In the past decades, we have witnessed war, displacement, economic collapse, drought, and viruses transcend borders, and become regional humanitarian crises. Today, over a billion people live in the America’s. The approaching horrors of climate change will displace millions in the next decade, and millions more in decades to come. The concept of ‘state- citizenship’ is not equipped to address the trajectory of conflict on the international level. Therefore, we must closely examine the utility of the state and its institutions. Who does the state protect? Whose interests does the state safeguard?

Often, when it comes to celebrities being accused of sexual assault, their fan base starts automatically defending them and thinks it is OK to slut-shame the victims. These comments are disturbing. Sadly, they reflect how everyone reacts when a woman has the courage to speak up when she is attacked, harassed, assaulted. It is always her fault.

Grooming is a term in psychology to describe a set of manipulative techniques used by sexual predators to foster a sense of ‘trust’ with a targeted person before inflicting violence. For many victims, abuse happens after trust has been established in a relationship.

Imagine being forcibly displaced from your home, and have to leave everything behind, only to find yourself living in camps in the other part of the country or the world because this is the only safe place for you. Imagine, finding yourself stuck in an illegal boat, using illegal means to escape from violence, war, or natural disaster. Now, imagine facing all these already traumatizing, complex, and harsh living conditions but having to do so as a young girl.

While plastic is not the only substance that is contributing to the large waste problem, it is the most problematic. In 2013, the average American produced about 4.4 pounds of waste per day. That’s 1,361.4 pounds a year. Collectively, that’s 167 million tons of trash every year.

All information is produced within the cultural prejudices and power structures of society. Sexism, for instance, has existed all throughout modern philosophy and science. Aristotle was one of the greatest influences on western thought. He argued women were inferior to men and promoted the idea that women should be ruled. A belief system that organized modern law and thought around treating women as ‘subjects’ instead of equal citizens.