In addition to his writing and activism, Alareer taught creative writing and literature at the Islamic University of Gaza. Through his work with We Are Not Numbers and the publication of literary anthologies, Alareer aimed to educate the world about the horrendous conditions Palestinians have been forced to endure under Israeli occupation.

Rwandan President Paul Kagame isolates and ostracizes his opponents by eroding their support base and preventing reinforcement, a strategy of slow predation referred to as kwica uruhongohongo, a Kinyarwanda expression for methodical cleansing. This has worked to spectacular effect against most of Kagame’s political rivals except for one person: Victoire Ingabire Umuhoza.

One thing that should be clear to anyone who has read this book thoughtfully is that socialism cannot be refuted by easy talking points about the Gulag, the “nanny state” or any other such rhetorical excuses for thoughtlessness. To say that socialism is dead is wishful thinking on the part of its enemies.

Israel is a pariah state. This was publicly on display on December 12 when 153 member states at the UN General Assembly voted for a ceasefire, with only 10 abstaining. Israel’s campaign in Gaza means there will be no peace. There will be no two state solution. Apartheid and genocide will define Israel. This presages a long conflict, one Israel cannot win.

In his 2021 memoir, Life in the City of Dirty Water, Indigenous activist Clayton Thomas-Muller defines a warrior as someone who is “not defined by fighting. They are defined by fighting for.” Imagine what could happen if we all fought for an education system laser focused on creating just, sustainable, and democratic societies.

Why is it so difficult for university administrators to express sympathy with all students, staff, and faculty who have been impacted by the events of October 7? To acknowledge that there are diverse Jewish views about Israel, Palestine, and what is unfolding now? Laurie Adkin writes on the tactics being used to silence critics of Israel and curtail free speech on campus and beyond.

Since 1948, Palestinian political movements and intellectuals have argued that the logic of the Israeli state has been to expel the Palestinians from the region between the River Jordan and the Mediterranean Sea. This policy of expulsion to create an ethno-religious Jewish State of Israel is what is meant by the “permanent Nakba.”

When a country as prosperous as Canada cannot meet the shelter and housing needs of the most vulnerable and marginalized, this is an indicator of a profound crisis. It signals the failure of the dominant market-driven model for providing housing and personal security. We are approaching a level of displacement that Canada has not witnessed since the Great Depression.

With the United States vetoing a call for a ceasefire at the United Nations Security Council, the collective West has stood by and condoned Israel’s continued barbarity. This amounts to complicity in war crimes. The callous disregard for Palestinian rights and human lives paints a bleak view of humanity, one that is devoid of hope and redemption. We must fight for better.

On November 7, the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly convened to vote on 12 draft resolutions. All were approved by the Third Committee, but the collective West voted in near unanimity to reject resolutions promoting human rights, cultural diversity, and greater equity on the global stage, while refusing to condemn coercive measures and the use of mercenaries.