Forced by poverty, a population transfers its decision-making power over the European granary to foreign shareholders of subsidized, wealthy investment groups. Local residents work in paid employment of the companies to whom they sell their land, move to the city or emigrate. Landgrabbing, by the international market.

These are the stories of a mother whose son was killed by snipers, of a doctor saving lives on the barricades and of an ex-Sandinista combatant. Their stories tell us of the violence that shaked their lives, and about their many reasons to protest.

What do a poisoned lake in Mongolia, a deadly lung disease in the Congolese cobalt mines and water conflicts in the Andean countries have in common? They are the heavy price paid for our electric cars, which tun out to be anything but green for people living in places where crucial resources are mined.

Every week thirteen unaccompanied refugees enter our country, more than half of them coming from conflict country Afghanistan. They become younger every time and carry more and more traumatic experiences with them. Belgium promises adequate shelter and protection. Are we able to provide that?

As long as the instability continues, jihadist propaganda will somehow keep oozing out of the internet. “This is the struggle of a generation.”

Terrorist content has been a problem for internet giants like Facebook, Google and Twitter for years. Silicon Valley has been throwing a lot of resources at the fight against violent jihadist content on-line. Some progress has been made, but fighting terrorists on the internet remains a game of whack-a-mole.

Belgium’s queen Mathilde is one of 17 global sdg-advocates. What motivates her to engage with these sustainable development goals? Where did it all start? And what does she hope to achieve? These are only a few questions that got answered during a long afternoon, in an exclusive interview MO* had with the queen.

The Pakistani diaspora and friends of Asma Jahangir gathered in Brusels, at the Asia Platform, on March 26th, to reflect on the live, the struggles and the continued importance of Asma Jahangir. Ceciel Shiraz Raj worked for years with Asma. We publish his impassioned, personal and very relevant introduction.

The figures that Fost Plus, Belgium’s nationwide waste-buyer uses in the current debate about introducing deposit-fees are one big lie. Why is that? Fost Plus deliberately misinterprets the official figures of OVAM, the Flemish Government’s Waste Agency, claiming that disposable cans and bottles account for 10% of the litter, while it i ...

Jihadist propaganda on the internet is often seen as one of the main drivers for pushing young people into committing terrorist attacks. The reality is more complex than that. ‘People radicalise in different ways.’

To the vast majority of people, ultra-violent jihadist propaganda is neither convincing nor appealing. Yet Al-Qaeda, ISIS and other terrorist groups seem to attract followers across the globe with gory materials showing graphic violence. The propaganda inspired thousands to leave everything behind for an uncertain life as foreign fighters in the wa ...

In their lives, these youngsters saw no other state leader besides Vladimir Putin. These are their life stories of poverty and exclusion. They are products of Russia’s turbulent past, and while they are powerless to shape Russian politics in 2018, they could grow into a force capable of shaping Russia’s future by 2024. ‘The real r ...