Journey to the Center of the Earth

Polytechnic School was recently visited by Malawian-American singer-songwriter, political activist and Poly alum Masauko Chipembere. He was born in Los Angeles to Malawian politicians Henry Masauko Blasius Chipembere and Catherine Mary Ajizinga Chipembere, who played large roles in the fight for Malawian independence against colonial rule. While at Poly, Masauko Chipembere discussed his father's experiences during and after independence, the treatment of women in Malawi, and the potential benefits of permaculture in Malawi. One thing that stood out to me, though, was his explanation of the role of global citizens. "Put joy in everything you do, because if you don't, you won't find it" - Catherine Chipembere Before anything else, Masauko Chipembere highlighted how global citizens must be passionate about their work. As he put it, as soon as you solve one problem, another shows up, to the extent that only those who are truly engaged in and enthusiastic about ...

Since entering Syria on the 9th of October, the Turkish army has only continued its assault on Kurdish forces in north-east Syria, and the consequences have been dire. Over 160,000 civilians have fled the Turkish-Syrian border, and according to Kurdish sources, hundreds of IS fighters have escaped from prisons abandoned by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the face of Turkish invasion. While the circumstances surrounding Turkey's current involvement in Syria are complex, the major factors at play remain clear. In part, the conflict has been the indirect result of economic hardship in Turkey. With the recent drop in the nation's GDP, and with unemployment on the rise, animosity toward Syrian immigrants in Turkey, as well as toward the president's former open-door policy, has been at an all-time high, making the decision to relocate Syrian migrants to recently vacated territory in northern Syria a logical one from Erdogan's point of view. Recent decisions b...