Democracy Playground Archive
April 8, 2025
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April 8, 2025 Opinion: El Salvador is the far-right’s dream crypto-carceral state – and it’s failing With El Salvador’s disturbing prison deal with the US
When the Indian government quietly approved projects that would cut through Goa’s ancient forests, an unlikely alliance rose in defiance. Young scientists and artists teamed up with veteran lawyers and activists to wage a fierce battle — online, in courtrooms and on the streets. Their collective strength saved the forest, preventing Goa from becoming a coal corridor.
Imprisoned since March, Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu is considered the greatest threat to Erdogan’s power in decades. But how did Imamoglu and the CHP mount a successful comeback despite a captured media and demoralized opposition? Research, militancy, and relentless positivity proved key.
If democracy is indeed “government of the people, for the people and by the people,” then legislators must provide more transparency on the extent to which the governance of people is currently being outsourced to machines.
A migrant-led movement has used tactics from theatre to unionization to demand equal rights and dignity for those doing society’s most undervalued labor. They’ve appealed to the highest levels of EU justice and achieved major legal reforms. Yet perhaps their biggest triumph is an ongoing movement for social change powered by intersectional solidarity and care.
Plans for Europe’s largest open-pit gold mine in Romanian commune Roșia Montană galvanized all layers of Romanian society, from villagers to presidents. The two-decade fight against a project that aimed to erase four mountains and three villages has radical social and political consequences.
As Europe offshores border control to Libya – where horrific human rights abuses have been well documented – migrants too have been joining forces between North Africa and Italy, in a unified movement for safety and recognition under international law.
April 8, 2025 Opinion: El Salvador is the far-right’s dream crypto-carceral state – and it’s failing With El Salvador’s disturbing prison deal with the US