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SPOTLIGHT

Topics that are being globally spotlighted tend to appear here. Contrary to the Agenda of the Month section, content of the Spotlight section does not have to be limited to the current month.  

The 2020 Olympic Games are scheduled to be held between 23 July to 8 August in Tokyo, Japan. The Games were intended to be held in 2020, as their name suggests, but were delayed by a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Eight years in the IOC’s (International Olympic Committee) 2013 session in Buenos Aires, Turkey, Japan, and Spain fought to host the event. However, Istanbul lost to Tokyo in the last round of voting.

Tokyo 2020: Pandemic Games

Alp Ünal AYHAN

12.07.2021

The 2020 Olympic Games are scheduled to be held between 23 July to 8 August in Tokyo, Japan. The Games were intended to be held in 2020, as their name suggests, but were delayed by a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Eight years in the IOC’s (International Olympic Committee) 2013 session in Buenos Aires, Turkey, Japan, and Spain fought to host the event. However, Istanbul lost to Tokyo in the last round of voting.

It's June this month, which means we're officially celebrating Pride around the world in the face of phobia, bias, prejudice, persecution and prosecution. Every year during Pride we tend to focus on the dire situation of LGBTI+ people around the world and the work that is ahead of us to achieve full and unconditional equality for Queer people around the world. However, we decided to keep a celebratory tone by looking back at the strides the world made since we last celebrated Pride. We also want to harken back to the roots of LGBTI+ Pride that grew in Stonewall as a riot and not a celebration.

Present and Proud: Pride Month

Alp Ünal Ayhan & İdil ÇAKMUT

07.06.2021

It's June this month, which means we're officially celebrating Pride around the world in the face of phobia, bias, prejudice, persecution and prosecution. Every year during Pride we tend to focus on the dire situation of LGBTI+ people around the world and the work that is ahead of us to achieve full and unconditional equality for Queer people around the world. However, we decided to keep a celebratory tone by looking back at the strides the world made since we last celebrated Pride. We also want to harken back to the roots of LGBTI+ Pride that grew in Stonewall as a riot and not a celebration.

It's June this month, which means we're officially celebrating Pride around the world in the face of phobia, bias, prejudice, persecution and prosecution. Every year during Pride we tend to focus on the dire situation of LGBTI+ people around the world and the work that is ahead of us to achieve full and unconditional equality for Queer people around the world.

Present and Proud: Pride Month

Alp Ünal AYHAN & İdil ÇAKMUT

07.06.2021

It's June this month, which means we're officially celebrating Pride around the world in the face of phobia, bias, prejudice, persecution and prosecution. Every year during Pride we tend to focus on the dire situation of LGBTI+ people around the world and the work that is ahead of us to achieve full and unconditional equality for Queer people around the world.

You wake up, put on your clothes, your shoes, you walk out of your house and walk along your clean street to take the bus to school with your breakfast in your hand. In this simple routine alone, you benefit from hundreds of workers’ hard work. The house you live in, the clothes on your back, the shoes on and the pavement under your feet, the cleanliness of your environment, the bus that drives to your doorstep, the food in your hand, all brought to you by workers.

MAYDAY MAYDAY: We Are Starving

Duygu BAYRAM

03.05.2021

You wake up, put on your clothes, your shoes, you walk out of your house and walk along your clean street to take the bus to school with your breakfast in your hand. In this simple routine alone, you benefit from hundreds of workers’ hard work. The house you live in, the clothes on your back, the shoes on and the pavement under your feet, the cleanliness of your environment, the bus that drives to your doorstep, the food in your hand, all brought to you by workers.

Religion is held in high regard and is a touchy topic in the eyes of many people. Over the course of history, many wars have been waged in its name, many empires built, and many destroyed. While religion is a personal and individual experience for some people, religion in history has not been that way for a long time.

The Pope’s Prominent Involvement in World Politics Even Today

Duygu Bayram

05.04.2021

Religion is held in high regard and is a touchy topic in the eyes of many people. Over the course of history, many wars have been waged in its name, many empires built, and many destroyed. While religion is a personal and individual experience for some people, religion in history has not been that way for a long time.

Every year 8th of March is celebrated as International Women’s day. What this day represents is a call for action for women’s rights and gender equality besides a celebration of the social and political rights achievements of women. This day is a perfect opportunity for us to remember and think about all the issues that women still face globally.

Celebrating the Past, Planning the Future: International Women’s Day

Didem ÖZÇAKIR

08.03.2021

Every year 8th of March is celebrated as International Women’s day. What this day represents is a call for action for women’s rights and gender equality besides a celebration of the social and political rights achievements of women. This day is a perfect opportunity for us to remember and think about all the issues that women still face globally.

If you have paid some attention to North American politics in recent times, you might have noticed some talk of Black History Month. This usually confuses the uninformed reader, as it might seem kind of “overkill” to dedicate the entire month of February to a seemingly small subset of society’s nigh-infinite problems. Additionally, people freshly encountering Black History Month have a great tendency to ask some version of “Well then, why don’t we have History Months for all our minorities? Are African-Americans somehow special?”.

A Commemoration of the Disenfranchised: The Significance of Black History Month

Boran GÖHER

01.02.2021

If you have paid some attention to North American politics in recent times, you might have noticed some talk of Black History Month. This usually confuses the uninformed reader, as it might seem kind of “overkill” to dedicate the entire month of February to a seemingly small subset of society’s nigh-infinite problems. Additionally, people freshly encountering Black History Month have a great tendency to ask some version of “Well then, why don’t we have History Months for all our minorities? Are African-Americans somehow special?”.

The first Humanity vs Capitalism article was published in May 2020, during the early stages of the lockdown. As the article suggested, the long duration of the lockdown and the still-not-fully-implemented vaccines damaged the world both socially and economically. More than 83 million people have been affected and more than 1.8 million people have died from COVID-19 since then.

Humanity vs Capitalism Part 2: Crises Growth in Developing Countries

Hülya AFAT

04.01.2021

The first Humanity vs Capitalism article was published in May 2020, during the early stages of the lockdown. As the article suggested, the long duration of the lockdown and the still-not-fully-implemented vaccines damaged the world both socially and economically. More than 83 million people have been affected and more than 1.8 million people have died from COVID-19 since then.

A natural disaster is a terrifying event for everybody. The chaos during and afterward an earthquake, the sadness of the atmosphere, and the instant primitivization of the people are unforgettable scenes. However, the ability to move on and to adapt to new situations are two strengths of humans.

Politics of Lives: Natural Disasters

Kaan ERTAN

07.12.2020

A natural disaster is a terrifying event for everybody. The chaos during and afterward an earthquake, the sadness of the atmosphere, and the instant primitivization of the people are unforgettable scenes. However, the ability to move on and to adapt to new situations are two strengths of humans.

In 1895, Alfred Nobel decided to leave his fortune of SEK 31 million (1,702 million in today’s value) to pioneering scientists in the fields of Physics, Chemistry, Physiology/Medicine, Literature, and Peace. His will stated that he wanted his income to be “distributed annually in the form of prizes to those who during the preceding year have conferred the greatest benefit to mankind.” In 1968, Sweden’s central bank established The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel.

The Nobel Prize 2020: A Brief Look at This Year’s Winners

Duygu BAYRAM

02.11.2020

In 1895, Alfred Nobel decided to leave his fortune of SEK 31 million (1,702 million in today’s value) to pioneering scientists in the fields of Physics, Chemistry, Physiology/Medicine, Literature, and Peace. His will stated that he wanted his income to be “distributed annually in the form of prizes to those who during the preceding year have conferred the greatest benefit to mankind.” In 1968, Sweden’s central bank established The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel.

We are only a day away from the 2020 US Elections, so we assumed that it would be an ideal opportunity to look back to the last four years of US politics and the effects of the Trump presidency on the country. We divided the article into nine main titles in order to mention the significant events efficiently, since you are probably aware like the rest of the world, the days in Trump presidency were full to the brim.

Trump’s 4 Years in The White House: Promises vs. Disasters

Hülya AFAT & Kaan ERTAN

02.11.2020

We are only a day away from the 2020 US Elections, so we assumed that it would be an ideal opportunity to look back to the last four years of US politics and the effects of the Trump presidency on the country. We divided the article into nine main titles in order to mention the significant events efficiently, since you are probably aware like the rest of the world, the days in Trump presidency were full to the brim.

The year 2020 clearly has a very bad reputation among the people. It started with the Australian Bush Fires, and now continues with wildfires all around the globe. Although wildfires are a natural phenomenon, the 2020 wildfires attracted scientists’ attention for their intensity. For instance, the California Wildfires, which started in August 2020, is already the biggest wildfire in the state’s history.

Climate Change’s Effects on Us and Our Effect on It

Kaan ERTAN & Alp Ünal AYHAN

05.10.2020

The year 2020 clearly has a very bad reputation among the people. It started with the Australian Bush Fires, and now continues with wildfires all around the globe. Although wildfires are a natural phenomenon, the 2020 wildfires attracted scientists’ attention for their intensity. For instance, the California Wildfires, which started in August 2020, is already the biggest wildfire in the state’s history.

It is safe to say that most of us had different plans for 2020 when the clock turned midnight on January 1st, even those of us who did not have any plans. Perhaps some of us heard a thing or two about the new virus in China but certainly, none of us expected our whole year to be spent holed up in our apartments or going to work full of anxiety.

The Disease That Does Not Seem to End: Health Effects of COVID-19

Duygu BAYRAM & Alp Ünal AYHAN

07.09.2020

It is safe to say that most of us had different plans for 2020 when the clock turned midnight on January 1st, even those of us who did not have any plans. Perhaps some of us heard a thing or two about the new virus in China but certainly, none of us expected our whole year to be spent holed up in our apartments or going to work full of anxiety.

As COVID-19 ravaged world economies, governments around the world are urgently in need of rejuvenating theirs by reopening businesses after the lockdown period. Turkey, earning 34.5 billion USD from tourism in 2019, according to TurkStat, is especially desperate to reopen its tourism industry.

Tourism and COVID: Finally the Light at the End of the Tunnel?

Alp Ünal AYHAN

03.08.2020

As COVID-19 ravaged world economies, governments around the world are urgently in need of rejuvenating theirs by reopening businesses after the lockdown period. Turkey, earning 34.5 billion USD from tourism in 2019, according to TurkStat, is especially desperate to reopen its tourism industry.

On May 25, George Floyd, a 46 years old African American man, was killed by the police officer Derek Chauvin because of the use of excessive force on Floyd’s neck during an arrest in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The next day, a 10-minute recording by a bystander and the security camera footage has gained attention from the public and were shared widely on social media.

The Killing of George Floyd and What It Sparked

Ece HASGÜL

06.07.2020

On May 25, George Floyd, a 46 years old African American man, was killed by the police officer Derek Chauvin because of the use of excessive force on Floyd’s neck during an arrest in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The next day, a 10-minute recording by a bystander and the security camera footage has gained attention from the public and were shared widely on social media.

As old as human civilization gets we can see Queer footprints in art, literature, and history. “Gayness” was not invented when Hitler started marking gay people with pink triangles, it existed throughout human history, so did oppression.

Proud and Present: Happy Pride Month!

Hülya AFAT & Alp Ünal AYHAN

01.06.2020

As old as human civilization gets we can see Queer footprints in art, literature, and history. “Gayness” was not invented when Hitler started marking gay people with pink triangles, it existed throughout human history, so did oppression.

The first day of may marks International Workers’ Day, as a celebration of labor, those who produce labor, their ever-continuing struggle, and the strides made along the way with organized labor.

Worker's Day: The Struggle Goes On, Even During a Pandemic

Alp Ünal AYHAN

04.05.2020

The first day of may marks International Workers’ Day, as a celebration of labor, those who produce labor, their ever-continuing struggle, and the strides made along the way with organized labor.

As the United States navigates through a long and rather daunting primary process to determine the candidates that will face off in the general elections in November perhaps it is best to focus on one party whose primaries are getting very heated: the Democratic Party.

US Presidential Primary Elections 2020: Where Candidates and Generations Stand

Alp Ünal AYHAN

06.04.2020

As the United States navigates through a long and rather daunting primary process to determine the candidates that will face off in the general elections in November perhaps it is best to focus on one party whose primaries are getting very heated: the Democratic Party.

PRESENT is a non-profit monthly bulletin published by the Model United Nations Subcommittee of Boğaziçi University Debating Society (BUDS) on the first Monday of every month. 
 
Articles in the issues of PRESENT do not reflect the views of Boğaziçi University or BUDS. Opinions belong solely to the author(s). All pictures copyright to their respective owner(s). PRESENT does not claim ownership of any of the pictures displayed on this bulletin. All images are used for noncommercial and educational purposes. If any images posted here are in violation of copyright law, please contact us and we will gladly remove the offending images immediately.

© 2021. This work is licensed under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.

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