per cent across Africa last year, led by strong performances in South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya. Funding for these firms has more than doubled in the first six months of this year, with over 640 tech hubs now in operation across the continent. But the startup market accounts for less than one per cent of global venture capital funding. To find out why, we're joined for Perspective by Boum III Junior, co-founder of the fintech Daba.
French journalist Laurent Richard founded Forbidden Stories in 2017 with a simple mission: to continue the work of journalists who have been assassinated or otherwise silenced. That same year, Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia was killed in a car bomb. The organisation worked to continue her investigations and identify her killers, exposing corruption at the highest levels of the Maltese government. For Richard, the ultimate goal of Forbidden Stories is twofold: to bring crucial reporting to the world and to deter crimes against journalists by showing that "it doesn't make sense to kill a reporter when there are 50 others ready to carry on their work". He joined us for Perspective as we mark the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists.
Despite being on trial for corruption charges, Israel's longest-serving prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is hoping to make a comeback as Israelis vote in their five election in less than four years. The conservative leader was ousted just 16 months ago by a diverse coalition that united against him but ultimately fell apart. We discuss Netanyahu's ongoing domination of Israeli politics, alienation of Arab Israeli voters and the country's broader political deadlock with Gideon Rahat, a professor of political science at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
It was a nail-biting race, but in the end Brazil's former – and now future – left-wing president came out on top. Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has defeated far-right incumbent Jair Bolsonaro in a highly polarised presidential run-off. The win marks an incredible comeback for Lula, who after spending 580 days in prison on corruption charges will return to office for a third term. But can he lead such a divided country and will Bolsonaro accept the results? We discuss this and more with our Perspective guest Marieke Riethof, a senior lecturer in Latin American politics at Liverpool University in the UK.
Photojournalist Fabiola Ferrero was born in Caracas in 1991 and grew up hearing stories about Venezuela's glory days. Two decades later, she's one of the millions who have left her home country amid economic and political crisis. Thanks to a grant from France's Carmignac Foundation, she went back in search of those lost promises, visiting symbols of Venezuela's former prosperity and documenting how they look now. She joined us for Perspective to discuss her series entitled "The Wells Run Dry".
Just 47 days into the job, Britain's King Charles III this week carried out his first significant constitutional responsibility as head of state, appointing Rishi Sunak as prime minister. Philip Kyle is an author who spent almost three years working for Charles's foundation, The Prince's Trust. He has just published the first biography of the new king in France. Kyle joined us for Perspective to discuss the challenges the 73-year-old monarch is likely to face, from keeping the royal family united to remaining political neutral as king.
A woman who was the victim of so-called revenge porn after her boyfriend posted a picture of her online of them having sex, has managed to turn the experience into a positive fightback. Mia Landsem was just a teenager when she saw a group of young men laughing at her, before one asked "Aren't you that porn star?" Initially she fell into a depression, but since then she's turned her life around, now has a career working as an ethical hacker and spends much of her spare time helping others. She joined us for Perspective.
Growing up in Albania, our guest had a childhood of two halves. One was lived in plain sight, since she was brought up at school to believe and love the communist doctrine of Albania's Enver Hoxha and Soviet leader Joseph Stalin. The other half was hidden, as she slowly discovered that not everyone loved Uncle Enver, and that even in her own family, not everyone was a believer. Lea Ypi is now a highly respected academic at the London School of Economics. Her new book "Free", which has just been translated into French as "Enfin Libre", tells the story of her childhood as she slowly understood, and later escaped, the repression that dominated her youngest years. She joined us for Perspective.
"Around the globe there is a backlash against human rights defenders and a backlash against democracy", but "we must not lose hope". So says Alice Mogwe, director of the International Federation for Human Rights (known by its French acronym FIDH), which is celebrating its centenary in Paris this week. Overshadowing the celebrations though are a series of pressing issues such as the war in Ukraine, the uprising in Iran, China's treatment of the Uighurs, as well as women's rights more broadly. Mogwe joined us for Perspective to tell us more about her work.
A day after declaring she was "a fighter not a quitter", Liz Truss resigned, becoming the shortest-serving British prime minister in history. With the UK now poised to have its fifth leader in six years, we discuss the leadership crisis with political writer, author and leadership specialist Stefan Stern. He says Truss moved too quickly and ignored advice from experts, quickly losing her credibility. This happened in the broader context of Britain's post-Brexit environment, which has left political parties divided. His advice for the next prime minister? "Leave your ego out of it (...) and just appoint the best people that you've got, delegate tasks to them and trust them to get on with it."
According to the latest report from the World Wildlife Fund, global wildlife populations have declined by a whopping 69 percent over the past 50 years. It's an urgent reminder of what's at stake as world leaders prepare to meet in early December for their biggest biodiversity conference in a decade, with the goal of agreeing to a new framework to protect the world's plants and animals. According to scientist Paul Leadley, the new framework contains all the measures needed to reverse the damage – but world leaders must be convinced to adopt it. Leadley is one of the main contributors to the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). He joined us for Perspective.
It’s a book that’s been described by one critic as helping them to understand the microaggressions that people of colour routinely face on a daily basis. It is a collection of short stories, centered around race, which although fictional have a real meaning and message. We spoke to the author of "The Racial Code: Tales of Resistance and Survival", Nicola Rollock, who is Professor of Social Policy and Race at King’s College in London.
It is an exhibition of dazzling costumes made up of the finest materials such as beads and feathers. Behind it, though, lies a story of violence and resilience. In Paris, a new exhibition celebrates the cultural and artistic creativity of African Americans in New Orleans. Perhaps the most spectacular way that the creativity is displayed is in the costumes of the Black Indians carnival parade. Our guest from the Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac told us more.
At 30 years old, Guirec Soudée has an impressive list of adventures. His exploits are sometimes overshadowed by his co-captain - a red hen named Monique who first joined him on an around-the-world voyage when he was 21. Now nine years old, Monique will be staying home when Soudée sets sail for the legendary transatlantic race the Route du Rhum in November. He joined us at Perspective to talk about his new book, his feathered companion, and the joys of being alone in the middle of the ocean.
Acclaimed Brazilian filmmaker Fernando Grostein Andrade and his husband Fernando Siqueira left Brazil for Los Angeles after receiving death threats for speaking out against the election of Jair Bolsonaro. Four years later, with Bolsonaro seeking a second term, they say they felt a personal responsibility to make a documentary highlighting the dangers of the incumbent president's "catastrophic masculinity" - toxic masculinity on a scale big enough to cause national or even worldwide damage.
The damage done by chemical and air pollution is no mystery: Plastic has seeped into virtually all of the worlds ecosystems no matter how difficult they are to reach. Air pollution meanwhile, is estimated to cause some 6.5 million deaths per year worldwide. But there is one form of pollution with lesser-known dangers: Light pollution. My guest today Johan Eklof published a manifesto exploring the importance of living in darkness to better preserve life. He joined us on Perspective.
From the post-colonial era, to the rise of religious fundamentalism, to the Arab Spring in 2011, the Middle East has undergone radical changes over the past five decades. They've transformed not only geopolitics at large, but also individuals. Kamal al-Solaylee's 2012 book "Intolerable: A Memoir of Extremes" intertwines his personal journey of coming out as a gay man with more than 50 years of history in the Middle East offering a microcosm of life in the region. He joined us on perspective.
An award-winning charity, the Home of Hope for Girls, provides services to survivors of sexual abuse and child sex trafficking in Johannesburg. Sexual violence rates in South Africa are among the highest recorded in the world. The charity's founder, Khanyisile Motsa, joined us for Perspective to tell us more about the crucial work she is doing under difficult circumstances.
It was an unprecedented attack on the peaceful transition of power that had defined democracy in the United States for more than two centuries. On January 6, 2021, a mob of Donald Trump supporters besieged the US Capitol in rioting that ultimately killed five people. War reporter Luke Mogelson was there that day. His book, "The Storm is Here: An American Crucible," recounts how months of budding discontent led to that moment. He joined us for Perspective.
"Who's Black and Why?" is the title of a fascinating new book about the origins of racism. Back in 1739, the Royal Academy of Sciences in the French city of Bordeaux announced a contest for the best essay on the sources of "blackness". The questions: what is the physical cause of "blackness" and African hair? What is the cause of "Black degeneration"? The result was 16 essays, written in French and Latin, from European authors who ranged from naturalists to physicians to theologians. Our guest Andrew Curran helped translate the essays, which lay bare the origins of anti-Black racism in the West. He joined us for Perspective.
The 2022 World Cup in Qatar façade is state-of-the-art installations with new stadiums, hotels and tourist facilities. But the horrific human cost behind the glittering image is shocking: unpaid wages, seized passports, physical abuse and even deaths. Photojournalist Pete Pattisson has investigated the situation and joins us for Perspective.
Major developments in current affairs are rarely isolated events, but often the result of decades of history in the making. Historians and international affairs experts have argued that Russia's war in Ukraine is no exception, though they don't all agree about the cause. So what can recent history tell us? Peter Conradi's prescient 2017 book “Who Lost Russia? How the World Entered a New Cold War” traces the breakdown in relations between Russia and the West. He joined us on Perspective to tell us more.
You probably know that when a water bottle in a freezer reaches zero degrees, its volume changes, causing the bottle to explode. If you've studied thermodynamics, you may know that magnets gradually lose their magnetic charge when heated. These are both examples of phase transition, which athough seen in everyday life is very difficult to prove mathematically. Hugo Duminil-Copin won the prestigious Fields Medal in 2022 for his work on the topic. He joined us for Perspective.
France is marking the bicentenary of the deciphering of the Rosetta Stone hieroglyphs by linguist Jean-François Champollion. In Perspective, we spoke to Vanessa Desclaux, who looks after the ancient Egyptian manuscripts at France's Bibliothèque Nationale, the National Library in Paris. She told us more about her passion and work, as well as a special project to preserve and teach the work of Champollion.
As the world struggles to overcome the huge problems of today, it would do well to turn towards indigenous peoples for solutions. That's the message from Julian Brave NoiseCat, a writer, journalist and advocate for indigenous peoples. He believes that First Peoples can make a significant contribution to understanding and addressing the world's most pressing challenges, such as climate change. NoiseCat has even been named on the Time 100 list of emerging leaders. He joined us for Perspective.
It's just one aspect of the seemingly endless list of horrors brought on by Russia's war in Ukraine: Ukrainian authorities say they have already removed some 80,000 landmines and explosive devices across the country. While Washington has pledged $89 million to help Kyiv clear the weapons, the process could take decades. The conflict is now dragging into its seventh month, with no end in sight. Olga Savchenko works for the French NGO Humanity & Inclusion (formerly known as Handicap International), where she heads the explosive risk and education project. She joined us for Perspective.
The death in police custody of Mahsa Amini has sparked the biggest movement against Iran's religious restrictions on women since the 1979 revolution. Our Perspective guest is the Iranian journalist who first accused Iran's morality police of beating the 22-year-old Amini into a coma. Aïda Ghajar investigated the story from Paris, where she's been living in exile since 2010. She says that Amini's family is now facing "pressure" to support the government's narrative that the young woman had pre-existing health conditions. Over the past decade, Ghajar has witnessed other Iranian protests from afar. "This time it's different. It's about women," she told us.
With its joint expertise in security and technology, Israel has become a cyber security powerhouse over the past decade. The former head of Israeli cyber policy, Eviatar Matania, was key in that evolution. He founded and led the Israel National Cyber Bureau under former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and recently co-wrote "Cybermania," a book tracing Israel's cyber revolution. He joined us for Perspective to discuss abuse of Israel's Pegasus surveillance technology, the need for international regulation and the relationship between cyber and conventional warfare.
Earlier this month, Sweden experienced a political earthquake when the Sweden Democrats (SD), a party with neo-Nazi roots, became the country's second-largest party in parliament. For the first time, the far right was running not as an outsider, but as part of the traditional right-wing coalition. According to journalist and University of Glasgow sociology lecturer Dominic Hinde, this election result marks Sweden's political shift "from centre-left to conservative right". He joined us for Perspective from Sweden, where he's been speaking to voters across the country since June.
Following the death of the much-loved Queen, what’s next for the future of the British monarchy and the British Commonwealth? We discuss what lies ahead with a French podcaster who produced a special series about Queen Elizabeth II’s seven decade reign.
Most people have an idea about what life in Paris is supposed to look like: the cliché of intellectual conversations, perfectly dressed Parisians, iconic monuments and of course romance. But what happens when you actually move to the City of Lights and discover a different reality? Do you give up and go home? Or do you write your own story about what life in Paris is really like, especially as a foreigner? Sutanya Dacres chose the latter with her book "Dinner for One: How Cooking in Paris Saved Me". She joined us on Perspective.
You've no doubt seen footage of the first Moon landing, the moment when US astronaut Neil Armstrong made "one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind". But have you ever seen photos of the major milestone? If so, they were probably grainy or blurry; simply underwhelming for such a landmark event. Thanks to the work of Andy Saunders, that's no longer the case. His book "Apollo Remastered" includes hundreds of restored images of the Moon landings. He joined us for Perspective.
The West’s domination of the world is "over" and we need to arm ourselves, not just with weapons, but also diplomatically to face the new age. That's the view of Gérard Araud, a former French ambassador to Israel, the US and the UN. He says that what Europe has experienced since 1945 is an exception and that as the US draws back, the continent needs to stand on its own two feet to meet the challenge. Araud has published a new book whose title translates into English as "Diplomatic stories: Lessons from yesterday for today's world". He joined us for Perspective.
More than 1,300 people dead, massive food shortages, 3.6 million acres of land destroyed and more than 660,000 people living in relief camps and makeshift homes. These are the latest estimates from Pakistan after the floods that have left the impoverished country's agriculture belt underwater. The authorities are now scaling up efforts to deliver food, tents and other items. We spoke to David Ryfisch, team leader on international climate policy at the NGO Germanwatch. He told us that extreme weather events are "significantly more likely" due to climate change.
King Charles III is so far enjoying a "remarkable upsurge in public support" after his mother’s death, but it remains to be seen whether this will last. That's the view of Sean Lang, a senior lecturer in history at Anglia Ruskin University, who specialises in the history of the British Empire. He added that there may be a "snowball effect" if one or more countries decide to remove the British monarch as head of state, but that the Commonwealth itself has a bright future ahead.
Los Angeles is a paradoxical city. It's among the first places that come to mind when one thinks of the rich and famous. But it's also home to one of the worst humanitarian crises in the United States. As many as 66,000 people there are estimated to be unhoused, including some 40,000 who live outside the shelter system. Activist Theodore Henderson, who has personally experienced houselessness in Los Angeles, joined us on Perspective to tell us more.
In the past 25 years since Hong Kong was handed over to China from British rule, the self-government and freedoms it was originally promised have gradually been eroded. After the Umbrella Movement in 2014, Beijing's controversial extradition law in 2019 and its equally controversial national security law a year later, there's little space left for civil liberties in Hong Kong. Nathan Law, who became its youngest legislator in 2016, is now an exiled activist whose recently published book gives an account of China's growing authoritarianism and what activists can do to confront it. He joined us for Perspective from London.
A new Conservative prime minister has been picked in the UK, with Liz Truss gearing up to sift through the dispatch boxes and state papers. But her arrival at 10 Downing Street following Boris Johnson's resignation comes at a time of major strife in Britain, with a cost of living crisis having already sparked a summer of strikes. Meanwhile, despite Johnson pledging his full support for his successor, there's already speculation over him potentially making a comeback in the future. In Perspective, we spoke to Tony Travers from the London School of Economics.
France's Bastille Day is usually synonymous with joyful street parties and colourful fireworks. But six years ago in the Mediterranean city of Nice, the festivities ended in tragedy. Some 86 people were killed and more than 400 injured when an Islamic State group sympathiser rammed a truck into crowds on the promenade. On the opening day of the trial of eight people accused of having a role in that bloodshed, FRANCE 24 spoke to counter-terrorism expert Raffaello Pantucci for Perspective.
June is Pride Month, a celebration of the world's LGBTQ populations which also serves to continue the fight for equality and justice for the community. Activist Anna Sharyhina joined us on Perspective for a conversation about LGBTQ rights in Ukraine before and since the Russian invasion. Originally from Kharkiv, she co-founded the Ukrainian NGO "Sphere", which works to provide a safe space for the country's queer community and organised Kharkiv's first Pride parade in 2019.
One would assume that archaeology, the study of the human past through material remains, is a relatively neutral field. But in the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, archaeological excavations have been used to dispossess disenfranchised communities. The Israeli NGO Emek Shaveh monitors and documents how numerous archaeological sites have been used to infringe on Palestinian property and cultural heritage rights. Its Executive Director Alon Arad joined us for Perspective.
"Everyone has the right to education." This phrase is part of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It refers to education in all countries, for girls and boys as well for all adults. In Perspective, we spoke to David Atchoarena, head of UNESCO's Institute for Lifelong Learning. He told us why adult education is not just a right, but also essential to tackling the world's social, economic and environmental uncertainty. He also explained why some groups, such as migrants and prisoners, are still struggling to access education.
Whether you like it or not, the term "woke" has entered our vocabulary. Born out of the anti-racist struggles of African Americans in the 1950s, it initially meant awake or politically aware. More recently, its meaning has morphed into a derogatory term, often used by right-wing commentators, for people who fight for a cause. Here in France, the term le wokisme is also emerging, but nearly always in its negative connotation. In Perspective, we spoke to Alex Mahoudeau, author of "La panique woke, anatomie d'une offensive réactionnaire", or "Woke panic, anatomy of a reactionary offensive".
France is in for "a lot more fireworks to come" after President Emmanuel Macron's centrist alliance lost its absolute majority in parliament in Sunday's elections. That's the view of Andrew Smith from Chichester University in the UK. He say the French parliament could be a lame duck if Emmanuel Macron "takes a hostile attitude" towards it. Smith says the immediate challenge for the president is to see if he can form some sort of working majority with the conservative Les Républicains, who are now kingmakers, or whether the latter "will hold out and remain a party of opposition".
The war in Ukraine upended all aspects of daily life for Ukrainians, journalists included. In a matter of days, The Kyiv Independent newsroom went from being a three-month-old startup with only around 30,000 visits per week, to one of the world's most important on-the-ground sources for the conflict with millions of followers. Alexander Query, a French reporter working for The Kyiv Independent, joined us on Perspective to talk about how the war has transformed the media outlet.
South Sudan's independence in 2011 was supposed to bring hope for a better future after decades of conflict. Instead, the world's youngest nation descended into civil war, with violence continuing despite a 2018 peace deal. As hope in the government's ability to end the conflict dwindles, civil society is stepping in with grassroots peacebuilding efforts. Thomas Sametin co-directed the documentary "For the Sake of Peace", which profiles two of these peacebuilders. He joined us on Perspective to tell us more.
Journalist and author Linda Kinstler's new book, "Come to This Court and Cry: How the Holocaust Ends", combines a deeply personal family history during World War II with the universal themes of collective memory, justice and national identity. The topics are all the more relevant as Europe grapples with its worst land war in decades. She joined us on Perspective to tell us more.
In what was largely seen as a final warning, the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) climate report cautioned that it's "now or never" if the world wants to prevent an irreversible climate disaster. As global leaders struggle to make meaningful changes, some of the world's most vulnerable nations are already facing the consequences of inaction. Roxy Koll, climate scientist at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology and a lead author of the IPCC reports, joined us on Perspective to tell us more.
North Korea is one of the world's poorest and most isolated countries, and yet it still has one of the most formidable – and dangerous – hacking networks on the planet. The Lazarus Group has targeted major international companies, stolen millions from banks and even shut down hospital departments. Investigative journalist Geoff White's forthcoming book "The Lazarus Heist" recounts how these networks emerged and the growing threat they pose today. He joined us for Perspective.
After studying philosophy, Brazilian national Pedro Cesarino grew tired of Western systems of knowledge and decided to study other ways of thinking and living. He is now a renowned anthropologist and has published articles and books based on his field research with the Amazon's Marubo community. His first novel tells the story of a melancholy anthropologist hoping to track down a myth in the Amazon rainforest. It explores the certainty with which many anthropologists approach the communities they study and the resulting misunderstandings. He joined us for Perspective.
Writer August Cole is at the forefront of a push to explore how emerging technologies will affect the future of warfare and defence. Through an approach he calls FICINT, he combines fiction writing and intelligence to imagine future possibilities based on technological innovations. His latest book "Burn-In", co-written with P. W. Singer, follows an FBI agent working with an advanced police robot to stop a futuristic enemy: an anti-technology terrorist. He joined us on Perspective to tell us more.
Although the royal family has been rocked by tragedy and scandal over the years, 96-year-old Queen Elizabeth II has enjoyed an enduring popularity with the British public throughout her 70 years on the throne. The monarch is marking her Platinum Jubilee without her beloved husband Philip, who passed away in April 2021. To discuss this historic jubilee and more, we're joined for Perspective by Ed Owens, historian of the modern British monarchy and an expert on the House of Windsor.
Witold Pilecki was a Polish resistance fighter who volunteered to go to Auschwitz, from where he sent secret messages to warn the world about the true nature of Nazi Germany's largest concentration camp. After the war, Pilecki was tried and executed. For years, he was described as a traitor and an enemy of the Polish state. Our Perspective guest has written a book about his incredible story. Jack Fairweather is the award-winning author of "The Volunteer: One Man, an Underground Army, and the Secret Mission to Destroy Auschwitz". He told us about the parallels between Pilecki's legacy and the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Afghanistan is heading back to the pre-2001 dark days of the Taliban, and Western powers were naive if they ever thought this wouldn't be the case. That's the view of Heather Barr, associate women's rights director at Human Rights Watch. As women are told to cover their faces in public again and female television presenters are told to do the same, she spoke to us on Perspective about the how the Taliban are rolling back women's rights and what, if anything, the West can do about it. "Life has become a prison for most women and girls," she told us.
Police in the US town of Uvalde, Texas are facing questions over why it took an hour to neutralise the gunman who murdered 19 small children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School. The tragedy comes amid increasing calls for greater gun control measures. Among the demands of campaigners are a ban on assault weapon sales, as well as universal background checks and so-called red flag laws. Pastor Mike McBride, director of the LIVE FREE gun violence prevention campaign with the Faith in Action network, joined us on Perspective to tell us more.
Excessive drinking, cleaners and security staff being mistreated, as well as widespread disregard for Covid rules: those are just some of the details highlighted by senior British civil servant Sue Gray in her report on illegal lockdown parties at Downing Street. Prime Minister Boris Johnson says he's "humbled", but going nowhere. To discuss this and more, we’re joined for Perspective by Duncan Fairgrieve, professor of comparative law at the University of Paris Dauphine and a practising barrister in Paris and London.
A Nigerian activist who as a child walked for miles in the search for water has spoken to FRANCE 24 about that injustice and how it inspired him to take action. As a young adult, Wilson Atumeyi set up the NGO WaterWide, which aims to provide clean water supplies to all. He joined us for Perspective to tell us more about fighting against corruption to achieve his goals and the role that young people can play.
Three months after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, we spoke to French historian Antoine Arjakovsky, a specialist on Ukraine and Russia. He told us that the conflict is a "war of civilisation" between two different visions of the world: Russia, a state that wants to become a "21st-century empire", and the "nation state" of Ukraine. Back before the Russian invasion, when Moscow already controlled Crimea, Arjakovsky gathered with 200 experts. They produced a report in 2019 explaining their fears that Russia would indeed invade the rest of Ukraine – but this warning fell on deaf ears in the West.
The apocalyptic idea of computer-run robots turning against the human race and taking over the planet is not something we should dismiss, but for now we should be celebrating and embracing the positive side of artificial intelligence (AI). That's the view of Professor Anthony Elliott, the author of a new book entitled "Making Sense of AI". He says AI currently does a lot of good, helping us for example in the fields of industrial robots and self-driving cars, as well as providing vital information for fighting pandemics such as Covid-19. However, he admits that with AI, "to some extent, we lose control over decision-making".
Russia's invasion of Ukraine has upended its education system. Ukrainian officials say Russian forces have shelled over 1,000 schools, fully destroying nearly 100 of them. Not even educational facilities serving as emergency shelters have been spared. Still, teachers across the country are doing what they can to continue to offer a safe education. Among them is Zoya Lytvyn, a Ukrainian entrepreneur and education expert. She joined us for Perspective.
They say life imitates art. But in the case of Volodymyr Zelensky, art seemingly predicted life. He went from an acting role as Ukranian leader to a highly admired, real-life wartime president. How to explain such widespread appeal? What does he have that other leaders seem to lack? Régis Genté and Stéphane Siohan are the authors of one of the first French biographies of Volodymyr Zelensky. They joined us for Perspective.
Sri Lanka is in the grip of its worst economic crisis in decades, facing depleted petrol reserves, food shortages and a chronic lack of medical supplies. More than a month of mainly peaceful protests against the government's handling of the economy turned deadly last week when supporters of the former prime minister stormed an anti-government protest site in the commercial capital Colombo. We discuss the depth of protesters’ grievances, as well as President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s chances of weathering the storm, with Sri Lankan human rights lawyer and activist Bhavani Fonseka.
Earlier this month, a leaked draft majority opinion suggested that the US Supreme Court was set to strike down the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling, which affirmed the legality of a woman's right to an abortion under the US Constitution. The news sparked protests in cities across the United States, with hundreds of demonstrations taking place again over the weekend. Gail Sredanovic, a member of the Raging Grannies activist organisation, joined us on Perspective to express her concerns.
The "Maghreb-Orient des livres" book festival takes place in Paris this weekend, focusing on literature from north Africa and the Middle East. One of those taking part is Jérémie Dres, the author of the graphic novel "The day I met bin Laden". It features the story of two young French men who travelled from France to Afghanistan in the spring of 2001, just months before the 9/11 terror attacks. The pair then found themselves trapped in Afghanistan and were later sent to the Guantanamo Bay detention camp. The author joined us for Perspective to tell us more.
Thousands of West African soldiers fought for France against the Nazis in World War II. But on December 1, 1944, as many as 400 of them were murdered in cold blood: not by the Germans, but by the very French forces they fought alongside. The massacre near the Senegalese capital Dakar was swept under the rug for decades, preventing victims and their relatives from any form of closure or recognition. Marie Thomas-Penette and François-Xavier Destors' new documentary "Thiaroye 44" is one of the first to explore this dark chapter of France's colonial past. The directors joined us for Perspective.
Since 2006, France has commemorated the national day of the abolition of slavery on May 10. France is the only country to have a national day dedicated to remembering the horrors of slavery and the first and only country to have declared slavery a crime against humanity. However, the way this history is taught in schools and addressed in public spaces suggests that it remains something of a taboo. Historian and political scientist Françoise Vergès joined us for Perspective to tell us more.
Narendra Modi set lofty climate goals at the COP26 climate conference. But his government has also watered down India's environmental rules, used protected lands for industrial purposes and stifled environmentalists, including 23-year-old Disha Ravi. In 2019 she launched the Indian wing of Fridays For Future, the movement inspired by Greta Thunberg. She was also arrested in 2021 for sedition and conspiracy over a document connected to India's farmer protests. She joins us on Perspective.
Since the start of the war, more than 5 million Ukrainians have fled the country, resulting in Europe's fastest-growing refugee crisis since World War II. With women and children making up as many as 90% of refugees, international organizations and rights groups are warning of the growing risk of sexual violence and human trafficking. Ilias Chatzis, the head of the human trafficking and migrant smuggling section at the UN Office on Drugs and Crime joined us on Perspective for a closer look.
French photojournalist and war photographer Patrick Chauvel has covered over thirty conflicts, from Vietnam to Bosnia and Iraq – and now Ukraine. He explains how his early appetite for adventure soon evolved into an impulse that would go on to shape his life profoundly: a desire to tell the stories of people who find themselves caught up in extraordinary – and often horrifying – circumstances.
Maysoon Pachachi’s latest feature film explores the agonising decisions faced by an interwoven cast of friends and family living in Baghdad in 2006. The film’s narrative unfolds over the course of the last week of 2006, a timeframe that culminates in the execution of former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein. But this is not a film about justice, but about how normal people who find themselves living amidst the rubble of war come to answer the eternal question: to stay or to go?
According to the UN World Food Programme, the war in Ukraine is creating a local agricultural and global food supply catastrophe beyond anything seen since World War II. Some 30 percent of the world's wheat supply comes from the region, with some African and Middle Eastern countries depending on Russia or Ukraine for up to 80 percent of their wheat imports. Rabah Arezki, former chief economist for the MENA region at the World Bank, joined us on Perspective to tell us more.
According to some estimates, the fashion industry emits as much as 3 billion metric tonnes of CO2 annually, contributing more to climate change than the aviation and shipping industries combined. Making matters worse, less than 1 percent of all clothing globally is recycled, creating a vicious cycle of mass consumption and waste. So how can companies and consumers diminish their impact on the planet? Livia Firth, co-founder of a consulting agency specialised in sustainability, joined us for Perspective.
A Roman Catholic priest has begun documenting the stories of those whose lives have been devastated by the war in Ukraine. Father Patrick Desbois is a former head of the Church's Commission for Relations with Judaism and spent years documenting the murder of 1.5 million Jews by the Nazis in Ukraine. He has now turned his attention to the present day, gathering eyewitness accounts from victims of what he says are war crimes and crimes against humanity by Russian troops. He joined us for Perspective.
Sheep are often seen as an animal that's stupid, noisy and cowardly, albeit cute. We even use the expression "lambs to the slaughter". But is this assessment really fair? British author and farmer John Lewis-Stempel, an expert on farming and the environment, has written a book entitled "The Sheep’s Tale: The story of our most misunderstood farmyard animal". He joined us for Perspective.
Emmanuel Macron has become the first French president to be re-elected for two decades. But his victory is overshadowed by the fact that many voters cast their ballots tactically to keep the far right's Marine Le Pen out of power. What lessons does Macron need to draw? And what can we expect from June's legislative elections? We ask Andrew Smith, a senior lecturer in contemporary French history and politics at Chichester University. We also hear from our International Affairs Editor Philip Turle.
It's a controversial question, especially in France: do feminist, anti-racist and LGBTQ+ movements fall under the general scope of universalism? Or should they be broken down into smaller sub-movements to better address the intersectional nature of oppression? In her latest book "African Feminisms", University of Edinburgh professor Rama Salla Dieng considers what it means to be a feminist specifically in Africa, through a series of interviews with activists across the continent. She joined us for Perspective.
Moscow has officially begun a "new phase" of its war in Ukraine, shifting its attention to the largely Russian-speaking Donbas. Prior to the February invasion, Russian proxies, who created pro-Moscow statelets, controlled around a third of the Donbas region. With striking prescience, novelist Andrey Kurkov explored the conflict from the perspective of a Ukrainian beekeeper who moves from the "grey zone" – the no-man’s-land between loyalist and separatist forces – to Crimea in his 2018 novel, "Grey Bees". He joined us for Perspective.
One by one, Russia's independent media outlets have been forced to shut down since the start of the invasion of Ukraine, effectively banning all but the official state narrative on the war. The crackdown has sparked a mass exodus of Russian journalists, who fear not only for their jobs but also their lives. Among them is Denis Kataev, who was a TV anchor at the independent Dozhd TV, or TV Rain. He joined us for Perspective.
With the second round of voting in the French presidential election just days away, we explore the latest twists and turns in the campaign trail with Andrew Smith, a professor of contemporary French history at Chichester University. He unpicks President Emmanuel Macron's last-gasp bid to convince supporters of defeated leftist Jean-Luc Mélenchon to vote for him, if only to keep the far right out of the Élysée Palace. We also discuss Marine Le Pen's pledge to ban the Muslim hijab in public. Smith tells us it's an attempt to fire up her base – but does it risk alienating more moderate voters?
Fleeing war means leaving one's home and taking only the bare minimum of belongings; leaving one's community, school or workplace and often embarking on a dangerous journey to get to safety. The world's nearly 30 million refugees have gone through these ordeals, which often create both short and long-term trauma. And yet, psychological assistance is often overlooked. Zarlasht Halaimzai, who was once a refugee herself, has founded Amna, an organisation that provides non-clinical, psychosocial support to the forcibly displaced. She joined us for Perspective.
A Franco-American journalist and filmmaker has told FRANCE 24 of the campaign launched to try to save the life of a Hispanic mother on death row in Texas. Melissa Lucio, 53, is due to be executed later this month after being found guilty of killing her 2-year-old daughter in 2007. When Sabrina Van Tassel interviewed Lucio in jail and spoke with her family at home, she discovered numerous anomalies in the case. This led her to make a film, "The State of Texas vs. Melissa", which has now led to an international campaign to save Lucio's life. The director joined us for Perspective.
An author who escaped the siege of Sarajevo in Bosnia in the mid-1990s has told FRANCE 24 how the war in Ukraine has brought many of his terrible memories back. Semezdin Mehmedinovic made it out of Sarajevo to the US, arriving there as a refugee in 1996. He then wrote an autobiographical novel entitled "My Heart: Today, it seems, was the day I was meant to die". Written in his native Bosnian, it's been translated into English and is now coming out in French. In the book, the author describes what life was like in Sarajevo, how he survived, and how what happened to him has made him who he is today. He joined us for Perspective.
Just like in 2017, French President Emmanuel Macron and his far-right rival Marine Le Pen will be facing each other in this year's presidential run-off. Many pollsters are predicting a tight race on April 24. Macron faces a serious challenge and needs to do more than simply tell people to vote for him in order to defeat Le Pen. That's the view of our guest Andrew Smith, a senior lecturer in contemporary French history and politics at Chichester University. He joined us for Perspective.
Almost exactly a year after she lost her beloved husband, Britain's Queen Elizabeth II is preparing for the culmination of celebrations marking her Platinum Jubilee. Her reign has now entered an unprecedented eighth decade. Elizabeth ascended the throne in February 1952 following the death of her father. We discuss her life and legacy to date with Robert Hardman, author of "Queen of Our Times: The Life of Queen Elizabeth II".
Delivering a chilling account of atrocities allegedly committed by Russian troops over the past six weeks in Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky has urged the UN Security Council to hold Moscow accountable for its crimes. But what does the path to a possible war crimes trial look like? And how realistic is Zelensky’s demand that Russian President Vladimir Putin himself be put on trial? In Perspective, we spoke to human rights lawyer and former New York assistant attorney general Reed Brody. While warning that "we live in a world of impunity", he told FRANCE 24 that "this is the moment of truth for international justice".
In 2016, Matthieu Aikins was a journalist living in the Afghan capital Kabul. When the war finally pushed his Afghan friend Omar to flee his homeland and leave everything he knew in a bid to reach Europe, Aikins decided to join him. "The Naked Don’t Fear the Water" is the book that came out of the friends' journey, one that is both extraordinary but also painfully commonplace for the millions of Syrian, Iraqi and Afghan refugees who have made similar gut-wrenching decisions to seek out a better life. Aikins joined us for Perspective to tell us more.
With the first round of voting in France's presidential election now only six days away, we explore latest the twists and turns of the campaign trail with Andrew Smith, a professor of contemporary French history at the University of Chichester. He unpicks incumbent Emmanuel Macron's rock star-style rally at the La Défense arena over the weekend, which aimed at reassuring undecided voters on both the centre left and centre right. We also discuss the chances of Macron's historic far-right rival Marine Le Pen, who's led a low-key campaign and could benefit from high abstention.
To some people, war may be an abstraction that they only imagine happening elsewhere. Or perhaps it's something that they have experienced personally, either directly or indirectly. Either way, the concept of war extends far beyond the battlefield, appearing in computer or video games, at weapons trade fairs or in movies. In short, some argue it has become a consumer good much like any other. Photographer Rafael Heygster explores this theme in his photo exhibit "I Died 22 Times". He joined us for Perspective to tell us more.
On March 30, Russia's foreign minister made his first visit to China since the start of the war in Ukraine, declaring that Moscow and Beijing will move towards a "multipolar, just, democratic world order". US President Joe Biden, meanwhile, told a business roundtable meeting that the US must lead what he described as a "new world order". So what does Russia's invasion of Ukraine say about the new global balance of power? Michael Cox, Emeritus Professor of International Relations at the London School of Economics, joined us for Perspective to tell us more.
A new film paints a portrait of the woman known in South Sudan as the "mother of the nation". The film follows Rebecca Nyandeng de Mabior, who is the widow of revolutionary leader and national hero John Garang de Mabior, in her role as the country's vice president amid a fragile peace deal in the country. The portrait is remarkable for its intimate access as its director is also her daughter, Akuol de Mabior. She joined us for Perspective to tell us more about "No Simple Way Home".
As the global rights watchdog Amnesty International unveils its annual report, the group's Secretary General Agnès Callamard joined us for Perspective. In the report, she accused Russia of turning humanitarian corridors in Ukraine into "death traps" – a tactic she says was used in Syria and Chechnya. Callamard also hit out at the UN Security Council for failing to "act adequately in the face of atrocities". Speaking to FRANCE 24, she slammed "our failure to reform" multilateral institutions, adding that the use of veto has meant that the UN Security Council has been "unable to address conflict" in several countries, with Ukraine the latest example.
Two weeks from now, France will know who is into the second round of the presidential election. The candidates will then enter a crucial final two-week period when the gloves are expected to come off in the battle to win votes. This weekend saw a last-ditch attempt by far-right pundit Eric Zemmour to win back support after losing momentum. Meanwhile, the far left’s Jean-Luc Mélenchon is rising in the polls but incumbent Emmanuel Macron, the favourite to win, remains well ahead. Andrew Smith of Chichester University spoke to us about where the campaign stands.
Kyiv is calling on the West to widen sanctions on Russian television personalities, accusing them of espousing propaganda. Within Russian borders, the Kremlin is maintaining tight control over the airwaves, with media outlets pushing the narrative that the war in Ukraine is not only legitimate, but also a military success. Separately, the EU has banned Russian outlet RT and Kremlin-controlled Sputnik from broadcasting in the bloc. For more, we're joined by Vladimir Slivyak, co-chair of the Russian environmental group Ecodefense and winner of the Alternative Nobel Prize. He told us that although it's "getting increasingly difficult" in Russia to obtain independent information about the war, some of it is still getting through to Russian citizens.
Baky Meïté is a former captain of the Ivory Coast rugby team. Back in the spring of 2020, he put his rugby career on hold to work as a janitor in a geriatric hospital in Paris. He has now published a book, "Les Chiffons Bleus", as a tribute to his former colleagues who appear somewhat forgotten today. He joined us for Perspective.
Earlier this month, South Korea held one of its most closely contested presidential elections in recent history. Conservative candidate Yoon Suk-yeol weaponised a sexist blacklash against feminism and won the race by just over 263,000 votes. Despite the slim margin, South Korean feminists fear the consequences for women will be severe, especially for a country that already has the largest gender pay gap among developed nations. Journalist and author Hawon Jung joined us on Perspective to tell us more.
Ugandan climate activist Vanessa Nakate began her activism back in 2019 by staging a solo climate protest at the gates of the Ugandan parliament, before going on to co-found both the Rise Up Movement and Fridays for Future Uganda. She is currently in Paris as part of a delegation of Ugandan and Tanzanian activists who are fighting to drum up opposition to a huge oil pipeline under construction in East Africa. She joined us for Perspective to tell us more about her activism, her hopes for her meeting with Pope Francis and how she feels about being dubbed the African Greta Thunberg.
With less than three weeks to go before the first round of voting in France's presidential election, we check in on the latest twists and turns of the campaign trail with Andrew Smith, a professor of contemporary French history at the University of Chichester. He unpicks far-left candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s pledge to reduce France's retirement age to 60 (down from the current 62). Our guest also takes a look at the reasons behind President Emmanuel Macron's manifesto focus on bolstering French self-sufficiency across everything from energy to agriculture.
It's been exactly six decades since the ink was signed on the Évian Accords, an agreement aimed at ending an almost eight-year conflict that claimed the lives of more than 300,000 Algerians. But France is still struggling to come to terms with its colonial and wartime legacy in Algeria. We're joined for Perspective by historian Jim House, lecturer and head of research for French at the University of Leeds in the UK.
In the three weeks since the outbreak of war in Ukraine, more than 3 million people have been forced to flee their homes to seek refuge abroad. To discuss parallels with previous conflicts, we speak to writer and anthropologist Maggie Paxson.
Key suspect Salah Abdeslam has claimed that he bears no responsibility for the 130 people who were killed in the Paris terror attacks of November 2015. His testimony, during a terse exchange with magistrates, drew anger from survivors and their families, who've also been criticising the decision by defence lawyers to stage a walkout during Tuesday’s hearing. To discuss this and more, we're joined for Perspective by Arthur Dénouveaux, a survivor of the attack on the Bataclan and president of the Life for Paris association.
A stark warning from the United Nations, which says the conflict in Ukraine could lead to a global food shortage - due to rising prices and an inability to plant crops. Both Russia and Ukraine export large amounts of grain to Africa and the Middle East. Meanwhile, further sanctions have been announced against Russia, while hundreds of international firms have suspended their operations in the country. Sergei Guriev, professor of economics at Sciences Po in Paris, joins us to discuss this.
With less than four weeks to go ahead of the first round of voting in the French presidential election, we check in on the campaign with contemporary history and politics lecturer Andrew Smith. He explains that Emmanuel Macron's choice not to participate in a debate ahead of the first round is right in line with his strategy to stay above the fray. Meanwhile, right-wing candidate Valérie Pécresse and far-right Eric Zemmour face off in a televised debate hoping to revive their flagging campaigns.
The White House is warning that Russia could be planning a chemical or biological weapon attack in Ukraine. Washington says it's "very concerned" about the potential for the war to escalate and the possibility that Moscow may deploy non-conventional weapons. To discuss this and more, we're joined for Perspective by Edward Arnold, a research fellow for European security at the Royal United Services Institute think tank in London.
To justify Russia's war on Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin has described the Ukrainian government as Nazis. Not only is the claim totally unfounded, but President Volodymyr Zelensky is himself Jewish and some of his relatives were murdered by the Nazis. Though experts have almost unanimously dismissed the Kremlin's claim, there are real concerns that the war could strengthen neo-Nazi groups both in Russia and Ukraine. Adrien Nonjon, an expert on Ukraine and the far right, joined us for Perspective to tell us more.
Republican universalism is one of the founding principles of the French Republic. Put simply, it's the notion that the collective transcends individual differences like ethnicity or religion. But many see that definition as increasingly exclusionary, even arguing that the concept contributes to the very societal ills it's supposed to prevent. Mame-Fatou Niang, Associate Professor of Francophone Studies at Carnegie Mellon University, has co-authored an essay on the topic. She joined us for Perspective.
The war in Ukraine may be keeping Emmanuel Macron off the campaign trail, but the benefit to the French president has been clear: for the first time, a poll over the weekend saw him getting more than 30 percent of votes in the first round. The conflict has given Macron an opportunity to demonstrate his leadership. Meanwhile, candidates from far-right Marine Le Pen to far-left Jean-Luc Mélenchon have been stuck defending their past sympathies for Vladimir Putin and their calls to withdraw France from NATO. Andrew Smith, a senior lecturer in contemporary history and politics at the University of Chichester, tells us "it’s going to be a strange campaign".
Vladimir Putin insists Russia's invasion of Ukraine is going "exactly as planned." But as the war now stretches into its second week, some military analysts say otherwise. Russian casualties are likely much higher than the Kremlin expected, and Moscow's troops have thus far failed to make major advances in the east and on the capital Kyiv. General Dominique Trinquand, the former head of France's military mission to the UN, joined us for Perspective to share his insights.
The cultural world has reacted swiftly to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Artists and performers have been cancelling shows in Russia, while cultural institutions are under growing pressure to cut ties with Russian oligarchs. The country will also no longer be represented at major international events, including the Eurovision Song Contest. We're joined by Ukrainian artist Nikita Kravtsov, who's also one of the organisers of "Support Ukraine" in France. He denounced a "genocide" in his country and called for the West to implement a no-fly zone over Ukrainian skies.
As he began his annual State of the Union address, US President Joe Biden asked lawmakers to stand and salute ordinary Ukrainians amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Biden also warned Russian leader Vladimir Putin that dictators have to pay a price for their aggression. We spoke to Martin Quencez, a research fellow and deputy director of the Paris office of the German Marshall Fund of the United States. He told us how Biden's speech was still very much addressed to a US audience, eight months ahead of the US midterm elections.
Africa has a very young population, but many young people don't see a clear path to leading a successful, independent life. This leads to a "ticking time bomb" of mental health problems, according to our guest. Tom Osborn is the co-founder and executive director of the Shamiri Institute in Kenya. He told us how he's helping young people and how his early life growing up in a poor rural area of the country inspired him to take this inspirational path.
Ukraine's former ambassador to France and the US has spoken to FRANCE 24 from his home in Kyiv to say the people there are not frightened, despite having to take refuge in bomb shelters from Russian artillery and rockets. Oleh Shamshur told us he is proud of his fellow countrymen and the way people have resisted Vladimir Putin's invasion. He said people are "very resilient" and are "ready to fight to the very last possibility". Asked about the peace talks taking place between Ukraine and Russia this Monday, the former diplomat said he had "very low expectations".
What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think of a border? It may be the infamous border wall in the United States, the barbed wire fencing used in several European countries, or simple border posts with armed guards - all used to keep migrants out. The vast majority of the world's borders are actually relatively nondescript, often even beautiful. That's what photographer Valerio Vincenzo reveals in his photography book borderline. He joined Erin Ogunkeye on Perspective.
During his first year in office, former president Donald Trump banned most transgender Americans from joining the US military. Shortly after taking office, his predecessor Joe Biden reversed the policy, prohibiting discrimination against transgender troops. On that very same day, Lieutenant Colonel Bree Fram came out publicly as transgender while in a command position. She is now one of the highest ranking, openly transgender officers in the US military. She joined us on Perspective.
In this edition of Perspective, we discuss a recent discovery that challenges long-held beliefs about human evolution. Researchers in France have uncovered a child's tooth and stone tools dating back some 54,000 years. The find, in a cave in the Rhône valley, suggests that modern humans arrived in Europe from Africa about 10,000 years earlier than previously thought. It also appears to indicate that they didn't immediately wipe out Neanderthals and that the two species may have co-existed for some time. For more, we speak to Professor Chris Stringer, anthropologist at the Natural History Museum in London and co-director of the Pathways to Ancient Britain project.
In this edition of Perspective, we take a closer look at the so-called Freedom Convoys, which have spread from Canada to New Zealand to Europe. Our guest is Ciaran O'Connor, an analyst with the Institute for Strategic Dialogue. He specialises in the use of open-source research to track and monitor disinformation and online extremism. "At home [in Canada] and abroad, there's been widespread support across the right-wing extremist spectrum for the Convoy," he told FRANCE 24.
The border dispute between Russia and Ukraine is a real civilisation border – a story of a way of life between more European or Soviet-style living. That's the view of Klaus Dodds, a geopolitics expert who has analysed and compared borders across the world for his new book. "The New Border Wars: The Conflicts That Will Define Our Future" looks at the similarities and differences between a series of borders such as the US and Mexico, Ireland and Northern Ireland, and even planet Earth and space. The author joined us for Perspective.
As climate change continues to take effect, we are all going to have to change the way we behave in order to survive. That's the conclusion of Eric Klinenberg, a professor of social science at New York University who's written a book focusing on the extreme 1995 heatwave in Chicago. Temperatures there hit over 41°C, killing hundreds of people. Klinenberg says it's not just infrastructure that will have to change, but the whole way we interact with our families and those living around us.
As delegates from around the world take part in the world's first summit on protecting the world's oceans, our guest has written a book explaining how algae could be a major part of our future. Seaweed can be grown not just for food, but also for medicines, for replacing plastic and for decarbonising the economy. Vincent Doumeizel spoke to us from the One Ocean Summit in Brest in north-western France.
The internet is an essential resource for daily life. We use it to stay informed, for school and increasingly for work. But major inequalities in terms of access to the web persist. Africa lags behind much of the rest of the world in terms of connectivity, deepening existing inequalities. The spread of misinformation is also a major issue across the continent. For more on what's being done to address these challenges, Nnenna Nwakanma from the World Wide Web Foundation joined us for Perspective.
Our guest is Fabien Truong, a sociologist, author and associate professor at the University of Paris. A former schoolteacher, he spent a decade following the lives of around 20 of his students, charting their progress from the time they took their end of school exams to when they finished their higher education. Those 10 years took in the riots that rocked France back in 2005 to the terror attacks of January 2015. He gives us his take on the French presidential election campaign, as seen from the suburbs.
For an estimated 500 million girls and women globally, insufficient access to menstrual hygiene products makes everyday activities like going to school or work nearly impossible. The issue now commonly known as period poverty remains a taboo, which led 21-year-old British student Ella Lambert to create the Pachamama Project. The initiative brings together volunteers in several countries to distribute reusable pads to refugees in Europe and the Middle East. She joined us for Perspective to tell us more.
Since December, Russia has gradually amassed more than 100,000 troops along its border with Ukraine. Amid stalled talks between the US and Russia, French President Emmanuel Macron is embarking on a solo mission to Moscow and then Kyiv, insisting a diplomatic solution is still possible. For more on what to expect from this latest diplomatic push, we spoke to Natia Seskuria, Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute. "Russia will not stop at Ukraine," she warned.