Weekly Links

By Danny Hirschel-Burns

Fifteen years after the inauguration of the Millennium Development Goals, what is life like for the world’s poorest people? BBC has an interactive story exploring lives in Mongo, Chad.

Tunisia manged to come out of the Arab Spring with a functioning, inclusive democracy. But then why does it produce so many jihadists?

The Imbonerakure, the feared pro-government militia, are at the center of the ongoing conflict in Burundi. Who are they, why do people join, and how are opponents reacting?

Veteran Middle East reporter Patrick Cockburn reports from the front line between ISIS and Kurdish PYD troops. Relatedly, Mehdi Hasan takes on a question at the center of understanding ISIS’ behavior: what role does Islam play in guiding the group?

If the American Revolution hadn’t happened, slavery would’ve ended sooner and fewer Native Americans would’ve been killed. At least that’s Dylan Matthew’s counterfactual argument.

In central Africa, numerous incumbent leaders have tried or will likely try to extend their rule beyond constitutionally-allowed term limits. But even if alternating power is good for democracy in the long run, does it always lead to better outcomes in the short term?

The Washington Post follows a Syrian family’s attempt to claim asylum in Western Europe as they trek through the Balkans.