Three stories spotlighting relevant pieces of international news. These global stories aim to broaden the perspective of the Taylor community as they absorb information from a variety of sources and spaces.
Iranian climber competes without hijab.
Professional rock climber Elnaz Rekabi appeared in an international rock climbing tournament without a hijab on Sunday, Oct. 16.
Iranian women are required by law to wear head coverings — a dress code that applies not only to women in-country, but to female athletes representing Iran in international competitions.
Videos of Rekabi participating in the final round of Seoul’s International Federation of Sport Climbing’s Asian Championships with only a headband were shared on social media, sparking dramatic responses from an international audience.
These videos were released amid ongoing protests in Iran championing greater freedom for women. Following the detainment and death of a young Iranian woman arrested for wearing her hijab incorrectly, protests in Iran have been defined by a rejection of the mandatory head covering.
Rekabi’s actions in light of these protests were seen as both courageous and dangerous.
“A number of international celebrities, including actress Jessica Chastain from the United States and Iranian counterpart Taraneh Alidoosti, praised her on social media for her ‘bravery,’” an article published by Al Jazeera noted.
However, when questioned, Rekabi denied the political implications of her actions.
The Iranian climber pleads circumstance, not politics, as the cause for her so-called rebellion.
"Due to finals sensitivity and unexpected call to climb the wall, my hijab went wrong unintentionally," Rekabi is quoted saying in an ABC news article.
Nevertheless, fear surrounding Rekabi’s future safety upon returning to her country of origin continues to grow.
According to an article published by CNN, the embassy denies “all the fake, false news and disinformation” — referring to allegations that Rekabi was detained in-country by the Iranian embassy, with her passport and phone confiscated.
The International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) continues to monitor the situation and pursue contact with Rekabi, who arrived in Tehran, Iran on Wednesday, Oct. 19.
"It is important to stress that athletes' safety is paramount for us and we support any efforts to keep a valued member of our community safe in this situation," an IFSC statement cited in a BBC article said. "The IFSC fully support the rights of athletes, their choices, and expression of free speech."
Protests in France push back against inflation rates.
On Sunday, Oct. 16, over 100,000 protestors filled Parisian streets to oppose rising inflation rates and climate inaction.
Led by President Emmanuel Macron’s left-wing opponent Jean-Luc Melanchon, marchers called for investments in the climate crisis, emergency responses to counteract high prices, greater taxation on corporations’ windfall profits and freezes in energy costs, essential goods and rents.
"What we want is for everyone to live decently with the purchasing power they had before," retired railway worker and marcher Eric Doire is quoted saying in an NPR article.
Inflation in particular has been a source of concern in the international community.
These concerns continue to grow as economies recovering from COVID-19 begin to navigate price-inflations brought on by the war in Ukraine.
“French inflation has hit 6.2%, which is the lowest among the 19 countries that use the euro currency, according to the European Union’s statistics agency Eurostat,” an AP article noted.
Similar protests have taken place recently in the Czech Republic, Germany, Sweden and the U.K., with workers going on strike to demand that pay-checks match the inflation rates.
Despite a few outbreaks of vandalism, the protests in Paris were largely contained by the efforts of riot police. However, the protests are made worse by weeks of employee strikes in French oil refineries — walkouts that are triggering gasoline shortages across the country.
A solution seemed to be emerging, but was cut short when the Paris-based energy group TotalEnergies (owner of four of France’s seven oil refineries) failed to reach a pay deal with two of its largest unions.
“Inflation affects all workers in Europe,” secretary general of left-wing CGT union Philippe Martinez is quoted saying in an AP article. “We can see that the profits of big companies are exploding and that employees are being told their pay cannot be increased, that there is no money. So this anger is widespread in Europe.”
Sunday’s protest is proof of this ongoing discontent.
Somalia faces severe famine.
After four failed rainy seasons and an anticipated fifth, Somalia is facing its worst dry spell in over 40 years.
The resulting drought and famine have led to intense displacement and malnutrition within the country.
Famine has not officially been declared in Somalia since 2011 — after which, aid groups focused on building internal infrastructures to prevent future disasters. Despite these efforts, COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine have drawn donor attention elsewhere, leaving aid groups short on funds.
According to an article published by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), more than 7 million of the country’s 15 million citizens are experiencing severe hunger. Additionally, over 1 million people have been forced to flee Somalia in search of basic needs and humanitarian assistance.
Unfortunately, droughts are not uncommon in Somalia — a country rated the second most vulnerable to climate change by Notre Dame’s Global Action Initiative (ND-GAIN). In 2011, a drought-driven famine killed an estimated 260,000 people.
“Things are bad and every sign indicates that they are going to get worse,” James Elder, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) spokesman, was quoted saying in an Al Jazeera article.
In June 2022, UNHCR asked for $9.5 million to help support displaced communities impacted by the drought in Somalia. Of the requested $9.5 million, only $2.8 million has been received.
This lack of funding significantly impacts UNHCR’s ability to respond effectively.
“UNHCR is on the ground providing life-saving humanitarian assistance such as emergency shelter kits, plastic sheets, blankets, kitchen sets and hygiene materials, but we have limited resources to provide large-scale support to all affected communities,” Hashim Abdirashid, a Protection Associate with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency based in Baidoa city, was quoted saying in a UNHCR article.
Aid groups such as UNHCR are now focusing their efforts on the most vulnerable, including women, children and the elderly.
