Lebanon’s Druze, Kharkiv Attacks, Women in Negotiations, and More
The latest at Inkstick Media.
Hello, everyone.
First up, some news from the home front: Our podcast, Things That Go Boom, has received runner-up recognition at this year’s International Women's Podcast Awards. To check out the most recent episodes, peek here.
As Russia’s war in Ukraine continues, a recent slew of attacks in Kharkiv has worsened conditions for civilians living in the city. But, as Joseph Roche reports, Kharkiv’s residents have learned to adapt over the last two years.
In recent years, many white nationalist and far-right groups have learned to adopt the ostensibly nonviolent rhetoric that allows them to stay online on platforms like Substack. Yet, as Shane Burley argues, the extent of Substack’s far-right problem may be much deeper than many expected.
Samuel Beckett’s classic 1953 play “Waiting for Godot” has been used as an analogy to a slate of problems over the decades. Now, Anica Broman makes the case that the play offers an apt understanding of the current state of nuclear insecurity.
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“Without Women at the Table, Peace Negotiations Will Flounder” by Rachel A. George (June 17)
Women’s voices have been missing from the policy table in the face of rising devastation from conflicts around the world. Famous past Middle East peace efforts — the Oslo and Abraham accords — were almost exclusively led by men. But at what cost are women excluded?
“Amid War and Economic Woes, Lebanon’s Druze Mark Eid al-Adha” by Madeline Edwards (June 17)
The Druze, whose faithful adhere to an offshoot of Islam that emerged in medieval Egypt and the Levant, are today a minority religious group in Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Jordan, and further afield in the diaspora. A look at the community’s annual Eid al-Adha celebrations.
“Waiting For Godot and Nuclear Insecurity” by Anica Broman (June 18)
“Waiting for Godot” has been seen as an allegory for the Cold War, representative of the Irish resistance, and theorized to be set during WWII Nazi-occupied France. Today we can once again draw upon Beckett’s work to understand modern nuclear insecurity.
“In War-Rattled Kharkiv, Ukrainians Persevere Amid Russian Attacks” by Joseph Roche (June 18)
In two years, the city has adapted to Russian attacks and learned to live with the fear of bombings. Yet, in recent weeks, a Russian escalation has put Kharkiv’s civilians to the test as attacks target residential buildings and supermarkets.
“Deep Dive: Girl Talk?” by Emily Tamkin (June 20)
Women in politics are operating in a traditionally male-dominated field. But is it more effective to try to make people forget that you’re different, or to heighten the contradictions? Looking at 24 democracies between 1987 and 2022, a new paper sets out to measure how "feminine" female politicians' speaking style is.
“How Deep Does Substack’s Far-Right Problem Run, Really?” by Shane Burley (June 21)
Much has been said about Substack’s free-speech-at-almost-all-costs approach to publishing, especially regarding far-right pages on the platform. But many commentators ignore the historic role of white nationalist propaganda in fostering an ultimately violent movement.
From the desk of Patrick Strickland, managing editor of Inkstick Media.
Photo: Lebanon’s Druze community, often misunderstood, marks one holiday a year, Eid al-Adha (João Sousa for Inkstick Media)