Debra Efroymson

In some neighbourhoods, when the power goes out, people emerge from their apartments and socialise.

Imagine for a moment our city without cars, but with high-quality public transport, people zipping by on bicycles, others on foot.

If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard that “traffic was particularly bad today,” I could have retired already

The crises we face are terrifying. And yet I can still imagine an infinitely better life that would solve many of our problems.

People in power also need to be held accountable for addressing violence in their institutions, be they religious, educational or other.

Our craze to build and pave has led us to create cities of concrete and asphalt. Canals and wetlands are paved over.

People tend to believe in progress. As the decades advance, we become more civilised. We expand important freedoms, like voting rights. Except that time and time again, some events prove otherwise.

It is difficult these days to go anywhere or do anything without thinking or hearing about inflation – what is less obvious is what to do about it.

Even the children who have never had a shooting at their own school are not free from the damage.

Funny how this question often preempts concern about the health of mother and baby. Why are we so obsessed with a baby’s gender?

The other day, a Dutch friend of mine and I were having lunch when I mentioned how chaotic I’d heard the Dhaka airport was now.

The eyes of the world are on Ukraine as its citizens fight to uphold their democracy in the face of Russian aggression. But how many people are aware that American democracy is similarly under grave threat?

After two years, it is no wonder that people are fed up with the changes the Covid-19 pandemic has inflicted on us.

Recently, I was chatting with a young friend. She mentioned that, with all the Covid lockdowns (she is in a country much harder hit than Bangladesh), she has learnt to do business online, selling herself as a yoga and meditation instructor.

For many people, education means sitting in a class and mindlessly repeating what the teacher tells you. But is that really what education is about?

With the price of basic necessities going up yet again, it is no surprise that people are campaigning for a reduction in fuel price. Fuel is, after all, related to the price of transport, food, and other necessities—which is, in fact, precisely the problem.

Many years ago, a colleague at the United Nations invited me to watch a video of Marilyn Waring, an MP and economist from New Zealand, talking about economics.

Have you ever watched kittens, puppies, or other baby animals play? Running, chasing, jumping, nipping.

As children and others continue to die on our roads, we ought to reconsider just how highly we value our current traffic system.

Toilets do not, admittedly, make for a great dinner table conversation—though a few younger people might disagree.