In 2008, the charity Tribute to Liberty is created in Ottawa, aiming to build a memorial to the victims of communism. Seven years later, while the construction should start soon, the monument raises multiple controversies. Many people, for many reasons, express their opposition to this project. Kayla Carman, member of the movement Move The Memorial, wants to gather this opposition, and explain here why she considers it as a democratic stance. In 2012 a land located between The Library and...

Intensive whaling still takes place in three countries: Norway, Iceland and Japan. These nations have continued to attack the cetacean for reasons quite vague, even though this practice is anchored in local traditions. This is a hunt carried out to the detriment of ecology. Whales are an endangered species and they play an essential part in the development of the oceans. At the beginning of July, Iceland launched its new summer season of whaling. After stopping the hunt for 14 years, the...

Tuvalu and the Kiribati islands, two countries in Oceania, could disappear from the map because of the rise of the oceans caused by climate change. The leader of the State of Tuvalu recently asked Europe, during his visit to Brussels, to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. In Oceania, the entire continent must mobilize to face these unprecedented consequences. Is Atlantis a myth? The legend has been perpetuated through centuries and through generations. But the islands the collapsed under the...

Moscow, the city of a thousand riches, which, since the fall of Communism, seems fixed in time. Daunting architecture, stagnant politics, yet Moscow remains the port of entry to Russia. Immersion in the capital stuck in 1945. When one enters Moscow, the first impression is of the overwhelming gigantism. Remarkable and immense buildings illustrate the glory of Russia’s past. In the midst of these concrete giants, soulless marks of communism, are architectural wonders. The Kremlin and Red Square...

Portugal is considered the “prize pupil” of austerity. It is one of the countries in Europe to have suffered the most from these measures, but has bent over backwards to them with no more mass protests. What is it exactly? In 2011, the protests against the arrival of the Troika were numerous. Four years later, they happen rarely and draw in far fewer people. Pedro Passos Coelho, the current Prime Minister, is very satisfied with the measures and claims that they have helped to revive growth....

Monday, July 27th, 2015 marked the beginning of a strike movement among the students of the University of Pondicherry, who protested against the corruption of the vice-chancellor, Chandra Krishnamurthy. Indian citizens are showing their consciousness of the political and social stakes. During the weekend, the town of Pondicherry was agitated by rumors concerning a strike movement which would occur on Monday, July 27th, at the University of the City. The news was not taken very seriously: how...

From April 7 to May 12, 2014, India was organizing the greatest democratic election in history, with an electorate of around 814 million voters. On May 26, the Hindu nationalist Narendra Modi, candidate of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) – “Indian People’s Party” – won a landslide victory and became Prime Minister. In the recent weeks, it was time for an assessment. Let’s go back on this. Narendra Modi did not take so far the Hindu nationalist decisions that he was expected to take. In a...

From the 7th April to the 12th May 2014, India held the largest democratic elections in history, with an electorate of approximately 814 million voters. On the 26th May, the Hindu Nationalist, Narendra Modi, from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) (The Party of the Indian People), won a clear victory and became Prime Minister. Over the course of the last few weeks, an assessment has taken place. During the campaign, the potential victory of Narendra Modi drew great media attention and raised...

Driverless cars, flying drones to guide you through the university’s hallways, bikes that evaluate the rate of pollution in every street, these are the innovations for our future cities. The robotics convention Innorobo in Lyon introduced this year the crucial stakes the cities will encounter tomorrow, all the more urgent due to the constantly growing population. Flashback on these conferences gathering researchers and professionals from around the world. The evolution of our cities faces new...

The coup d’état was supposed to be temporary and peaceful. In reality, it has gone on, and the 22nd May marked its first year anniversary. The military junta that has controlled Thailand for over a year has recently pushed back the next elections to autumn 2016, a time frame as worrying as it is long and which gives time to amend a Constitution to favour military power. And the European Union and the international community are content to simply criticise and nothing more. Whether it is out of...