Institute of Current World Affairs
@icwa.org
We advance American understanding of international cultures and affairs by sending young professionals abroad on two-year independent writing fellowships.
Salaries in Jordan aren't enough to cover the cost of living, Diana Kruzman @dkruzman.bsky.social reports from Amman. Jordan relies on imports for most of its food and energy needs, and prices have risen following the US-Israeli war against Iran: www.icwa.org/amman-jordan...
‘Everything is more expensive’ - ICWA
For increasing numbers in Jordan, salaries aren't enough to cover the cost of living, ICWA fellow Diana Kurzman reports from Amman, Jordan.
www.icwa.org
September 17, 2026 at 2:07 PM
Salaries in Jordan aren't enough to cover the cost of living, Diana Kruzman @dkruzman.bsky.social reports from Amman. Jordan relies on imports for most of its food and energy needs, and prices have risen following the US-Israeli war against Iran: www.icwa.org/amman-jordan...
Reposted by Institute of Current World Affairs
“Buried Sunshine” my essay on Illinois coal mining and Black and Indigenous histories of violence is now out!
www.nybooks.com/online/2025/...
www.nybooks.com/online/2025/...
Buried Sunshine | Jori Lewis
When I was knee-high to a grasshopper, we lived in a house in the country—on a rural road on the outskirts of Springfield, Illinois, where the water was
www.nybooks.com
July 27, 2025 at 6:41 PM
“Buried Sunshine” my essay on Illinois coal mining and Black and Indigenous histories of violence is now out!
www.nybooks.com/online/2025/...
www.nybooks.com/online/2025/...
Reposted by Institute of Current World Affairs
The International Baccalaureate Program has expanded in schools around the world over the last 50 years. Former ICWA fellow & IB teacher @brynbarnardart.bsky.social describes the trials of teaching in Kuwait, where cultural differences have created stumbling blocks: compass.icwa.org/p/the-educat...
The education of Mr. Shisma
The global growth and local trials of the International Baccalaureate program
compass.icwa.org
September 15, 2026 at 3:39 PM
The International Baccalaureate Program has expanded in schools around the world over the last 50 years. Former ICWA fellow & IB teacher @brynbarnardart.bsky.social describes the trials of teaching in Kuwait, where cultural differences have created stumbling blocks: compass.icwa.org/p/the-educat...
Elizabeth Wise visits the Isle of Man, the independent-minded British island known for its Viking-era parliament, Victorian seafront promenades, death-defying motorcycle races and cats without tails: compass.icwa.org/p/postcard-f...
Postcard from the Isle of Man
On an independent-minded British island, stepping back in time
compass.icwa.org
September 11, 2026 at 10:19 AM
Elizabeth Wise visits the Isle of Man, the independent-minded British island known for its Viking-era parliament, Victorian seafront promenades, death-defying motorcycle races and cats without tails: compass.icwa.org/p/postcard-f...
From the archive: Before she was head of ACLU of Massachusetts, @aclum.bsky.social, Carol Rose was an ICWA fellow in Pakistan. In 1992, she witnessed an exodus of Afghan refugees, returning home on a tide of hope after the fall of communist rule: compass.icwa.org/p/return
Return
Carol Rose reports from Pakistan in 1992 about the dilemmas facing Afghan refugees after the collapse of their country’s communist rule.
compass.icwa.org
September 10, 2026 at 5:09 PM
From the archive: Before she was head of ACLU of Massachusetts, @aclum.bsky.social, Carol Rose was an ICWA fellow in Pakistan. In 1992, she witnessed an exodus of Afghan refugees, returning home on a tide of hope after the fall of communist rule: compass.icwa.org/p/return
The Philippines's new Truth and Reconciliation Commission hopes to help legitimize the ICC’s proceedings in the eyes of the Filipino public, help collect data to provide reparations to victims, & open a pathway for collective healing, ICWA fellow Sabrina Ochoa reports: www.icwa.org/philippines-...
Reconciliation over revenge - ICWA
In the Philippines, a new truth commission seeks to address widespread trauma inflicted by the country's "war on drugs," Sabrina Ochoa reports.
www.icwa.org
September 9, 2026 at 6:58 PM
The Philippines's new Truth and Reconciliation Commission hopes to help legitimize the ICC’s proceedings in the eyes of the Filipino public, help collect data to provide reparations to victims, & open a pathway for collective healing, ICWA fellow Sabrina Ochoa reports: www.icwa.org/philippines-...
Reposted by Institute of Current World Affairs
Really proud to see my piece go up on AFREWATCH and the Global Gateway.
The West’s quest for rare earth minerals is driving big investments in modernizing an export route across Africa. Former ICWA fellow Casey Kelso asks whether locals will also benefit from the Lobito Rail Project or face a new form of natural resources colonialism: compass.icwa.org/p/can-an-afr...
Can an African critical minerals megaproject benefit Africans?
A major transport route is a test case for sustainable development vs. neocolonial plundering.
compass.icwa.org
September 8, 2026 at 4:14 PM
Really proud to see my piece go up on AFREWATCH and the Global Gateway.
The West’s quest for rare earth minerals is driving big investments in modernizing an export route across Africa. Former ICWA fellow Casey Kelso asks whether locals will also benefit from the Lobito Rail Project or face a new form of natural resources colonialism: compass.icwa.org/p/can-an-afr...
Can an African critical minerals megaproject benefit Africans?
A major transport route is a test case for sustainable development vs. neocolonial plundering.
compass.icwa.org
September 8, 2026 at 12:29 PM
The West’s quest for rare earth minerals is driving big investments in modernizing an export route across Africa. Former ICWA fellow Casey Kelso asks whether locals will also benefit from the Lobito Rail Project or face a new form of natural resources colonialism: compass.icwa.org/p/can-an-afr...
Mahli Knutson interviews several generations of New Guangzhou'ers, including a grandmother who provides for her family as a fruit seller and a woman who grew up in the city who showcases family traditions to spark younger generations' appreciation for China's tea tradition.
September 4, 2026 at 10:46 AM
Mahli Knutson interviews several generations of New Guangzhou'ers, including a grandmother who provides for her family as a fruit seller and a woman who grew up in the city who showcases family traditions to spark younger generations' appreciation for China's tea tradition.
Reposted by Institute of Current World Affairs
Great reporting by Sabrina Ochoa!
The newly launched Truth and Reconciliation Commission in the Philippines is the first non-government attempt to address the crimes committed during the administration of former President Duterte and his "war on drugs," ICWA fellow Sabrina Ochoa reports: www.icwa.org/philippines-...
Reconciliation over revenge - ICWA
In the Philippines, a new truth commission seeks to address widespread trauma inflicted by the country's "war on drugs," Sabrina Ochoa reports.
www.icwa.org
September 1, 2026 at 3:44 PM
Great reporting by Sabrina Ochoa!
In the Jordanian capital Amman, how are residents attempting to solve the problems plaguing the city’s east—lack of job opportunities & green spaces? @dkruzman.bsky.social explores investments in city parks like Queen Rania Abdullah in her first dispatch from Jordan: www.icwa.org/amman-jordan...
A tale of two cities - ICWA
In her first dispatch, ICWA fellow Diana Kurzman investigates the growing wealth gap between east and west Amman, Jordan.
www.icwa.org
September 2, 2026 at 3:43 PM
In the Jordanian capital Amman, how are residents attempting to solve the problems plaguing the city’s east—lack of job opportunities & green spaces? @dkruzman.bsky.social explores investments in city parks like Queen Rania Abdullah in her first dispatch from Jordan: www.icwa.org/amman-jordan...
The newly launched Truth and Reconciliation Commission in the Philippines is the first non-government attempt to address the crimes committed during the administration of former President Duterte and his "war on drugs," ICWA fellow Sabrina Ochoa reports: www.icwa.org/philippines-...
Reconciliation over revenge - ICWA
In the Philippines, a new truth commission seeks to address widespread trauma inflicted by the country's "war on drugs," Sabrina Ochoa reports.
www.icwa.org
September 1, 2026 at 12:27 PM
The newly launched Truth and Reconciliation Commission in the Philippines is the first non-government attempt to address the crimes committed during the administration of former President Duterte and his "war on drugs," ICWA fellow Sabrina Ochoa reports: www.icwa.org/philippines-...
Mahli Knutson visits a “handshake building” or “kissing building” in Guangzhou, China to see how some newcomers to the city live. The apartments are built so close together they appear to “kiss” & residents in neighboring buildings can reportedly reach out from their unit windows to shake hands.
August 31, 2026 at 9:24 PM
Mahli Knutson visits a “handshake building” or “kissing building” in Guangzhou, China to see how some newcomers to the city live. The apartments are built so close together they appear to “kiss” & residents in neighboring buildings can reportedly reach out from their unit windows to shake hands.
Food courier services are connecting Guatemalan sender villages with mirror communities in the US, giving Guatemalan immigrants in Washington, DC, Indiana, Massachusetts and Delaware a taste of home, Joel Millman writes for Compass: compass.icwa.org/p/a-moveable...
A moveable feast, one tamale at a time
Food courier services between Guatemala and the US are thriving.
compass.icwa.org
August 28, 2026 at 1:45 PM
Food courier services are connecting Guatemalan sender villages with mirror communities in the US, giving Guatemalan immigrants in Washington, DC, Indiana, Massachusetts and Delaware a taste of home, Joel Millman writes for Compass: compass.icwa.org/p/a-moveable...
West Amman is filled with leafy residential districts. East Amman is denser, the streets narrower. The west connotes wealth & refinement; the east, poverty & danger. Diana Kruzman @dkruzman.bsky.social explores those stereotypes in her first dispatch from Jordan: www.icwa.org/amman-jordan...
A tale of two cities - ICWA
In her first dispatch, ICWA fellow Diana Kurzman investigates the growing wealth gap between east and west Amman, Jordan.
www.icwa.org
August 27, 2026 at 11:09 AM
West Amman is filled with leafy residential districts. East Amman is denser, the streets narrower. The west connotes wealth & refinement; the east, poverty & danger. Diana Kruzman @dkruzman.bsky.social explores those stereotypes in her first dispatch from Jordan: www.icwa.org/amman-jordan...
Inaugural Blakemore-ICWA fellow Julia Walton at her launch dinner in Washington, DC. Julia will spend a year examining youth civic participation in Japan amid demographic change.
August 26, 2026 at 10:22 AM
Inaugural Blakemore-ICWA fellow Julia Walton at her launch dinner in Washington, DC. Julia will spend a year examining youth civic participation in Japan amid demographic change.
Russia might attack a NATO member country sometime between this fall & 2029, US officials believe. A limited incursion would probably aim to undermine the alliance rather than prevail in a conflict, Peter Dickinson writes: compass.icwa.org/p/putins-big...
Putin’s biggest gamble
Why Russia may attack NATO
compass.icwa.org
August 25, 2026 at 5:02 PM
Russia might attack a NATO member country sometime between this fall & 2029, US officials believe. A limited incursion would probably aim to undermine the alliance rather than prevail in a conflict, Peter Dickinson writes: compass.icwa.org/p/putins-big...
From the archive: Carol Rose reports from Pakistan in 1992 about the dilemmas facing Afghan refugees after the collapse of their country’s communist rule: compass.icwa.org/p/return
Return
Carol Rose reports from Pakistan in 1992 about the dilemmas facing Afghan refugees after the collapse of their country’s communist rule.
compass.icwa.org
August 21, 2026 at 9:27 PM
From the archive: Carol Rose reports from Pakistan in 1992 about the dilemmas facing Afghan refugees after the collapse of their country’s communist rule: compass.icwa.org/p/return
How does any culture survive through centuries of violence & forced suppression? How does it continue under threat of punishment and even mass death? Brett Simpson @brettvsimpson.bsky.social explores the concept of Indigenous survivance at Norway's Riddu Riđđu festival: www.icwa.org/norway-sami-...
Resistance, reckoning and rock ‘n’ roll - ICWA
ICWA Fellow Brett Simpson attends Riddu Riđđu, the world's biggest Indigenous music and culture festival organized by Norway's Sámi people.
www.icwa.org
August 20, 2026 at 12:43 PM
How does any culture survive through centuries of violence & forced suppression? How does it continue under threat of punishment and even mass death? Brett Simpson @brettvsimpson.bsky.social explores the concept of Indigenous survivance at Norway's Riddu Riđđu festival: www.icwa.org/norway-sami-...
In her first dispatch from Jordan, Diana Kruzman @dkruzman.bsky.social examines the capital's city planning and growing wealth gap between east and west: www.icwa.org/amman-jordan...
A tale of two cities - ICWA
In her first dispatch, ICWA fellow Diana Kurzman investigates the growing wealth gap between east and west Amman, Jordan.
www.icwa.org
August 19, 2026 at 8:14 PM
In her first dispatch from Jordan, Diana Kruzman @dkruzman.bsky.social examines the capital's city planning and growing wealth gap between east and west: www.icwa.org/amman-jordan...
In her new book The Traveler, historian @andreawulf.bsky.social makes a spirited bid to restore naturalist, ethnographer, humanist, travel writer, translator, teacher, political journalist & revolutionary George Forster to his since-vanished fame, Anna Gielas writes: compass.icwa.org/p/review-a-m...
Review: A man of no nation
Andrea Wulf rediscovers the pioneering 18th-century globalist George Forster.
compass.icwa.org
August 18, 2026 at 2:36 PM
In her new book The Traveler, historian @andreawulf.bsky.social makes a spirited bid to restore naturalist, ethnographer, humanist, travel writer, translator, teacher, political journalist & revolutionary George Forster to his since-vanished fame, Anna Gielas writes: compass.icwa.org/p/review-a-m...
Under Norway's forced assimilation, or fornorskning, policies, Sámi language, clothing & countless traditional practices were suppressed, @brettvsimpson.bsky.social reports. The Riddu Riđđu festival was established in 1991 to reclaim & rebuild Sámi cultural cohesion: www.icwa.org/norway-sami-...
Resistance, reckoning and rock ‘n’ roll - ICWA
ICWA Fellow Brett Simpson attends Riddu Riđđu, the world's biggest Indigenous music and culture festival organized by Norway's Sámi people.
www.icwa.org
August 14, 2026 at 9:21 AM
Under Norway's forced assimilation, or fornorskning, policies, Sámi language, clothing & countless traditional practices were suppressed, @brettvsimpson.bsky.social reports. The Riddu Riđđu festival was established in 1991 to reclaim & rebuild Sámi cultural cohesion: www.icwa.org/norway-sami-...
It’s dangerous to be a journalist in the Philippines because a free press is a threat to those in power. But activists are fighting disinformation & experimenting with new kinds of advocacy to demand accountability for former President Duterte's 'war on drugs': www.icwa.org/philippines-...
Ten years of post-truth - ICWA
On the 10th anniversary of the launch of the Philippines "war on drugs," victims are demanding accountability, ICWA fellow Sabrina Ochoa reports.
www.icwa.org
August 13, 2026 at 8:31 AM
It’s dangerous to be a journalist in the Philippines because a free press is a threat to those in power. But activists are fighting disinformation & experimenting with new kinds of advocacy to demand accountability for former President Duterte's 'war on drugs': www.icwa.org/philippines-...
From the Archive: People are waiting for independence to "drop like a ripe fruit from a tree,” ICWA fellow David Hapgood wrote about Portuguese Guinea in 1962 during the last stages of Portugal’s colonial power. It took another decade to be realized. compass.icwa.org/p/the-portug...
The Portuguese colonial holdouts
David Hapgood reports in 1962 about resistance to independence for Guinea-Bissau.
compass.icwa.org
August 12, 2026 at 7:39 AM
From the Archive: People are waiting for independence to "drop like a ripe fruit from a tree,” ICWA fellow David Hapgood wrote about Portuguese Guinea in 1962 during the last stages of Portugal’s colonial power. It took another decade to be realized. compass.icwa.org/p/the-portug...