Brazil is home to the largest Catholic community in the world with 123 million believers out of a total population of 200 million. After attending the World Youth Day celebrations in Rio de Janeiro in 2014, Pope Francis told reporters: “If a person is gay, seeks God and has good will, who am I to judge him?” A year earlier, a law allowing marriage between two people of the same sex was adopted and hypothetically backed by the Catholic Church. Known for its tolerance but also its homophobia, the...

One would think that speaking of a capital city’s contrasts is cliché. Every capital really does have its number of disparities, however. So what about Riga? In the Latvian capital, contrast is not simply a word which one affixes to the reality of things. Rather, the city itself, through its history, architecture and organisation, brings this word to mind as a piece of evidence; so much so that it is hard, even impossible, to speak of this Baltic city without bringing up the clear-obscurities...

The airplane market is an extremely competitive sector, dominated by a few consortiums. But now, the People’s Republic of China aspires to enter it too, whereas this country relied on foreign manufacturers until now. There is no question about China’s ambitions, but does it really possess the required means and abilities? Let us investigate. The Chinese airline sector has been expanding since the 1990s. Many factors can explain this spectacular development: the Chinese civil aviation created...

In India, access to electricity for rural populations is still restricted. This situation represents the economic and social development of the country. The system of renewable energy's production has turned out to be a viable solution in rural areas. The acts the Indian companies brought are a great example of the local participants' capability of mobilizing in this sector. According to the Indian government, today, 94% of individuals can access the electrical network in cities. On the other...

The beret, the shorts, the religion and the scarf, are all presumed to be the paraphernalia of a scout, but it is not exclusive to them. Scouting is an associative movement, yet unknown, but present in almost every corner of the world. Robert Baden Powell, the founder of Scouting, wanted a movement created in 1907 for young boys in accordance with his military training. This movement has gradually opened up to girls, led by his wife, Olave Baden Powell, in 1912. The association then grew and...

By the end of the 80s, the Lebanese were starting to see the end of a senseless war that left the country --so promising 20 years earlier-- in a post-apocalyptic mess. War was deemed pointless and destructive. Yet the truth is that its heritage is a kind of breeding ground for a new society to grow back again. Although it is now favourable to the creation of many political tensions, feeding on potential conflicts, this breeding ground allows us to have a look into the strengths of the Lebanese...

The scars are hard to miss in the streets of Beirut, still teeming with memories of a traumatic period for the country. In 1975, a fifteen-year long civil war began, which spoilt the enthusiasm aroused by the independence of the country. According to many observers, these scars still disfigure the country. For others, each and every one of them is a source of inspiration. Each war generates its memories, its survivors and the hope that it will “never happen again”. Dania, born in Lebanon during...

For more than two years, Brazil has been prey to a large social claims movement. To this already difficult situation, must also be added a tense political climate ever since the Petrobras case, which is weakening the government. Analysis of the country of order and progress. Saturday 27th of June, defeated by Paraguay during the penalties, Brazil iswas eliminated from the Copa America, the south-American equivalent of the UEFA Euro tournament. It is another disappointment in a country already...

When a slap alone highlights reflections on education, fidelity or relationships, we get a short but intense series in suburban Melbourne. “The Slap” was first released in 2011, broadcasted on Arte in July 2015 and was given an American adaptation on NBC in February 2015. This is an overview of a series of nuances. At a barbecue with friends, an unruly child receives a slap. The problem is that he was not slapped by either of his parents. They protest against what they perceive as corporal...

On behalf of the collective COMER, constitutional lawyer Rocco Galati initiated a lawsuit against the Bank of Canada in 2011. This historic legal action builds on constitutional issues: Rocco Galati and COMER accuse the Canadian central bank of borrowing from private banks and not to resorting to loans at low interest rates. The lawsuit filed against the Bank of Canada accuses the bank of diverting from its primary objective and harming Canadian citizens. There has been feedback on a historic...