Zuid- en Centraal-Azië

Interview

'In India, the government wants complete control over the stories people see, read and hear'

23 December 2023 -

A drawing can hurt more than an opinion piece. Cartoonists of all countries can attest to that, and the loudest confirmation is the silence of those who were truly silenced. Aseem Trivedi's story illustrates how power reacts when its mistakes and shortcomings are exposed.

Interview

Two years after Taliban return: these women keep on believing in freedom

5 August 2023 -

Two years ago, the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan. Women, minorities and human rights defenders are paying the price, but the militancy of many Afghans has not been broken. MO* talked to two leading women activists, Sima Samar and Razia Arefi: ‘Knowledge cannot be taken away.’

Editorial

Modi wields the sceptre in India more than ever

7 June 2023 -

What was a sunny Pentecost weekend for you and me took on the colours of a political high mass in India. MO* contributor Gie Goris: "The images leave no doubt: Modi is wielding the sengol."

Interview

When women earn an income, they can change the world

28 March 2023 -

The University of Antwerp is awarding four honorary doctorates today (28 March). One is for Pakistani Roshaneh Zafar, who is trying to improve the lives of tens of thousands of women through microfinance. ‘Economic power is a lever for women to take control of their own lives and futures,’ she says.

Report

The end of coal is not in sight. Neither is the end of injustice

18 July 2022 -

The devastating impact of the climate crisis is increasingly clear. That is why the world needs to make a fundamental energy transition as soon as possible. But how can that be done in a country that is dependent on coal? Gie Goris travelled to Jharkhand in India for answers to that question.

Interview

‘Afghans anxiously await formation of new government’

20 August 2021 -

The situation in Afghanistan is uncertain and volatile, but is it as bad as Western media and politicians say? Danish Karohel, director of a news agency and a leading journalistic voice in Afghanistan, answers our questions. He and his journalists vow to fight for the right to do their job.

Editorial

‘Afghans are pawns and players at the same time’

18 August 2021 -

Why was the West in Afghanistan, and why did it decide, after 20 years, that a Taliban takeover wouldn't merit even a timely evacuation? And what is the role and responsibility of Afghans in the 40 year-war? Since Kabul fell, everybody knows why and what. But few understand.

Opinion

‘The Indian election results do not show that Modi’s days are numbered’

12 May 2021 -

'Hindu nationalism and India cannot sit easy at the same table anymore' writes Arjun Sharma (Leuven Centre for Global Governance Studies, KU Leuven) after the elections held for the legislative assemblies of the 28 states and 3 out of 8 union territories comprising the Indian union.

Report

‘Not everyone has the strength to carry their heavy backpack’

11 May 2021 -

The Afghan community in Antwerp (and in Belgium) is predominantly young, male and single. And hurt by a violent past. Should we be worried about the boys? Will the girls find opportunities? Portrait of a new generation of Antwerp citizens.

Report

Millions of Indians have been displaced. This is how they fight back

28 October 2020 -

Anyone who fights land grabbing will be dragged onto the street. Millions of indigenous peoples had to leave their patches of land. Communities in the Northeast and South of India choose to resist, to fight for their right to land. The question remains: at what cost?

Analysis

Modi’s new education policy: a next step in the saffronisation of India?

26 August 2020 -

End of July, the Modi government approved a lengthy proposal to reform education policy and structures in India. This New Education Policy is presented as the stepping stone to bring india in the right position to be a main player in tomorrow’s knowledge economy. Critics fear it is rather turning India towards an imagined past of Hindu glory, under ...

Report

New Capital in Indonesia displaces people

23 June 2020 -

An old idea suddenly became an urgent project: Indonesia is going to build a new capital. It has no name yet, only a working title: Ibu Kota Baru, New Capital City. What do the people who live there think of that? What interests are being served? And who’s going to pay for it? Kris Vanslambrouck did what the government still hasn’t done: listen to ...