Unlearning what we know — issue #58
“I have learned the names of all the bushes, but I have yet to learn their songs.” These past months, the Kontinentalist team has been deep in learning and reflection. We started our “Decolonial Reading Club”: bi-monthly sessions breaking down coloniality, knowledge, and being. This quote from Braiding Sweetgrass, recounting
Don’t call us the underdogs — issue #57
2022, Doha Airport. I am catching a flight back to Singapore, but there are other pressing matters in the transit area. Morocco is playing Portugal for a spot in the World Cup semi-finals, and is one goal up at the 90th minute. Behind me, an Arab auntie is saying a
The art of abundance — issue #56
I’ve been thinking a lot about what Pei Ying wrote in our last newsletter on refusal. These thoughts come on the back of growing research on the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on the environment: a search on ChatGPT consumes 25 times more energy than a Google search, and
What is the point of education if it cannot stop suffering? — issue #55
Apologies: We accidentally sent a test version of our latest issue. Please ignore the previous email and continue reading to enjoy this month's reads! It’s the end of May and spring is in full swing. I’ve just completed my second term at the University of Edinburgh,
seasons are changing — issue #54
Coming from tropical Singapore, where it’s pretty much hot all year round, spring was never something I resonated with. It didn’t rouse in me feelings people associate with the end of winter: hope, joy, and revival. At most, I’d think of the fleeting beauty of Japanese sakura,
The colours of girlhood — issue #53
Back in primary school, girls in my class used to circulate a dog-eared paperback copy of Judy Blume’s “Are You There God, It’s Me Margaret”, giggling excitedly to the next person in line. I have fond memories of reading about 12-year-old Margaret’s adolescent adventures: getting her period
Love, interrupted — issue #52
February means many things to us. For some, it’s a month of love which centres on that special day on the 14th. For others, it’s just another 29 days, each one not any more special than the other. For those of us who celebrate Chinese New Year, it’
Popping our bubble of convenience — issue #51
Last April, I met a Ukrainian journalist at the International Journalism Festival in Perugia, Italy. I thought my near-20 hours of commute to Rome was long, but she had travelled 24 hours to be there despite hailing from the same continent. What struck me was her steadfastness. Despite how disrupted
Boycotts: A call for connection — issue #50
Recent calls to boycott have got me thinking about how intricately connected we are to each other. Each day, I depend on my iPhone to get updates on what goes on in the world, and communicate with family and friends miles away. With digital media, I have easy access to
The answers don’t lie in biodegradable bullets — issue #49
Did you know that military-related emissions aren’t subject to international climate goals? I didn’t, until recently. Countries have been rushing to meet their climate goals. Most of their efforts centre on energy transition, economic re-prioritisation, and sustainable development. But the quest for reduced emissions and clean energy has
Whose voices are we listening to? — issue #48
The past few weeks have felt incredibly heavy. In Gaza, a genocide against Palestinians is happening in front of our eyes. Heinous war crimes are committed daily without impunity, emboldened by the support of colonial powers past and present. Across the world, many of us scroll through horrors that surpass
Why local stories matter — issue #47
A few years back, I had the privilege of meeting other environmental journalists from across Asia at a climate journalism fellowship. Hailing from Indonesia, Kashmir, Bangladesh and the Philippines—places extremely vulnerable to the impacts of climate change—they had spent their career reporting tirelessly from the frontlines of our