The Rest of the World Archives

Environment

Ending the Sale of All Ivory May Be the Only Way to Save Africa’s Elephants

Populations of Africa’s forest and savannah elephants continue to decline precipitously, leading conservationists to call for more extreme measures.

Millie Kerr

News in Brief

Sex in Space: A Brief History of Newts and Geckos

Russian lizards and memories of Gingrich.

Ted Scheinman

The Monolingual American: Why Are Those Outside of the U.S. Encouraging It?

If you are an American trying to learn German in a large German town or city, you will mostly hear English in return, even when you give sprechen your best shot.

Yuliya Komska

Social Justice

Celebrating Independence: Scenes From 59 Days Around the World

While national identities are often used to separate people, a husband-and-wife Facebook photography project aims to build connections.

Heather Layton & Brian Bailey

Economics

A Bike Ride Through Qatar

Might cycling just be another way for Qatar to gain some international cachet through sporting events? Sure, but the nation also seems to genuinely want its people to start riding bikes.

Josh Cohen

Economics

Suape’s Children: The Social Conflict Surrounding One of Brazil’s Most Important Ports

What happens when you give power to a private security service in an attempt to quickly boost economic growth.

Zoe Sullivan

Social Justice

Spectators of the Orient: Kara Walker and a History of White Americans Gawking at Black and Brown Bodies

Many viewers of “Marvelous Sugar Baby” made it clear they were oblivious to the history of enslavement and abuse—in Walker’s art and this country—when they turned the installation into just another cheap form of entertainment. But that’s nothing new.

Manan Ahmed Asif