Anti-government protests have been shaking Serbia for almost eight months now, and so far, they show no signs of losing momentum. After a demonstration in the capital, there were violent clashes with the police and arrests. Participants barricaded major transport routes in Belgrade and other cities and are demanding early elections. It all started with students who went on strike and have been blocking Serbian universities since autumn. How did protesting become the main focus of their lives?
by Tobiáš Wagner
first published by revue Prostor under the title Anatomie protestu I: Jak se studenti snaží změnit Srbsko
Are we witnessing the end of the humanities and social sciences? In recent decades, not only has the world around us changed rapidly, but so too have the demands placed on science and higher education institutions. So, what does work at higher education institutions look like? How is science evaluated, and what is the role of universities in society?
by Monika Brenišínová, Nina Wanča
first published by revue Prostor under the title 1/3 Rozpad společnosti a vláda scientizmu: Jsme svědky konce humanitních a společenských věd?
How to reconcile education, science and the third role of universities? This text deals with the work of university teaching staff, specifically two of the three basic activities: education and research. University teaching is not a secondary activity, as it may have seemed in recent years, but the very core of the academic profession.
by Monika Brenišínová, Nina Wanča
first published by revue Prostor under the title 2/3 Rozpad společnosti a vláda scientizmu: Jak skloubit vzdělávání, vědu a třetí roli univerzit?
Universities are not detached from reality. As a publicly funded institution of higher education, we are accountable to society. Those working at universities should not only be top scientists and teachers, but should also be able to communicate with the public, popularise their research and present it in an entertaining way to show that universities are not there for themselves, but for the public.
by Monika Brenišínová, Nina Wanča
first published by revue Prostor under the title 3/3 Rozpad společnosti a vláda scientizmu: Třetí role univerzit vrací poznání zpět k lidem
When I asked my peers what they considered to be the biggest problem in their lives, I received a unanimous answer: romantic relationships. Whether they are currently in a relationship or single, they almost uniformly talk about the complexity of finding a suitable partner who is serious about them. In their experience so far, there is usually one or more relationships that can be described as a situationship.
by Anna Kubínová
first published by revue Prostor under the title Necítíš to? Tak to řekni. Fenomén přechodných vztahů
If we want to be linguistically precise, we must perceive polarisation as a metaphor that allows us to understand the world around us and give structure to our insights into what is happening and where we are headed. Like any metaphor, this one is not and cannot be strictly true or false. It can be more or less accurate, more or less clearly defined, misleading, but also deceptive—all depending on how we grasp it and how we work with it.
by Matej Cíbik
first published by revue Prostor under the title Jak přemýšlet o polarizaci
How do wars change our sense of belonging, increasing radicalization, destructive polarization and dehumanization? This article shows how collective memory and traumatic experiences shape our identity and where to look for hope for dialogue.
How do you build an LGBTQ+ community in a country where it seems to be invisible? How can the situation be improved? We talked about all this and more with Gulya Sultanova, co-founder of Q-space.
The targeting of immigrants is not only a phenomenon of the majority society, but often also of the migrants themselves. In their search for their place in society, immigrants often encounter the coldness of those who have already undergone integration. Does accepting the prejudices of a majority become the ticket to a ‘normal’ life? Politicians, the media and society all play a part in this. Why do those who should be closest to each other define themselves against each other?
by Roman Berežanský
first published by revue Prostor under the title Přistěhovalecký odpor k migraci. Proč se vůči sobě vymezují ti, kteří by si měli být nejblíž?
Boskovice is situated forty kilometres north of Brno. The investigative local newspaper Ohlasy is published here, which is almost a rarity in today's Czech media landscape. ‘Local newspapers face similar problems to large, national newspapers, but they have far fewer resources to respond to these problems. The result is a so-called media desert, ’ says Tomáš Trumpeš, editor at “Ohlasy”.
by Tomáš Trumpeš
first published by JÁDU V regionu vstupujete na mediální poušť
Listen to selected documentaries from Vilnius University’s audio storytelling course. These student works explore a wide range of topics – from HIV testing in Prienai and new ways to fight addiction, to stories of aging, Soviet memories, struggling rural healthcare, and a disappearing village in Samogitia.
by Karolis Vyšniauskas
first published by NARA under the title Matyti Lietuvą platesnę. Šešios garso istorijos
The European Union (EU) has positioned itself, since its inception, as a stronghold of liberal democracy, social equality, and integrative policies. However, in recent years, the alarming rise in the popularity of right-wing parties has intensified.
by Polina Bargan
first published by NARVAMUS under the title Европа голосует против себя: что стоит за популярностью правых партий?
For most of us, home is a place where we take off our shoes, where we are safe, where we go to lock ourselves away from the world. For these people, it's more of a state of mind. It's where they have a moment's peace and hope that they won't have to return to the places they came from. They are fleeing their "homes" where they have been abused, humiliated, and even wanted to kill.
by Václav Lang
first published by revue Prostor under the title Domov je tam, kde tě chtějí zabít. Příběhy migrantů, jimž zbyla jen víra vTrumpa (1. část)
(TIJUANA) It's Sunday morning, less than a day until Trump's inauguration. The city is freezing, but the sun is already rising above the horizon, sending warm rays down on the Babyloons. We climb the hills far from downtown and the border, and taxi driver Miguel confides that his brother worked as a "coyote" many years ago. There's no other way to refer to the local smugglers.
by Václav Lang
first published by revue Prostor under the title Domov je tam, kde tě chtějí zabít. Příběhy migrantů, jimž zbyla jen víra vTrumpa (2. část)
An article about relationships established through AI chats. Often it is pointed to relationships where a man seeks (heteronormatively) female chats. David Laufer's article reports on the opposite situation. But in the flood of headlines about virtual girlfriends, it's easy to lose the other side of the coin - the one for which we don't have such an established idea, science fiction images or literature in our culture. What about AI partners?
by David Laufer
first published by revue Prostor under the title AI přítelkyně? Aco AI přítel! Toxičtí mafiáni asurovci sklízí miliony interak
The article reflects on the current state of the Visegrad Four, with the author criticising the departure from the original ideals of cooperation. It focuses on the rise of nationalist tendencies and the lack of solidarity in the region, illustrating this with the example of attitudes towards Ukrainian refugees and Robert Fico's meeting with Vladimir Putin.
by Apolena Rychlíková
first published by Kapitál under the title Toužení po Visegrádu
Homelessness is most often associated with the image of a man lying on a bench with a bottle in his hand. But what other forms can it take? In what ways does the absence of a home inscribe itself in our lives, our ability to form relationships and social integration, the conditions needed to deal with this problem? This deeply personal account turns conventional ideas about homelessness upside down. Is it most often caused by relational trauma?
by Maja Rysová
first published by revue Prostor under the title Rubínové střevíce nestačí. Absence domova jako základní příčina začarovaného kruhu traumatu
„We were born here, we grew up here, we study, we work, we raise our children. Most of us are planning our future here. We are part of Czech society, but we have dark skin. According to the SPD and its supporters, we are a risk. We are alone in our struggle to convince the public that we are not.“ On racism in Czech politics and the reactions of the Czech public from the perspective of a "dark-skinned" author.
by Natálie Sousa
first published by revue Prostor under the title Můžeme to dotáhnout dál než na nenávistný plakát? Kampaň SPD ukázala, že většině Čechů je rasizmus jedno
A personal testimony of a young woman who is half Muslim and half Jewish, living in Europe. A text reflecting on the question of what her identity actually is, on Islamophobia linked to the migrant crisis and the ever-present anti-Semitism. It asks how identity is formed, to what extent it is chosen, and to what extent it is a projection of those around her, such as family, friends and the foreign public.
by Melika Yildiz
first published by revue Prostor under the title Ve svitu hvězdy apůlměsíce
If we want to be linguistically precise, we must perceive polarisation as a metaphor that allows us to understand the world around us and give structure to our insights into what is happening and where we are headed. Like any metaphor, this one is not and cannot be strictly true or false. It can be more or less accurate, more or less clearly defined, misleading, but also deceptive—all depending on how we grasp it and how we work with it.
by Matej Cíbik
first published by revue Prostor under the title Jak přemýšlet o polarizaci
