10 Questions for Zolal Habibi 1.) You have written passionately about the cultural awakening in Iran. What first inspired you to join the Iranian Resistance movement? I consider myself part of an incredibly lucky generation—the generation that grew up with the resistance. Our lives have not been easy; many of us have lost loved ones
In Persian, there is a saying: “History is the light that guides the future.” This is precisely why dictatorships thrive on censorship and the distortion of history. Yet in the age of technology and social media, Iran’s youth are rediscovering their history, culture, and long legacy of struggles for freedom. They now use every tool
10 Questions For Mariam Solaimankhil The Parliamentarian Who Refused to Be Silent 1.) What was the moment you knew you had to enter politics—not just as an Afghan woman, but as a fighter for change? And how did growing up between Afghanistan and the diaspora shape your sense of justice and identity? It wasn’t about
In late 2021, not long after Kabul fell, I received a message from a young woman I had once mentored during my time in Afghanistan’s parliament. She was smart, sharp-tongued, and obsessed with becoming a judge. I still remember her saying, “I want to be the one who tells old men they’re wrong.” When the
In a time when the global human rights landscape is increasingly fragmented and politicised, few voices speak with the clarity, conviction, and lived experience of James Joseph. Founder of The Duty Legacy, a survivor-led justice consultancy, Joseph’s path to human rights work has been anything but conventional. Having endured over 50 brain surgeries since birth
In recent years, the term “woke” (or more broadly cancel culture*) has evolved from a niche expression of social awareness to a cultural juggernaut, shaping discourse, policy, and institutions across the globe- becoming an arbiter of free speech, that rules with an imperative absolutism tautologically wielded to tackle differing opinions. While its proponents champion it
The twentieth century didn’t end with a bang, but with a conceit—that liberal democracy had triumphed. History, we were told, had reached its final form. Markets would bring peace. Human rights would spread by osmosis. Conflict could be managed through dialogue and institutions. A new world order—liberal, global, rules-based—was not just possible; it was inevitable.