What We've Been Reading

Welcome to our roundup of news and current events related to ethics and international affairs! Here’s some of what we’ve been reading this past month:

Al Jazeera: Bangladesh curfews, internet blackout batter economy amid quota protests

Protesters in Bangladesh have not been appeased by a Supreme Court announcement reneging on a previous decision to bring back a controversial job quota system. Students and other young people were met with deadly force from the military when they protested the reinstatement of the job quota system—a system under which 30 percent of coveted government jobs would go to relatives of veterans who fought for national independence in 1971. The most recent court ruling scaled back the quota to 5 percent of government jobs for veterans’ relatives, but the protestors are calling for government accountability for the 146 people killed amid the crackdown. Industry leaders and other officials are demanding government action after a reactionary curfew and internet blackout—which the government blames on opposition parties—have caused over $1.2 billion in losses for the Bangladeshi economy, which was already shaky after years of inflation and high rates of youth unemployment. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has insisted that the curfew is still needed, but promised a “gradual” relaxation with no defined timeline.

Read more about the ethics and issues of protests, government crackdowns, and party politics in Ethics & International Affairs:

Parties, Democracy, and the Ideal of Anti-factionalism: Past Anxieties and Present Challenges (2022: 36-4)

The Ethics of (Un)Civil Resistance (2019: 33-3)

Rethinking the Nature of States and Political Violence (2021: 35-1)

AP News: Thousands of migrant kids have reached the Canary Islands alone. Local officials want Spain’s help

The Spanish government is torn over new immigration policy for unaccompanied migrant children landing on the Canary Islands from Senegal, Mali, and other nations. With numbers of migrants reaching nearly 20,000 this year, doctors and other humanitarian professionals are struggling to keep up with demand. An unprecedented and increasing number of those seeking refuge in Spain and the European Union are young children, especially young girls. Spain’s parliament has been discussing what approach Spain should take regarding the 5,500 (and rising) minors, with some lawmakers arguing for other regions of the country to step up and take responsibility and others pointing to the existing policy that regional authorities are in charge of migrant arrivals. The Popular Party, the main conservative opposition party, is split between supporting the Canary Coalition party and appeasing the far-right Vox party, which support the new and existing policies, respectively. The ongoing uncertainty in government assistance and policy has meant migrants are arriving to increasingly understaffed, under-supplied, and unsafe spaces with no other options to which they can turn.

Read more about refugees and the needs of unaccompanied minors in Ethics & International Affairs:

Hypocritical Inhospitality: The Global Refugee Crisis in the Light of History (2020: 34-1)

Voluntary and Involuntary Migrants: On Migration, Safe Third Countries, and the Collective Unfreedom of the Proletariat (2023: 37-4)

Helping Refugees Where They Are (2021: 35-4)

New York Times: Israel Orders New Evacuation in Gaza as Aid Workers Say Bombing Kills Dozens

The Palestinians in Gaza cannot keep up with the shifting Israeli-designated “humanitarian zones.” The Israeli military’s bombardment of the Khan Younis region—a region previously designated as safe, dangerous, and then safe again—killed 70 people and wounded hundreds of others, according to the Gazan health ministry. The evacuation announcement was transmitted through texts, phone calls, and media broadcasts, but Palestinians point out that the lack of electric power and cell service due to bombings means they do not receive such announcements. The destruction of Khan Younis is ongoing, with an Israeli campaign in the spring causing so much damage that returning residents reported the city unrecognizable. The Israeli military insists that it is targeting Hamas’ rocket launching sites. Additionally, humanitarian aid workers and United Nations officials are increasingly targeted, with more than 270 aid workers killed since October 7 and reports surfacing of U.N. vehicles targeted by Israeli fire while at checkpoints in Gaza.

Read more about humanitarian law and warfare in Ethics & International Affairs:

International Law and the Humanization of Warfare (2023: 37-4)

But Is It Good Enough? Jus ad Vim and the Danger of Perpetual War (2022: 36-4)

War Crimes and the Asymmetry Myth (2021: 35-3)

Reuters: Barbados debt-for-climate swap nears as EIB, IDB finalise guarantees

A $300 million “debt-for-climate” swap agreement between Barbados, the European Investment Bank (EIB), and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) is close to wrapping up. Once finalized, the agreement will allow Barbados to issue as much as $295 million in debt related to sustainability projects and other climate-friendly initiatives. While the question remains as to which debt Barbados is swapping in the deal, the country has made clear plans for sewer treatment plant upgrades aimed at reducing water pollution. Debt-for-climate swaps are relatively new to international financing, though Barbados has already utilized the agreement framework. In 2022, the Caribbean nation swapped $150 million in order to generate $50 million for marine conservation. EIB officials stated that these agreements are not only beneficial for the recipient countries and the health of the planet, but they also serve as a conduit for the EU’s Global Gateway project, which aims to rival China’s Belt & Road Initiative regarding infrastructure funding for Global South countries.

Read more about climate finance and sustainable development in Ethics & International Affairs:

Hope, Pessimism, and the Shape of a Just Climate Future (2023: 37-3)

Which Net Zero? Climate Justice and Net Zero Emissions (2022: 36-4)

Global Climate Governance, Short-Termism, and the Vulnerability of Future Generations (2022: 36-2)