history | Harbingers' Magazine

November 24, 2023

Since 1960, the contraceptive pill has revolutionized women's lives. One woman financed the research

The invention of the pill not only gave women the opportunity to plan parenthood, it revolutionized Western societies in gender equality. The pill allowed women to stay in education longer, and pursue professional careers

17 year-old Flora Lodd on the history and future of hormonal contraception

October 27, 2023

Kosovo War – understanding the unresolved conflict

The conflict that was supposed to be resolved decades ago is making headlines in world news again, with the media asking ‘Are Kosovo and Serbia on the brink of war?’

17 year-old Mykyta Yaremenko explains the failure of peace process in Kosovo

September 08, 2023

Dying languages: Cultures are being eradicated in silence

Language is often reduced to a tool for basic communication, neglecting its human and cultural significance. Global warming and urbanisation are forcing linguistically diverse communities to migrate, assimilate, and abandon their ancestral tongues

Sophie Yu on the fight to save forgotten languages

September 01, 2023

Understanding Poland’s economic transformation would enable Sri Lanka to learn from Warsaw’s errors

Many experts fear that in light of the recent economic crisis, the Lankan government’s sole focus will be debt disposal, hence the introduction of reforms may occur in a haphazard way, jeopardising the country’s security

17 year-old Nadia Diakowska speaks with economic experts Marcin Zielinski, Professor Adam Bodnar, and Filip Konopczyński

August 19, 2023

Ageism: How young MPs are battling for political recognition

In today’s society, their role is arguably not considered as inspirational as that of pop stars or maybe even athletes. But why not? Young MPs seem to have an even greater fight for this interest, and for recognition in the political sphere

15 year-old Isaaq Hussain on youth accessibility in UK politics

August 13, 2023

Contested artefacts from the British Museum: 7 things you need to know

In recent years, many countries where these artefacts originated have become more vocal in calling for their return, arguing that the objects were taken unethically and without consent

16 year-old Justin Sau outlines the appeals for repatriation

August 09, 2023

Oppenheimer review: Three-hour long biopic nothing short of mind-blowing

In unity with cinematography, sound design, and the soundtrack Nolan creates a horrifically immersive experience which controls every atom in the viewer's body

17 year-old Anatolii Mishustin reviews Nolan’s newest blockbuster

June 30, 2023

Unabomber exemplifies dangers of the far-right’s romanticisation of terrorists

On June 10, Theodore “Ted” Kaczynski, known as the Unabomber, died in prison unleashing a social media storm of Unabomber fans wishing him to rest in peace, revealing to the world a harmful and dangerous personality cult

17 year-old Mykyta Yaremenko on Ted Kaczynski’s right-wing fandom

June 23, 2023

Russian aggression will add another layer to Ukraine’s intergenerational trauma

It is impossible to understand the impact the current Russian aggression will have on Ukrainian society without taking into account the scars left by the Holodomor, World War 2, and Chornobyl

16-year-old Sofiya Tkachenko interviews mental health expert Lidiia Kasyanchuk

March 17, 2023

What exactly is Justice? The flawed concept behind the death penalty in the US

Organisations such as the Innocence Project work to liberate the innocent, avoid wrongful sentences, and establish systems of justice that are fair, humane, and impartial for all. There have already been 375 cases of exoneration in the US due to new DNA testing, including 21 people serving on death row.

17 year-old Aleksandra Lasek on the importance of re-examination of evidence

March 17, 2023

How political art is used to influence people

Art, as a reflection of an artist’s view of the world, is influenced by the events happening around, including politics and wars. And just like art, propaganda is also influenced by them. Propaganda, as it is known, is the dissemination of information to influence public opinion

16 year-old Kateryna Kalyniuk outlines the history of propaganda

March 09, 2023

Are the Peranakans a part of Singapore’s past or a heritage shaping my life choices?

As I deepened my research into Peranakans, I began to realise that my ancestors far exceed their reputation as creators of imaginative cuisine and eclectic architecture. In fact, the culture not only shapes the Singapore we see today but has largely influenced the choices I have made in life

16 year-old Jinn Ong inquires whether and how it is possible to be Peranakan in the 21st century

February 09, 2023

Lessons have not been learnt, international law is not stopping Russia

The notions of genocide and crimes against humanity are two essential building blocks for international law and vital parts of the efforts to protect human rights. In his 2016 book East West Street, British writer and lawyer Philippe Sands explains the origins of these notions

Aleksandra Lasek on the constraints of the international criminal law system

November 17, 2022

Art of forgetting and remembering. On Lithuania's path to the commemoration of Holocaust victims

Memory is by no means neutral, and the pain of it demands decision. To what extent should we remember at all? What does it mean to remember rightly? Is the idea of memory even possible?

17 year-old Sophie Abromaviciute on relations between art and history

October 17, 2022

Volunteering at KL Plaszow Museum gave me a chance to fight the Nazi dehumanisation

To many, the concentration camp in Plaszow remains an unknown piece of history. A mere nine-person team at the KL Plaszow Museum and Memorial Site are working to change that. While I had the privilege of being the museum’s first volunteer, the KL Plaszow team hopes to recruit more as they continue working towards their opening in 2025

17 year-old Jonathan Wong on the meaning of voluntary work

September 30, 2022

Herbal Insurgency: Wielding Knowledge to Heal and Harm Under Southern Enslavement

Through their knowledge of healing and harming, enslaved people were able to create small but vital spaces of healing and alternative power within the totalizing structures of Southern enslavement laws

William Derek Pacini examines the history of herbal expertise as a form of resistance and a means to freedom

September 18, 2022

Art of humanity. Why Lithuanian Jews took part in the fight against apartheid in South Africa

Once kindness becomes prevalent, it appears to be spreading. Human relations develop as we experience the inevitability of life - whether it is peace or war, core human values remain the same. A formation of a crystal – I think of an artwork I saw in Kaunas, depicting the bonding of ions and atoms which make the crystal grow - is parallel to how human relations develop.

17 year-old Sophie Abromaviciute on the lesson from an art festival in Kaunas, Lithuania

September 10, 2022

A Plague Constant: Disease and Conspiracy in the Early Modern Period and Today

Today, as during the Great Plague of London, some of those holding office have put forward questionable remedies said to be more effective than mainstream treatments

Zachary Górka considers the similarities in public reaction and conspiracy between COVID-19 and the Great Plague of London, almost 400 years apart

August 16, 2022

Norman Davies: In 1919, Soviet invasion bolstered Polish national identity. Now it happens in Ukraine

“In 1920, nobody, no experts, no generals gave Poland a chance. In February, no experts gave Ukrainians much of a chance. The Ukrainians captured Russian tanks where the men were dressed in parade uniforms”

An interview by 18 year-old Jeremi Kulczyk-Lubomirski and 16 year-old Maciej Cebula