Committee Recommends: Week 2

Welcome to the third ‘Committee Recommends’ of term, where we scour the internet for the most important and exciting content across print, podcasts and streaming this week.

From the disillusionment of women in far-right circles to protests in Thailand, via an elephant in a courthouse, we’re sure we’ve got something that can make you pause for 5 minutes. Happy second week!

LONG READS

Chileans Are About to Vote on Rewriting Their Whole Constitution. Will It Turn a ‘Social Explosion’ Into a New Plan for the Country?

“Chile’s protests have brought the country to a historic crossroads: an Oct. 25 referendum on rewriting the country’s constitution.”

The referendum promised to the Chilean people after intense protesting last year is about to happen. The country’s constitution is on the table, so what does the future hold? Time magazine’s Ciara Nugent looks into the story, which is well worth a read given the turbulent political climate of South America.

Why the Alt-Right’s most famous woman disappeared

“I asked Southern in Toronto what advice she had for women entering the alt-right world. She hesitated. ‘Don’t,’ she said.”

Lauren Southern was a poster girl for the Canadian far-right, but Daniel Lombroso explores her uncomfortable relationship with the misogyny and sexual aggression of the men that make up the movement.

Men should have no place in women’s minds

“No more Voltaire, Truffaut or Daft Punk, then. We need, she declares, to ‘eliminate men from our minds’”

Deliberately provocative and happy to bring on a backlash, but does French journalist Alice Coffin have a point? The Economist takes a look at her new book.

Why the right keeps saying the United States isn’t a democracy

“Lee’s words also underscore something else: that many on the right view voting as an existential threat.”

The New Yorker’s Sue Halpern looks at what Republican Senator Mike Lee’s overt assertion that America is in fact not a democracy means for American politics. Spoiler, it’s not good news. The article, however, is fantastic.

IN THE NEWS

End SARS protests in Nigeria

Protests against police brutality in Nigeria have followed a familiar pattern: a shockingly violent video of a gross abuse of power spreads like wildfire on the internet; protesters flood the streets; politicians’ assurances of change are met with suspicion. This Sky News piece provides background to the injustice in Nigeria.

Thailand pro-democracy protests

Student-led protests in Thailand are frightening its ruling classes, as not only the government but the previously indomitable royal family are threatened. Law enforcement has reacted swiftly, however, falling into what this Guardian article calls a game of ‘cat and mouse’.

John Sentamu, Archbishop of York, snubbed

Downing Street has broken with precedent and denied black Archbishop of York John Sentamu a life peerage – a reminder in Black History Month, if any was needed, of the everyday slights and snubs that shape institutionalised prejudice in our country.

A BIT OF LISTENING

Happy, the elephant in the courtroom

The story of Happy is a family saga which makes us look again at the way we treat animals, all centred around a court case and a self-aware elephant. It’s good, we promise.

The New Conspiracists

In this age of post-truth and QAnon, the new myth-busting podcast from journalists James Ball and Jolyon Rubenstein couldn’t have come sooner.

WATCH LIST

Enslaved

This new BBC documentary exploring the trans-Atlantic slave trade, timed to coincide with Black History Month, is given A-list clout by the participation of movie star Samuel L. Jackson. It is not, however, without journalistic heavyweights too – Afua Hirsch, whose sparring with Nick Ferrari on Sky News’ The Pledge has given her widespread internet acclaim joins amongst others.

Which Way Is The Front Line From Here? The Life and Time of Tim Hetherington

This strikingly intimate portrayal of the war photographer Tim Hetherington’s life from the viewpoint of his bereaved best friend demonstrates his extraordinary talent. Looking at  his life’s work, in which he conveyed a horrifically real portrait of life in a war zone, this documentary reflects his work through one main aspect of war; the loss of a ‘brother’.

That’s all for this week. Interested in writing for us? Contact us to chat about submissions.