Starting Young I was nine months old when I first went to sea. The boat was called Zephyr, named by my grandfather after the light …
Read Full StoryREWIND: Interviewing Imelda – From First Lady to First Mommy
BIRTHDAY What a birthday present! On the cusp of her ninety-third birthday, (yes, 93!) the infamous Imelda Romualdez Marcos has her most fervent wish come …
Read Full StoryThe Conflict in Ukraine & the Ugly Side of Empathy
“But they weren’t children like the ones we are used to seeing suffering on television, these were blond and blue-eyed… that’s really important.” These were, …
Read Full StoryREWIND: On a Wing and a Prayer
A version of this was originally published on the Al Jazeera English website in July 2011. AT THE START I was not having a particularly …
Read Full StoryFear and Other Pandemics in Baghdad
Since U.S. forces invaded my country in 2003, I have lived an extraordinary life as an Iraqi. I faced daily risks such as bombs, violence, …
Read Full StoryAppreciating Spring: Adventures in Resilience and Reinvention
“Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is …
Read Full StoryIn Search of Roots: A Return to the Former Colonies
I was born in Spain. In the capital Madrid, to be precise. I feel very Spanish, although my roots are not. My mother was born …
Read Full StoryKenampa: A Journey Back Home to the Amazon
Paulo Cesar would rather stay with his people. He would rather not have electricity, nor running water in a furnished house. He would rather keep …
Read Full Story“Sami del Samwich” and Surviving the Colombian Drug Cartels: (Part 3)
Part 1: Genesis Part 2: Exodus Ecclesiastes Samuél Vásquez Martín checked his watch. It got dark earlier than expected as storm clouds loomed where the …
Read Full Story“Sami del Samwich” and Surviving the Colombian Drug Cartels: (Part 2)
Part 1: Genesis The Exodus Samuél Vásquez Martín, aka Sami, was eventually offered what he saw as his ticket out of the drug-cartel-dominated world in …
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