Archive

In 400 years, English went from being a small language spoken in the British Isles to becoming the most dominant language in the world. In the year 1600, at the end of Queen Elizabeth I’s reign, English was spoken by 4 million people. By the 2020s, at the end of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign, that number had risen to nearly 2 billion. Aeon

Egypt’s Dar al-Ifta issued a fatwa charter promoting practices that are environmentally friendly based on Islamic law, as Egypt gears up to host the UN climate summit next month. Al-Monitor

Since the 1800s, our global population has grown from 984 million people to almost 8 billion—an increase of more than 700%. Which regions around the world have led this growth, and what’s expected for the rest of the century? This animated visualization by James Eagle shows 300 years of population growth, including historical figures as well as projections up to the year 2100. Visual Capitalist

It is wrong to think that these three statements contradict each other. We need to see that they are all true to see that a better world is possible. Our World in Data

Far from Russia's war in Ukraine, stores are running out of cooking oil, people are paying more at the gas pump, farmers are scrambling to buy fertilizer and nations are rethinking alliances. How Russia's war in Ukraine is changing the world : NPR

We are delighted to annonce a terrific addition to the GCA team: Keshia Abraham, a long-term friend and supporter of our program, is joining us as the new Director of Partnership Advancement to help expand the scope of our partner colleges and universities. Keshia first became involved in the GCA more than a decade ago when she attended one of our seminars as part of a delegation from Florida Memorial University (where she would later serve as Department Chair, Academic Dean and Director of International Education). The call for global citizenship  immediately resonated with her and her desire to make study abroad and international education more accessible for low income and minority students. Over the years, the connection with her grew stronger and she became more familiar with the GCA's operations as a participant of one of our faculty/administrators session and as a teaching faculty of a student seminar. With her thorough insights into the different aspects of our program and her strong commitment to our core values, Keshia will undoubtedly be a most cogent advocate and an ideal ambassador for the GCA. She is based in Miami, FL.

Digging for reliable data and charts on topics that relate to the most pressing problems that the world is facing can be a difficult and time-consuming business. But look no further because Our World in Data  is a gold mine of relevant information which serves as a reference for journalists and scholars of many of the most highly regarded media outlets and universities. This is how the makers of this resource describe their goal: "To understand issues that are affecting billions, we need data. We need to carefully measure what we care about and make the results accessible in an understandable and public platform. This allows everyone to see the state of the world today and track where we are making progress, and where we are falling behind. The publication we are building has this goal. Through interactive data visualizations we can see how the world has changed; by summarizing the scientific literature we can understand why." Check out this website and its more than 3,000 charts across close to 300 topics! 

The responses to my London accent show how UK Black culture is changing perceptions in the US – but only for some. The Guardian  

Despite Thatcher and Reagan’s best efforts, there is and has always been such a thing as society. The question is not whether it exists, but what shape it must take in a post-pandemic world. by Jill Lepore The Guardian

Louisianans are recognized for braving natural disasters and persevering against tough odds. In the age of climate change, resiliency won’t be enough. But holding industry accountable, coupled with decisive action, might be. Bitter Southerner