By Christina Cushen Source: Fernando Gregory | Dreamstime.com For many people, getting married is the most exciting part of their life, yet for others it is the worst day of their life. Unfortunately, many people often think that forced marriage is a problem exclusive to developing countries, but this is not the case. In this article I will be reflecting on the challenges that women and girls experience as they fight for their own future. In 2024, the UN Secretary-General e

By Christina Cushen Source: The Guardian Introduction Australia’s treatment of refugees and asylum seekers in offshore and mainland detention centres has been long criticised by human rights advocates and the United Nations. The Australian Government continues to violate its international obligations by arbitrarily detaining people and breaching the non-refoulment policy by sending asylum seekers and refugees back to the country where they escaped. Through case studies in wh

By Jeff Zhou Source: The Guardian Introduction The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is the most water-scarce territory in the world. Over 60% of its population lives in areas experiencing high water stress. Additionally, droughts and floods pose a major threat, as in 2021, rising temperatures led to desertification, impacting water supplies and food production processes. Over 12 million people were affected in Iraq, Syria, Jordan, and Iran. With climate change ex