Much of the debate on MOE’s recent moves to integrate schoolmates of different academic streams via Subject-Based Banding (SBB) has focused on whether SBB will be effective, or what the implementation of SBB will look like. However, one underdiscussed aspect of MOE’s policy change is its lack of impact on single-stream schools. Izzah Haziqah Haris explores why this is a problem, and potential policy options to deal with this issue.

What happens to your recycling when the noisy, traffic-inducing truck picks it up each week? If you are like me, you picture it arriving at a nearby plant and then magically getting reincarnated. The reality is more complicated. First, our recycling is cleaned, sorted, and packaged into bales at local Materials Recovery Facilities (MRFs). Then, […]

Abstract The fall of European colonial empires during the second half of the twentieth century led to a new international order characterized by the democratization of international organizations. In return, the democratization of international organizations reinforced the legal duty of human rights protection within the international community. Our aim is to provide an overview of […]

Before my first visit to Vermont last month, I assumed the state’s main exports were Ben & Jerry’s and beer. And though it’s true that I’ll be bringing a pint (or two) of each back home, I’m most excited to be leaving with renewed civic optimism. Vermonters have created a governing climate that’s in scarce […]

Since 1979, the Special Assistance Plan (SAP) program has promoted the study of Chinese language and cultural values at 26 primary and secondary schools. By tracing the history of the program, Shaun Loh makes a case for why the SAP program in its current form is problematic, and argues that it should either be abolished or significantly reformed.

Queer men navigating prostate cancer are harmed by a healthcare system that sees heterosexuality as the default. This assumption of heterosexuality prevents healthcare professionals from advising and acknowledging how adverse effects of prostate cancer treatment may affect queer men. These effects can be devastating to their sexual expression, sex role identification, and relationships to the […]

In early April, the Trump administration designated Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a branch of Iran’s military, as a terrorist organization. The decision was unprecedented. As Trump himself noted, the IRGC designation marked “the first time that the United States has ever named a part of another government as a[n] FTO” (Foreign Terrorist Organization). In […]

Rawad, a gay man from northeast Syrian town of Raqqa, was kidnapped shortly after Islamic State insurgents invaded his hometown in 2013. They tortured him. They beat him. They handcuffed him and hung him from the ceiling. After eleven days, he escaped. Rawad fled Syria and sought refuge in Lebanon, where he has tried to […]

In May 2016, Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto issued a number of directives for LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex) inclusion in various arenas, including marriage. This was followed by strong opposition, in particular from the Catholic Church and the National Front for the Family, a newly emerged coalition of civil society organizations. The […]

Over the last decade, LGBTQ rights have developed a strong presence within international diplomacy, yet support remains subject to debate within the international community. International bodies such as the United Nations have passed measures to support LGBTQ rights, but official statements typically face resistance from member states unwilling to address their own records on the […]

This paper examines the dangers presented to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender or Intersex (LGBTI) persons who find themselves among the 2.6 million forcibly displaced persons living in camp settings. While some LGBTI individuals flee due to the persecution of their sexual orientation, gender identity and/or gender expression (SOGIE), others are forcibly displaced by a political, […]

This article argues that queer people possess a unique social potential and position that could be leveraged to build empathy and knowledge bridges related to an array of challenges facing the contemporary world. Queer people have a unique relationship to kinship, as they often possess at least one distinct identity from those of their immediate […]