What we call Ukraine’s capital may upset some. — I still remember how Indonesians rigorously responded to Marc Marquez when he misspelled Jakarta as Yakarta on his Instagram post. It is technically not a typo per se because Spanish is his mother tongue, and Yakarta is a Spanish version of Jakarta. This honest mistake should not be a piece…

Dr. David R. Boyd, a world-renowned environmental law and policy scholar, delivers the arguments for the rights of nature in his fourth book, The Rights of Nature. — For ages, humans are considered distinct and superior creatures on earth — the ‘pinnacle of evolution’. This notion defines creatures other than humans as property and nature as a collection of things. Because humans are more important, they are entitled to the benefits of exploiting nature and use it to…

After UU Cipta Kerja, Indonesia is in the race to the bottom. — Newly passed Undang-Undang Cipta Kerja/UU Cipta Kerja (Job Creation Law of 2020) in Indonesia recently become a hot topic on every platform (it incited hashtag war on Twitter and “celebrated” with days-long protest in several cities). It is the first omnibus legislation in Indonesia; the one-for-all legislation aims to push…

Did you know that you may not have the liberty to wander around your nearest open spaces? Ken Ilgunas showed in this book how “do not trespass” can ruin your adventure. — Why I’m reading this? Ken Ilgunas is a journalist and author known for his adventure memoir. Chronologically, according his book, he lived in a van during his master studies and hitchhiked around the US heartland. At first, I presumed This Land Is Our Land is just a sequel of his unconventional ride. Turns out…